Mile High Report
For the first time in the 2025 season the Broncos get to take on the Oakl..Las Vegas Raiders. There’s still something in me that fights to call them by their “new” name. Maybe it’s just how fitting the city of Oakland and the colosseum was for such a trashy franchise like the Raiders are.
This matchup has a dramatically different feel than it did just a season ago. At the time of their first meeting last year the Broncos had lost eight games in a row to the Raiders, never beating them since they made their move to Vegas. But ever since that 100-yard pick six by Pat Surtain that completely changed the momentum of that game, the Broncos have gone on to outscore the Raiders 53-27 and the franchises have taken two different roads. Denver looks to be making not just a playoff push, but they’re eying a division title for the first time since 2015. And the Raiders, well, they’re having quite the Raiders-type year.
Here’s how the Broncos can extend their winning streak to seven and keep the Raiders in the division’s basement come Thursday underneath the lights in prime time, donned in the beautiful Orange Crush uniforms.
With Jakobi Meyers now out of the picture, the Raiders really are left with just two guys that have the opportunity to destroy opposing defenses. We all know, especially as Bronco fans, that Brock Bowers has the ability to wreck any game if there isn’t special attention being given to him. He’s a dang good tight end and a real threat to this defense. But there’s good news: the Broncos have been getting better at not letting opposing tight ends run wild.
Last week Dalton Shultz was limited to six catches, 77 yards, and no touchdowns. The week prior, one of the best tight ends in the league, Jake Ferguson, was completely left off the stat sheet, besides his one target. The Broncos have found something in Jahdae Barron and his ability to cover tight ends. He’s been doing a really solid job in that department, and he’ll have to keep his game up come Thursday.
And when it comes to Ashton Jeanty, while he hasn’t had the most impressive of rookie seasons, he has still accounted for nearly a fifth of the Raiders’ total first downs this season and has reached the end zone six times, through both the air and on the ground. He is, like at Boise State, a machine when it comes to breaking tackles. And while that Vegas offensive line is poor, Jeanty is still able to pick up positive yards even while being hit in the backfield. Swarm tackling will be the name of the game on Thursday. I’m expecting many instances of him and Talanoa Hufanga meeting in the gap.
We all know that the Broncos have a good run game, and that...
