The 2-2 Denver Broncos are looking to earn a winning record. The Las Vegas Raiders currently boast an eight-game winning streak over the Broncos, and to snap it, Denver will need to get things going on offense.

The Broncos have been inconsistent offensively, but they have had sparks. In this game, the Broncos need those sparks to catch fire and find a way to sustain them over the remainder of the season. 

To help Denver achieve that, these five bold predictions need to come true. This is a home game with a lot on the line and borders on a must-win for the Broncos, but more than that, this is a must-have game for the offense.

My Week 5 bold predictions have the Broncos figuring it out offensively while staying dominant on defense. 

Let’s dive in. 

It’s been a rough start for Nix, as he has been one of the NFL’s worst quarterbacks this season. However, the rookie has faced an onslaught of formidable defenses and a torrential downpour against the New York Jets.

The Raiders offer a reprieve, and Nix will use the Broncos’ challenging first-quarter schedule to take advantage of a middle-of-the-pack defense. The Raiders play off-coverage and their secondary has issues missing tackles, so Sean Payton calls short and quick passes that lead to some yards after the catch and a few big plays, and Nix’s best passing day as a young pro.  

Prediction: Nix throws for 300-plus yards and three touchdowns. 

The Broncos’ offensive line struggled in the first two weeks, allowing 18 pressures with a 36.7 pressure rate in Week 1, 14 pressures and 35.9% pressure in Week 2, nine pressures and 23.1% pressure in Week 3, and five pressures and 18.5 pressure rate in Week 4.

The Broncos have improved each week, allowing two sacks in each of the first two games but none in the last two. The O-line keeps it up and keep Nix protected, enabling him to have a great day passing the ball. 

Prediction: The Broncos allow less than five pressures on Nix. 

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There’s a chance the Raiders will be down two offensive linemen, and they’ve struggled to protect Minshew all season long. The Raiders are facing off against the Broncos defense, one of the best pass-rushing teams this season, while being the most aggressive pass-rush.  Denver has posted 12 sacks in the past two games

Prediction: The Broncos sack Minshew eight times, leading to 20 sacks in three games. 

Thanks to the pressure upfront, Minshew makes multiple mistakes. One of the pass rushers registers a strip-sack, forcing two other bad passes that find their way into a Broncos defender’s hands.

These three turnovers give more opportunities to Nix, and the Broncos capitalize on it, scoring 17 points off of turnovers. 

Prediction: The Broncos pick off Minshew twice on their way to a three-takeaway day. 

There have been some inconsistencies with the Broncos’ clean game. They’ve been penalized 27 times, the 14th-most so far this season.

These penalties have been costly in different ways, and the Broncos have been focusing on cleaning up. Playing in front of the home crowd, the Broncos keep the penalties to a minimum. 

The Broncos are tied for the sixth-worst turnover differential because their offense has had issues keeping the ball. They’re tied for the third most giveaways this season with seven: four interceptions and three lost fumbles.

The Broncos keep it clean here by not turning the ball over, and with their projected three takeaways on the defense, they take their season turnover differential from -2 to +1. 

Prediction: The Broncos have no turnovers and get called for under five penalties.

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For the 11th time in the NFL’s Super Bowl era on Sunday, a quarterback threw at least 25 passes and had no more than 60 passing yards in a game. But the Denver Broncos’ Bo Nix walked off the field with something none of the other quarterbacks in the group got – a victory.

The Broncos defeated the New York Jets 10-9 to even their record at 2-2 with the rookie under center.

The former Pinson Valley High School and Auburn QB also came away from the game with the first touchdown pass of his NFL career.

“It’ll be at the house,” Nix said of the ball from the milestone. “Hopefully, it’ll be up for a while. Until my wife gets tired of it, I guess.”

Nix completed 13-of-25 passes for 60 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions against the Jets on a rainy day in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

“I think it was a lot to do with the weather,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said, “and I think it impacted both quarterbacks. I’m not making an excuse, but it was different, it was difficult.”

Nix said he thought the weather affected the game “probably a lot.”

“I think some of the call sheets are limited when you have weather like that,” Nix said, “and they can play a little bit more aggressively and things change. But I feel like we adapted well, especially in the second half, and we adjusted, and we found ways to score points when we needed to.”

Nix joined Denver from Oregon as the 12th choice in the NFL Draft on April 25. Through four games, Nix has completed 83-of-138 passes for 660 yards with one touchdown and four interceptions and run for 110 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries.

“He’s real sharp with his location,” Payton said of Nix, “and I would say that’s something that’s been pretty consistent long before he arrived here. He’s doing a good job getting through his progressions, where he’s going. I like what I’ve seen.”

But October will tell the tale on Nix and the Broncos for 2024, Payton said.

“There’s really not this plateau,” Payton said. “You’re getting better or you’re it’s the other, so this is an important month of football. …

“The execution, the details still have to get better with younger players, and that’s what we’re working on. I’ve said this before: If everyone else canpaint the right picture, then you truly get to evaluate and watch a real good quarterback. It’s that mix of running game, passing game, third down. It gets back to this month — ascending or going the other way. We’ve got to be stepping on the gas right now.”

The October schedule starts for Denver on Sunday, when the Las Vegas Raiders visit at 3:05 p.m. CDT for the Broncos’ first AFC West game of the season. Including two playoff games, Sunday’s contest will be Denver’s 130th against the Raiders.

“I’ve been able to get a sense of it a little bit,” Nix said of the rivalry that started with the founding of the AFL in 1960, “but I don’t think you really truly understand it until you play in your first one. So I’m excited to play Sunday, and I know it’s important for this organization. I know it has been for a long time, and the players, we don’t take it lightly, so we’re going to go out there and compete at a high level, and I know they will, too, so it’s going to be a fun football game.”

The Broncos will wear throwback uniforms honoring the 1977 team when they play Las Vegas.

“I think they’re awesome,” Nix said. “I think anytime you can pay a little tribute to former teams that have come before you and have kind of laid the foundation for the opportunity that you have, I think that’s really important.

“And it’s fun to wear throwbacks. I think that’s always a neat thing that teams are able to do, and ours are pretty cool.”

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.

What’s your experience biking in Denver?

For me, it can be difficult to find the right words to describe the joys of biking around the Mile High City and rolling onto an undiscovered trail in our beautiful Colorado.

It has reconnected me to a feeling of freedom from my childhood that has done wonders for my mental and physical health. While life On Two Wheels has changed my life for the better, it has also come with lots of challenges and opportunities to learn.

Several years ago, I gave up my car to see if I could become a daily bike commuter in Denver, racking up thousands of miles of lessons learned and joining the thousands of others who do the same.

And from sailing through the city on the easy days to trudging through the crazy snow days – I still find myself doing silly things and feel a responsibility to grow as a rider and shine a light on the issues and dangers other folks on two wheels experience in Denver and across Colorado.

Every single day when I roll into Denver7 News, I reflect on the close calls with drivers and other cyclists and wonder if other riders are experiencing the same.

News coverage needs more voices from people who experience Denver infrastructure on two wheels and that’s where you come in. As more and more people hop onto bikes – especially with the rise of e-bikes – Denver7 wants to hear your experiences rolling around our communities that were built for vehicles.

• What are your pain points?
• Where do you have the most close calls?
• What issues do you see the most while riding in Denver?
• In terms of trails, bike lanes and infrastructure: What is Denver getting right and wrong?
• What can we do to make biking more inclusive?
• Who in the biking community needs a shout out?
• How has cycling changed your life?
• For drivers: What interactions with cyclists stress you out?

I want to highlight your experiences biking in Denver and share the challenges when biking is not just for fun, but a primary form of transportation. There are two ways to share your story.
You can call Denver7’s On Two Wheels voicemail hotline at 303-832-0207 and tell me what’s grinding your gears or share a positive angle to biking.Please leave your name and contact info, along with your message.

You can also email us at on2wheels@denver7.com.

Denver7

On Two Wheels aims to dive deeper into the unique hazards when biking in Denver and across Colorado, but to also share the good things and lift up the amazing people who take up cycling to get stronger and feel better about their mental health.

I will also be up front about my own mistakes and attempts to try and keep calm on my own two wheels when things get a little crazy out there on the trails.

As we Denver7 launches On Two Wheels, I hope you check out this half-hour program below that introduces you to seasoned Denver riders who share their honest experiences on our trails and roads, so we can all get to where we’re going in one piece.

Watch the special report in the video player:

Biking dangers in Denver: Close call stories ‘On Two Wheels’