Before the Thursday Night Football showdown between the Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos, oddsmakers thought Denver would win this game handily. Significantly, the line was 9.5 points in favor of the Broncos. Only, it did not end up that way. The Broncos' offense was offensive, totaling just 10 points against their lowly divisional rivals. Despite the poor offensive showing, they escaped with a 10-7 win, thanks to the Broncos' defense.
Oddsmakers still give Denver the 10th-best odds to win the Super Bowl, according to FanDuel. But do they deserve to be there? While the Broncos have had some good wins this season, this was a clunker. They should have run all over the Raiders. Instead, they struggled.
The win was good enough to raise their record to 8-2. However, there is a consensus around the football world that this offense is bad and that the team could be fraudulent. Here are three things to watch for as the Broncos are officially on fraud watch.
Bo Nix is inconsistent
The game on Thursday Night Football had so many penalties, which was a major reason for the lack of offense. Regardless, the Broncos' offense looked terrible, and part of that was due to Bo Nix.
Nix played his worst game of the season, going 16 for 28 with 150 yards and one touchdown and two interceptions. Also, he struggled to run, garnering just -2 yards. To be fair, two of these were on kneel-downs to end the game. But Nix still had no room to run. Of course, much of this had to do with the penalties that put the Broncos in bad situations.
There was an instance where the Broncos committed an offensive pass interference. As a result, it forced Nix and the offense into a 2nd-and-20. After gaining just two yards, Nix had 3rd and 16. There was another scenario in the fourth where Nix was driving, and it was 3rd and 5. Instead of finding an open receiver, Nix fired a laser that ricocheted off two Broncos' bodies and into the hands of Kyu Blu Kelly for an interception. If the Broncos want to be contenders, Nix has to make better decisions.
The running game was walking
JK Dobbins finished with 18 rushes for 77 yards while averaging 4.3 yards per carry. However, a decent chunk of that came in the fourth quarter, when the Broncos were attempting to put the game away.
Dobbins got off to a good start in the first quarter, picking up a six-yard gain on first down. Yet, he only managed two yards and one yard before the Broncos punted the football away. Dobbins did not get a single carry on the next possession, as the Broncos passed on first down, and then Nix took a sack, forcing them to punt.
Dobbins did not get a single touch in the second quarter, restricting the Denver offense. He found some room in the third quarter, but the Broncos only managed a field goal for their efforts. The offense still lacked any rhythm. Penalties, in addition to Nix's struggles, did not help Dobbins as he attempted to find room to run or develop any momentum.
The Broncos' defense cannot carry the offense all season
Broncos fans will disagree with this sentiment, especially when they won Super Bowl L against the Carolina Panthers with an aging Peyton Manning and an elite defense. However, this Broncos' defense is still virtually untested, and a better offense could put up points. Although the Broncos' defense dominated the Raiders, teams like the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs will pose better challenges.
The Broncos have already played the Chargers and lost 23-20 in Week 3 at Sofi Stadium. They also lost 29-28 to the Indianapolis Colts. Yet, they do have a 21-17 comeback win over the Philadelphia Eagles. When considering the contending teams they have played, the Broncos are 2-1. But the schedule gets considerably more difficult moving forward.
The Broncos will host Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 11. Then, they will head to Landover, Maryland, where, if he is healthy, the Broncos will face Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders. A future date with Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers looms, and the Broncos will finish the season with a Christmas Day game at Arrowhead Stadium against the Chiefs and a home date against the Chargers.
At some point, Nix and the Broncos offense will have to put up points. They cannot afford to take penalties on offense against better teams. If that happens, it will put them in a hole they might not be able to climb out of. If that happens, then football fans will call them frauds.
