DENVER — A pair of longtime divisional rivals get set to lock horns on Sunday, as the Denver Broncos look to squeak out another win, this time against the Las Vegas Raiders.

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Las Vegas Raiders (2-2) vs. Denver Broncos (2-2)

• When: Sunday, October 6
• Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
• Where: Empower Field at Mile High (Denver, Colo.)
• Channel: FOX­­
• Stream: FuboTV (Free Trial), DirecTV Stream, Sling

The Broncos had a tough start to the season, losing to the Seattle Seahawks and Pittsburgh Steelers. However, rookie Bo Nix found some rhythm in Week 3, leading to a big win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Last week, the offense stumbled once again, but the defense stood tall against Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets. Despite Denver only reaching the endzone once, it was enough to come away with a 10-9 win. The goal for the Broncos this season is to show signs of improvement after a tough 2023 season. It looks like the team is on the right path.

The Raiders have the expectations to stay around the playoff picture. It certainly has been an up-and-down start to their season. After losing to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1, Las Vegas rallied back to upend the Baltimore Ravens. However, the Raiders then lost to the Carolina Panthers in Week 3, before bouncing back to beat the Cleveland Browns last Sunday. Gardner Minshew has been okay at quarterback, but it comes down to how strong the Raiders’ defense is in determining if they have a chance to win.

Since their first meeting in 1960, the Raiders are 73-54-2 against the Broncos, winning each of the last eight matchups.

MY PICK: Broncos win, 20-18

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The Colorado School of Mines football team’s three-year RMAC win streak ended in the same place the last one did — inside Stocker Stadium on the Western Slope.

Colorado Mesa quarterback Liu Aumavae threw a pair of touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, and the Mavericks rallied from 13 points down to upset fourth-ranked Mines, 14-13, and claim the Nyikos Cup on Saturday.

A two-point conversion put the Mavericks (3-2, 2-1 RMAC) over the top, with Sam Horneck getting it done on a reverse option pass that handed Mines (4-1, 2-1 RMAC) its first RMAC loss in three years.

The Orediggers’ last conference defeat also came at Colorado Mesa — a 26-21 loss on Oct. 23, 2021, that ended a 14-game conference win streak. Mines won 23 straight RMAC games after that en route to two NCAA Division II championship game trips. But after playing with fire in back-to-back narrow road wins to start the season, the Orediggers were unable to stave off the Mavericks on Saturday.

Mines quarterback Evan Foster hooked up with Max McLeod for a 10-yard touchdown in the first quarter to open the scoring. McLeod finished with seven catches for 92 yards, breaking Brody Oliver’s program record of 4,010 career receiving yards in the process.

A punt block set up the Orediggers at the Mavs’ 9-yard line in the second quarter. Three plays later, Landon Walker dove into the end zone for a 13-0 lead after Mines missed the point-after attempt.

The Orediggers didn’t score again, however, as Foster was sacked five times and finished 14-of-30 passing for 159 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.

Aumavae found Trevin Edwards for a 6-yard touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter, but the PAT was blocked by Jaden Healy to keep the Orediggers’ lead at 13-6.

After Mines punted on its next possession, CMU chewed up 5 minutes, 41 seconds of clock with an 11-play, 98-yard march that ended with Aumavae connecting with Quezon Villa for a 9-yard score. After the trick play two-point conversion gave CMU a 14-13 lead, Mines had two possessions to drive for the winning score but came up empty both times. A strip sack recovered by the Mavericks ended the game.

RMAC football

Saturday’s scores

CSU Pueblo 67, New Mexico Highlands 28

Chadron State 52, Adams State 3

Black Hills State 22, South Dakota Mines 20

Fort Lewis at Western Colorado, n.

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Originally Published: October 5, 2024 at 7:26 p.m.

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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