Well, that was ugly.
The Denver Broncos defeated the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday night by a score of 10-7 in a game that seemed like no one really wanted to win. It didn't seem like a defensive struggle or a chess match between two coaches, but rather a battle to see which team would be more competent.
In the end, the Raiders could not take advantage of the Broncos leaving the door open all night long. They had a chance to tie late in the fourth quarter, but Daniel Carlson missed a 48-yard field goal that shut off their last chance. With the win, the Broncos improved to 8-2 on the season and have now won seven games in a row.
But this one didn't earn the team any points against the naysayers who still don't buy the Broncos as contenders. Whether it was due to the game being played on Thursday night, thus a short week of preparation, the wind in Denver, or a combination of many things, it was some bad football. The list of winners and losers from this one is reflective of that.
Denver Broncos Week 10 winners and losers
Winners
Denver Pass Rush
The Broncos got after Geno Smith in this one, registering six sacks and several more pressures. Smith was hobbled and close to immobile by the end of the game, but the Raiders chose to stick with him rather than switch to Kenny Pickett.
Nik Bonitto led the way with 1.5 sacks but he was in Smith's face all night long. When the Broncos needed big plays by the defense in this game, Bonitto was there to make them.
The Broncos' pass rush has been the primary reason the team has won more than once this season, and Thursday night can be added to that list.
JL Skinner, Safety
JL Skinner is getting more of an opportunity to see the field this season and while that comes primarily on special teams, he was responsible for the biggest play in this game.
With the score tied 7-7 late in the third quarter, the Raiders were forced to punt near their own end zone. Skinner broke through the protection and blocked AJ Cole's punt. Replays showed the ball actually went right off the facemask of Skinner and was recovered deep in Raiders' territory by Tyler Badie.
𝘽𝙇𝙊𝘾𝙆𝙀𝘿 🛑 JL Skinner making plays
— Boise State Football (@BroncoSportsFB) November 7, 2025
pic.twitter.com/hzfHrXMtUr
Though the Broncos frustratingly had to settle for a field goal, those ended up being the game-winning points.
Talanoa Hufanga, Safety
What Talanoa Hufanga brings to this defense is immeasurable. He has been in the winner's section after nearly every game this season, and there is a good reason for that.
He led the team with nine tackles in this game but his second quarter sack was a game-changing play. The Raiders held a 7-0 lead and had the ball near midfield. Cole had placed two punts inside the Broncos' 2-yard line to that point and the Raiders were easily winning the battle of field position.
Facing a 4th-and-5 from the Broncos' 47-yard line, Pete Carroll opted to go for it rather than punt again. Hufanga got a huge sack of Smith, which gave the Broncos the jolt of energy they needed. On the ensuing possession, the Broncos drove down the field and scored their only touchdown of the game.
Hufanga's sack was one of the game's most important plays.
Losers
Bo Nix, QB
Bo Nix wasn't terrible in this game, but he needs to be so much better. He made many throws where his feet just weren't set. Even some of the passes he completed were poor throws where the receiver just made a good play on the ball.
He threw two interceptions in the game and while one was not his fault (it hit Troy Franklin in the hands and turned into an interception), he had another that was just an atrocious decision where he threw the ball into double coverage. Nix threw for only 150 yards and didn't do anything with his feet in this one. The Broncos won't be able to continue to win games like that.
Evan Engram, TE
Evan Engram may become a permanent fixture in this section as he has been surprisingly ineffective for this team. He caught only two passes in the game and was a complete non-factor. It was the fourth game this season where he has caught three passes or less.
Sean Payton needs to figure out a way to get him more involved. Up to this point, he has been a massive waste of money.
Jeremy Crawshaw, P
Jeremy Crawshaw has been mostly good for a rookie punter, but Thursday night was a bad outing for him. Whether or not the wind was impacting his kicks is hard to say, but he was just not hitting the ball right at all. He had at least three punts come off the side of his foot awkwardly, including one that most of the fans in the stadium could have come onto the field and done a better job, setting the Raiders up in much better field position than they should have had.
If it weren't for Crawshaw's poor kicking game, the Raiders might not have scored any points in this game.
Penalties
This just has to stop. The Broncos came into this game as the second-most penalized team in the league, behind only the Jacksonville Jaguars. After being penalized another 11 times for 78 yards in this game, they're looking at taking over the No. 1 spot in a category you don't want to be at the top of.
Many of these penalties were pre-snap whistles that stalled and ended drives. The Broncos were unable to get into a rhythm offensively in this game, and any time they had a chance to change that, an untimely penalty was called.
This is something the team must clean up.
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