On a field and in a game that felt like 1977, the Broncos’ defense channeled its inner Orange Crush. Class of 2024 cornerback Pat Surtain II led by example with a 100-yard pick-six that put Denver up for good in the third quarter.
Denver scored on its next possession as Bo Nix connected with Courtland Sutton for a jump-ball touchdown pass, followed by Will Lutz kicking a 38-yard field goal.
| Team | Position | Player | Performance Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | Quarterback | Bo Nix | 25/42, 273 yards, 2 touchdowns |
| Running Back | Jaleel McLaughlin | 7 carries, 44 yards | |
| Wide Receiver | Courtland Sutton | 8 receptions, 97 yards, 2 touchdowns | |
| Wide Receiver | Josh Reynolds | Performance details not specified | |
| Tight End | Adam Trautman | Performance details not specified | |
| Las Vegas Raiders | Quarterback | Gardner Minshew | 25/42, 230 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception |
| Running Back | Ameer Abdullah | 65 total yards, 1 touchdown | |
| Wide Receiver | Jakobi Meyers | 10 receptions, 121 yards | |
| Tight End | Brock Bowers | 8 receptions, 97 yards, 1 touchdown |
TE Brock Bowers
Brock Bowers has proven himself one of the greatest rookie tight ends ever seen in league history. Already making waves for the Raiders franchise with impressive receiving records and ranking among fantasy’s top-10 tight ends, Bowers leads rookie touchdown receptions and could break NFL single-season receiving records this season if all goes according to plan – making him an essential pick up as 2024 comes to a close. He should not be overlooked when picking your squads this fantasy season!
The Raiders opened scoring early when Gardner Minshew connected with Bowers for a 57-yard touchdown reception, tying up the game 7-7 before Minshew found Bowers again to give Raiders an early 14-7 advantage in the second quarter.
Bowers has proven his worth despite an uneven start. As a top-tier fantasy option in all formats, he should see plenty of opportunities against an Jaguars defense that ranks among the worst in passing Expected Points Added per play allowed.
Due to Aidan O’Connell (knee) being doubtful for Week 16 action, his backup Desmond Ridder should look to pass frequently to Bowers this season – giving him plenty of chances to reach Bowers for his impressive stats of 87 catches on 118 targets for 933 yards and four touchdowns this season – making him a clear TE1 in most fantasy leagues.
Georgia product Jake Atkins should continue his dominance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 16. As they allow tight ends to earn fifth most receiving yards and eighth most fantasy points against them, he should easily be able to rack up another big number for fantasy purposes. Atkins should be considered in all fantasy leagues this week; his chances at breaking Mike Ditka and Puka Nacua’s rookie receiving records this season as well as closing in on Zach Ertz’s single season TE reception record have become very real indeed!
RB Ameer Abdullah
Denver Broncos turned their slow start around with a 34-18 victory against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, led by rookie quarterback Bo Nix and Patrick Surtain II’s extraordinary coverage skills, while their defense held off an aggressive Raiders offense.
Daniel Carlson kicked a field goal for Oakland to get things started early, but Will Lutz responded immediately with a 51-yard kick from Denver’s Will Lutz. Following this kick, Denver’s offense took over with two straight touchdown passes from Nix to rookie tight end Brock Bowers on two yards and then to Courtland Sutton one yard passes en route to scoring two more scores within an instantaneous three minute span.
Subsequently, the Raiders were forced to punt after failing to convert on a fourth-and-goal attempt; but, due to running out the clock and sealing their victory.
Abdullah ran for 115 yards during Week 17 against the Philadelphia Eagles but suffered a foot injury late in the fourth quarter and is uncertain for Sunday’s matchup against Los Angeles Chargers. Practice has been limited and Abdullah might prove risky fantasy option should he not play on Sunday.
If he fails to return, the Raiders may turn to Alexander Mattison as their lead back and rookie Dylan Laube in an alter-nate-pace role. Both players may be viable options in deeper PPR leagues; however, starting either may pose risk.
Broncos players on injured reserve include running back Dalvin Cook (shoulder) and wide receiver Demaryius Thomas (ankle). Cook’s absence played a part in Minnesota’s loss against New Orleans; however, he could return in time for Week 20’s matchup against Green Bay Packers.
WR Davante Adams
Davante Adams has become one of the NFL’s premier deep threat wide receivers over his last ten seasons, collecting 802 receptions and touchdowns during that period while ranking among the top five for both targets and yards per catch. Unfortunately, however, his numbers have somewhat declined this season but remain an excellent option in fantasy leagues; though his matchup against Oakland could prove challenging.
The 2024 Broncos season got off to an uncertain start, but rookie quarterback Bo Nix has led Denver’s revival through Week 5. Denver returned home for a divisional matchup against Las Vegas Raiders; looking to rebound after their defeat to New York Jets while continuing their recent winning streak.
Denver’s defense unleashed their inner Orange Crush on Sunday. Patrick Surtain II made an important play with an interception early in the second quarter, while Broncos defense held Raiders to only 19 points during the second half.
Broncos offensive players took full advantage of their prime matchup. Even without one key member of their offense present, the Broncos scored 40 points en route to victory and secured their win.
Adams made a critical catch late in the game to put the Broncos out of reach and ensure they would prevail in this one-game contest. Adams gave them an outright two-point advantage and ensured victory would be theirs.
With their win, the Broncos improved to 3-2 and extended their winning streak to three games. Notably, their defense notched a key takeaway that will help improve their record when forcing turnovers in future games against San Francisco 49ers. The team will look to continue this momentum against them.
RB Dwayne Harris
After suffering an impressive defeat at the hands of the Jets in Week 4, Oakland returned home for an exciting matchup against division rival Denver in Week 5. Both sides looked to capitalize on recent wins against Atlanta while trying to emerge from their respective funks; both teams put forth great effort throughout this engaging contest which featured key injuries on either side. It made for an entertaining matchup.
The opening half was one for Over the 7.5-Point O/U mark as Denver Broncos started strong. Following an extended drive, Denver managed to score an early field goal which they followed up with two-point conversion for an early lead of 7-0. Ameer Abdullah of Oakland Raiders would later score one yard touchdown run before halftime which brought his team within seven points but before taking over with a 30-yard field goal from Daniel Carlson giving them their own lead before halftime.
In the third quarter, both teams traded field goals until its end. Carlson made another long field goal from 38 yards out to give the Raiders an early three-point advantage before Will Lutz made a 51 yarder from Will Lutz to close out this period and leave both teams trailing three points at its conclusion.
The fourth quarter was all about turnovers. The Raiders got their chance first as Dwayne Harris fumbled a snap into the pocket for an easy safety. To respond, Ronnie Hillman fumbled, which was recovered by LB Brandon Marshall.
As the game wore on, the Raiders continued to struggle with multiple fumbles in the second half. Their lead would quickly vanish with an 11-play 75-yard drive led by Ameer Abdullah that culminated with an Ameer Abdullah touchdown run for an eventual score of 34-18 and with it their season record dropped from 3-3 to 3-4 as Bo Nix passed for 200+ yards in each of his last four games while Broncos defense held them to just one touchdown during the second half securing them victory over Raiders 3-3 record and improved to 6-5 overall season record overall.