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Nov 6, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) attempts a pass as offensive tackle Alex Palczewski (63) and offensive tackle Garett Bolles (72) defend against Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Malcolm Koonce (51) in the fourth quarter at Empower Field at Mile High. Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

5 Offensive Matchups That Will Define Broncos vs. Raiders

Originally posted on Denver Broncos on SI
By Erick Trickel | Last updated Dec 6, 2025 10:00 AM ET

The Denver Broncos have a chance to put themselves in a great position to win the AFC West and sit atop the AFC if they can beat the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. While the Broncos would still be tied with the New England Patriots for the best record in the AFC, the tiebreaker would then go in Denver’s favor and secure the top seed.

That would be important if the Broncos finish with the same record as the Patriots.

However, after their previous game against the Raiders, the Broncos need more from their offense, even though they won. It was a disappointing game for the Broncos' offense, which couldn't get anything going, and it was probably Bo Nix's worst game.

The Broncos' offense has since shown more signs of life and hints of putting things together, outside of the running game. If the Broncos want to walk out with the win this week, the offense will need to take advantage of the matchups we'll touch on below.

RT Mike McGlinchey vs. DE Maxx Crosby

Crosby can be a game-wrecker, and he had a good outing against McGlinchey and the Broncos in the last game. With McGlinchey below his standards this season, the lows coming in the last few games are a serious concern for the Broncos' offense.

The expectation shouldn’t be for McGlinchey to keep Crosby out of the game. Even if Crosby is kept sack-less, he still generates disruption as a pass rusher and is excellent as a run defender.

What the Broncos need is for McGlinchey to stop Crosby from impacting the game and at least limit him. Denver doesn’t have the pieces to provide a lot of help for McGlinchey, so he will need to find a way to get it done on his own consistently.

Broncos' LT & LG vs. DEs Tyree Wilson & Malcolm Koonce

With Crosby and McGlinchey on one side, the Broncos need to hold up on the other side. Alex Palczewski has been admirable as a replacement left guard, but his play has clearly been a drop-off from what the Broncos got out of Ben Powers. Palczewski isn’t a starting-quality guard.

Left tackle Garett Bolles has had a great season, and while he was rough against the Kansas City Chiefs, he has been outstanding for the rest of the season. He will need to be extra aware, as the Raiders are likely to create disruption by confusing Palczewski and Bolles.

In the Broncos' previous matchup with the Raiders, Palczewski wasn’t credited with giving up pressure, and Bolles only had one, while Wilson picked up three pressures, and Koonce was shut out. The Broncos' left tackle and left guard won the last matchup, and they need to do so again in Round 2.

QB Bo Nix vs. DC Patrick Graham

In their last game, Graham won this matchup and held Nix to his worst game of the season. The young quarterback didn’t even look like a backup-quality player, but Nix has bounced back and looked good in the two games since then.

It wasn’t a case of Graham creating confusion or making things hard to read for Nix. The issues stemmed from Nix, who lacked trust in himself and his teammates and generally had terrible technique.

As long as Nix plays as he has in the last two games, the Broncos' offense should be able to fly high and have a lot of success against a defense that has been average this season. Graham doesn’t have great pieces on his defense, and despite being a great coordinator, he needs talent.

Nix and the Broncos should be able to take advantage of that dearth of talent.

TE Evan Engram & RJ RB Harvey vs. LB Devin White & S Jeremy Chinn

The Raiders trust these two defenders to handle tight ends or running backs the majority of the time, despite their lack of success. Between the two defenders, they've allowed nearly 600 yards receiving and four touchdowns on the season, but they both did well against the Broncos in their first matchup.

Engram and Harvey picked up 21 total yards on four combined catches off eight targets. Harvey has shown more as a receiver out of the backfield all season long, and his speed can be advantageous against White when matched up.

Engram has had a rougher season, but he finally had those ‘Joker’ flashes against the Washington Commanders, and Denver will likely look to build off that. While Chinn can be tougher in coverage, Engram also has an advantage over White when they can force matchups.

It's worth noting that Chinn is listed as questionable for Sunday's action with a back injury, but he's likely to play.

WR Courtland Sutton vs. CB Eric Stokes

Stokes has had a solid season, but not a great one, and he matches up well with Sutton. Sutton is the Broncos' most reliable pass catcher, so if they can’t get others going, they'll need him to win when matched up against Stokes.

If Sutton can’t win consistently, it would put extra pressure on the Broncos to force him into other matchups or to rely on someone else to step up, which hasn’t been a reliable option this season. Sutton got an extension to be that guy for the passing game, and this could be a game where the Broncos need him to rise up and take over.