Denver, CO
The Good, Bad, & Ugly from Broncos’ 24-17 Win Over Raiders
The Denver Broncos are on a roll. In the wake of their 24-17 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, the Broncos have prevailed in 10 straight games.
The enormity of that feat, considering the relative youth of the roster and some of the injury obstacles the Broncos have had to overcome, is striking. It shouldn’t be taken lightly.
The Broncos moved to 11-2 on the season, with a tight grip on the AFC West. Week 14’s win at Allegiant Stadium also secured the No. 1 seed for Denver, despite the on-bye New England Patriots sharing their record. Denver deepened its tiebreakers over New England by vanquishing the Raiders twice.
As we continue sifting through the aftermath of the Broncos’ fifth straight road win, it’s time to roll up our sleeves, and unflinchingly examine the good, the bad, and the ugly from Week 14’s performance.
The Good: Rushing Resurgence
The Broncos didn’t exactly blow out the Raiders, although the 10 garbage-time points allowed rendered this yet another one-score victory. However, a better reflection of just how much the Broncos dominated this game offensively is the time-of-possession margin.
The Broncos possessed the ball for 39:03 to to the Raiders’ 20:57. All three of Denver’s scoring drives consumed at least eight minutes of clock. That’s not easy to do.
What helped the Broncos move the chains, including on third down (58%) was the efficiency of the ground game, which is a new development in the post-J.K. Dobbins era. RJ Harvey produced 100 scrimmage yards and scored his ninth touchdown of the season, rushing for 75 yards on 17 carries.
For the first time since Dobbins went down, Harvey finished with a yards-per-carry average north of four yards (4.4 avg). The rookie second-round ran hard, picked his holes right (for the most part), and fought for the extra yards.
In support of Harvey, Tyler Badie and Jaleel McLaughlin produced well, averaging 4.0 and 5.5 yards per carry, respectively. Throw in Bo Nix’s savvy scrambling, and the Broncos’ ground attack produced 152 of the team’s 326 total yards.
Considering how things are about to stiffen in what remains of the season, that’s a (very) good development.
What happens next for the Broncos? Don’t miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second, sign up for our free newsletter, and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!
The Bad: Penalty Relapse
After only five penalties last week against the Washington Commanders, it seemed that Sean Payton’s bye-week resolution to minimize the Broncos’ penalty penchant was going to succeed. Alas, the Broncos had eight penalties in Vegas, returning to their pre-Week 13 average.
Although two of them were on purpose (delay of game), those eight penalties cost the Broncos 50 yards and kept the Raiders on the field. It seems to be a sunk-cost type of thing with this team, as if it’s just part of the Broncos’ tapestry, but so long as there are games to be played, there’s an opportunity to fix it.
Better teams, like the Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, and Los Angeles Chargers, will do more than Raiders did to make the Broncos pay for it.
The Ugly: Drops & Bobbles
Some Broncos fans would argue that the defense’s leaky performance in back-to-back weeks might be more deserving, but for how much longer can Payton’s offense survive this many dropped passes?
Troy Franklin let a would-be deep strike from Nix go through his hands, and his 4th-&-3 bobble late in the second quarter erased the possibility of points on a promising drive that had penetrated Raiders’ territory.
The Broncos entered Week 14 with the second-most dropped passes in the NFL. Drops are part of the game, and they add up over the course of a season.
You wonder what Nix’s numbers would look like if the Broncos had even half the number of drops they do this season. We’ll never know what the true potential of this passing offense could be until Payton can get to the bottom of why his team has such a propensity for dropping balls.
The Takeaway
At the end of the day, the Broncos won this game handily. They led from the start, and the score obviously makes this game look way closer than it was.
The Broncos pretty much dominated the Raiders in their 2025 rematch, clinching the sweep of their bitter division rival in back-to-back seasons, but this should have been a 31-7 margin. The Broncos keep finding ways to win, and they deserve all the credit for that, but they continue to leave a lot of yards and points on the field.
More Must-Read Denver Broncos Coverage
There have been many great offensive linemen in Denver Broncos history, so this list is likely going to vary greatly from person to person. In fact, my take might be a little too bold, but I’m sticking with it.
At the top spot, I think Garett Bolles has earned it. Since coming into the league as a first-round pick in 2017, he has grinded through one of the worst periods in Broncos’ history and grown from beleaguered oft-penalized first-round bust into a perennial All-Pro caliber left tackle. Even more, he has stayed a Bronco through his entire career. The rest of my list speaks for itself and is a throwback to Super Bowl greatness.
Here’s where our Mile High Report staff landed on the top five for offensive line:
Scotty Payne: Tom Nalen was the leader of Mike Shanahan’s offensive line, Ryan Clady was a top LT on a Hall of Fame career before injury and Stink was a key member of the Broncos Super Bowl winning OL back in the 90s. I included Bolles and Meinerz since both will be on this list once their successful careers are over with.
Chris Hart: This position group was one of the toughest to come up with a top five. Denver has an incredible history of top-tier offensive lineman. There are several players I left off who were certainly deserving. I posted Tom Nalen as my top guy because he was a stalwart at the pivot for many years for the franchise. We all know what Gary Zimmerman and Mark Schlereth provided on the field and they are both Super Bowl champions. The last two spots go to two recent Broncos, left tackles Garret Bolles and Ryan Clady. Bolles, a decade into his career, continues to play at a high level and Clady was a fantastic blindside protector whose career ended earlier than it should due to injury.
Ian St. Clair: For the first time in Elway’s career, he had a blind-side protector. And Zimmerman is one of the best to ever do it. Same for Nalen, who should be in the HOF. Clady was special. Bishop was the first Broncos offensive lineman in franchise history to get a Pro Bowl invite and provided one of the best in-game quotes ever when he said in Denver’s endzone at old Cleveland Stadium before hiking the ball at the 2-yard line in what would become The Drive, “We got ‘em right right where want ‘em.” And Schlereth helped lock down the left side of the line that was one of the best in league history.
Sadaraine: The top 3 are largely indisputable, other than maybe swapping Schlereth and Zimmerman. Ken Lanier started 178 consecutive games, which is nuts for an OT, and appeared in 3 Super Bowls. Garret Bolles has crafted himself into an all-time great at tackle and may move up the list.
Ross Allen: The Hall-of-Famer Gary Zimmerman was everything you could ever ask for in a left tackle and was a huge reason why John Elway and that 1997 team was so dominant. Schlereth also gets his credit as he was a massive contributor to Denver’s Super Bowl successes. There’s a strong case for Tom Nalen deserving a spot in the Hall of Fame too. And for the past two years I’ve become a huge spouter of Bolles being destined for the Ring of Fame. He’s an incredible talent as has been the cornerstone of this team for a while now. I just hope he gets his Super Bowl.
Joe Mahoney: Top 3 are a no-brainer. Bolles will finish his career with more starts on the OL than any other Bronco. The man he will pass is Ken Lanier. Since stats from Lanier’s era don’t exist we only have starts to go off, but Lanier was an iron man. He started 167 NFL games and 165 were for the Broncos.
There is a bit of variation here, but a general consensus of who should be in the Top 5. I loved the throwback to Keith Bishop who was a big part of the John Elway fourth quarter magic back in the day.
Who gets into your top five offensive lineman list?
The Denver Nuggets are running it back with at least one free agent from last year’s team. According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the Denver Nuggets have re-signed point guard Tyus Jones.
Free agent guard Tyus Jones has agreed to a one-year deal to return to the Denver Nuggets, sources tell ESPN. Jones played a reserve role after joining Denver on the buyout market last season, and enters his 12th NBA season as his agent Kevin Bradbury of LIFT Sports Management… pic.twitter.com/OxPTfX8C7l
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 2, 2026
Jones played 11 regular season games for Denver last year and got into 3 post-season contests as well. The Nuggets are desperately lacking in point guards who can handle the rock, especially after they decided not to pick up the fourth-year option on fellow point guard Jalen Pickett. Denver liked Jones and his ability to handle on-ball pressure better in the playoffs, and obviously feel there is utility in having him on the 15-man roster for his passing acumen and mistake avoidance despite being a target at just 6 feet tall. They did not draft a point guard, so it’s possible Jones is the first PG off the bench for the Nuggets – but in recent years they’ve relied on players like Bruce Brown to shoulder some of those duties as well even if they’re not pure point guards, so it remains to be seen just how much court time Jones is going to get.
His 5:1 assist-to-turnover ratio in his career points to his high floor in ball security though, and the Nuggets have proven time and again over the past several years that they can be truly great if they don’t have silly turnovers. Jones comes back to the Mile High looking to help the Nuggets minimize their mistakes so they can maximize their talent.
Welcome back, Tyus!
The Fourth of July weekend is one of the biggest celebrations of the summer, and Denver is delivering a packed lineup of events for every kind of adventurer. Whether you’re looking to watch fireworks light up the Colorado sky, catch a live concert at Red Rocks, enjoy rooftop parties, indulge in seasonal food and drinks or explore the city’s thriving arts and culture scene, there’s no shortage of ways to celebrate Independence Day.
Here’s your guide to the best music, food, fireworks, nightlife, arts, and cultural events happening across Denver this Fourth of July weekend.
Follow @303magazine on Instagram
Read: Best Rooftops to Watch 4th of July Fireworks + Sip Cocktails in Denver
Read: The Ultimate 4th of July Outdoor Colorado Music Guide
FASHION EVENTS
Denver Fashion Week Fall 2026 Second Model Auditions
Where: TBA
Cost: $10+
The Lowdown:
Following overwhelming demand from aspiring models across Colorado, Denver Fashion Week (DFW) has announced a second round of model auditions for its upcoming Fall/Winter 2026 runway season.
MUSIC EVENTS
Read: The Ultimate 4th of July Outdoor Colorado Music Guide
Gillian Grogan and EMMA ROSE
Where: Skylark Lounge – 140 S. Broadway
Cost: $18+
The Lowdown:
Zeds Dead with Sippy, Baauer, Holly, HYDRAULIX & LUMBERJVCK
Where: Red Rocks Amphitheatre – 18300 W Alameda Pkwy, Morrison
Cost: $205+
The Lowdown:
Flobots
Where: Levitt Pavilion Denver – 1380 W Florida Ave
Cost: $0+
The Lowdown:
Don Toliver with SahBabii, SoFaygo, Chase B
Where: Ball Arena – 1000 Chopper Cir
Cost: $105+
The Lowdown:
FOOD EVENTS
Read: Best Rooftops to Watch 4th of July Fireworks + Sip Cocktails in Denver
Dumpling Love: Dim Sum Party
Where: Stir Cooking School Highlands – 3215 Zuni St.
Cost: $120 per person
The Lowdown:
Join the dumpling party and learn how to make pork bao buns, shrimp shumai, pan-fried gyoza, and crab cheese rangoons. All classes include a full bar with beer, wine, and house-curated cocktails for purchase.
Stars, Stripes, and Deck Nights
Where: Woodie Fisher Kitchen & Bar – 1999 Chestnut Pl.
Cost: Free
The Lowdown:
Celebrate America’s 250th with our festive Bomb Pop Drinks, featuring real Bomb Pops and High Noon buckets!
4th of July Rooftop Fiesta at Cimera
Where: The Source Hotel – 3330 Brighton Blvd.
Cost: $60+
The Lowdown:
The experience is an open rooftop gathering featuring live-fire cooking, craft cocktails, and skyline views throughout the evening. Guests will enjoy Peruvian street skewers, duck & chorizo paella, and ceviche prepared live on-site.
Farmers Market Central Park
Where: Central Park – 29th Ave & Roslyn
Cost: Free
The Lowdown:
Local vendors provide Colorado-grown produce, tasty baked goods, specialty meats, gourmet food items and more!
LIFESTYLE EVENTS
Mystic Magnolias; A Southern Gothic Cabaret
Where: Colorado Sake Co – 3559 Larimer St
Cost: $25+
The Lowdown:
Saunter yourself out to The Mystic Magnolias, a Burlesque AND Drag Show with chilling charm and dripping in Southern Gothic atmosphere.
America 250 | Colorado 150 Drone Show presented by Visit Denver
Where: DPAC/Denver Performing Arts Complex – 1400 Curtis St.
Cost: Free
The Lowdown:
Following Sunset Cinema’s showing of National Treasure on July 3rd at Sculpture Park, stay to enjoy the 4th of July Drone Show! This special event will be brought to you by Visit Denver, celebrating American 250 | Colorado 150, including an appearance by Mayor Mike Johnston.
Beat The Bomb Summer Mission: America250 Edition
Where: Beat The Bomb – 3863 Steele St, Unit 1273
Cost: $39+
The Lowdown:
Beat The Bomb announces the limited-time-only Summer Mission: America250 Edition – celebrating America’s 250th with five new games, a collectible beach towel, and a red, white, and blue Paint Blast!
Independence Day Concert with Denver Municipal Band (Cheesman Park)
Where: Cheesman Park – 1900 E. 11th Ave.
Cost: Free
The Lowdown:
Price:Free
Join the Denver Municipal Band’s Concert Band for an Independence Day concert at Cheesman Park Pavilion with special guest Denver District 10 City Councilmember Chris Hinds narrating Aaron Copland’s Lincoln Portrait.
Follow @303magazine on Instagram
Whether you’re dancing at a concert, enjoying a garden dinner, cheering on your favorite soccer team or exploring a new exhibition, Denver offers plenty of ways to fill your 4th of July weekend calendar. Gather your friends, support local businesses, and discover something new around the city.
-
Maryland6 minutes agoPortion of I-97 buckles under extreme heat – WTOP News
-
Michigan9 minutes agoTwo people dead and a third injured in shooting at Michigan shopping mall
-
Massachusetts14 minutes agoSwimmer rescued from Houghton’s Pond in Milton
-
Minnesota21 minutes agoHope lost: Minnesota AG closes unit that freed wrongfully convicted prisoners
-
Mississippi24 minutes agoMississippi Lottery rolls out 4 new scratch-off games for July – SuperTalk Mississippi
-
Missouri29 minutes agoMissouri Highway Patrol investigates death of staffer at youth ranch in Reynolds County; 1 juvenile arrested
-
Montana36 minutes agoMontana DEQ warns of algal blooms ahead of holiday weekend
-
Nebraska39 minutes agoSome Nebraska communities ban fireworks in year marked by drought, wildfires
