Broncos Defense Shines, Offense Struggles in 10–7 Win

The Denver Broncos continued their winning ways Thursday night, grinding out a 10–7 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders at Empower Field to become the first NFL team to reach eight wins this season. While the defense delivered another dominant performance, the offense once again sputtered, prompting frustration from several players.

Running back J.K. Dobbins spoke candidly after the game, acknowledging that the defense had been carrying the team. “Yeah, cool, we’re 8–2… but the defense is winning us the games, and we’re not helping them,” Dobbins said. “They’re out there playing their butts off, and we can’t keep doing this to them.”

Defense Keeps Denver in Control

Denver’s defense suffocated Las Vegas from start to finish, holding the Raiders without a first down on seven straight possessions and limiting them to just 188 total yards. The Broncos tallied six sacks, bringing their season total to 46 — the most by any team through 10 games since 1990.

Outside linebacker Nik Bonitto and linebacker Alex Singleton praised the group’s mentality after the win. “Whatever we need to do, we do,” Singleton said. “Just continuing to give the offense the ball, give them every opportunity.”

The defense’s dominance has powered Denver’s seven-game winning streak, the franchise’s longest since 2015 — the year they won Super Bowl 50.

Offense Out of Sync Again

While the defense shined, the offense struggled to find rhythm. Quarterback Bo Nix threw two interceptions and finished with just 150 yards passing. Denver managed only 220 total yards and punted seven times, drawing boos from the home crowd after several stalled drives.

“At some point, we’ve got to start moving the ball and scoring some points,” Nix admitted. “Between penalties and sluggish football, we’re just not playing very good. It starts with me.”

The Broncos committed 11 penalties for 78 yards — eight of them on offense. It was their fourth game this season with at least 10 accepted penalties, making them the league’s second-most penalized offense behind Jacksonville.

Even their game-winning field goal stemmed from a defensive play: safety JL Skinner blocked a punt that set up Wil Lutz’s 32-yard kick late in the third quarter.

Payton Calls for Offensive Discipline

Head coach Sean Payton echoed his players’ frustrations, pointing to penalties and poor execution as key issues. “[The Raiders] did some things that were challenging on defense,” Payton said, “but too many penalties on offense that put us in a hole, and I’ve got to be better also.”

Despite the ugly win, Denver remains atop the AFC West and holds the NFL’s best record at 8–2. Yet as the team’s offensive woes persist, the Broncos know their defense can only carry them so far.

As Dobbins put it bluntly: “We’ve got too much talent to be this inconsistent. We’ve got to figure it out — and we will.”