News Broncos Team Notes

[Denver Broncos]

Thursday Night Football Week 9: Ravens at Dolphins Open Thread

Lamar Jackson officially makes his return to the lineup after being out a while with a hamstring injury. The 2-5 Baltimore Ravens are in desperate need to get on a run after winning just their second game on Sunday. The Miami Dolphins are 2-6 themselves and reeling from poor play and injuries. This is game that could help keep the Ravens hopes for a playoff berth alive for another week.

Kickoff is set for Thursday, October 30, 2025 at 6:15 p.m. Mile High time at Hard Rock Stadium in Opa Locka, Florida and will air on Prime Video.

My Prediction​

According to FanDuel, the Ravens are massive 7.5-point road favorites over the Dolphins here. I don’t really like this big spread, but I would agree it could certainly turn into a blowout. I do think the return of Jackson is being overplayed here on this line. Last I checked, he doesn’t play defense and that defense has given up 37 or more points in four of their seven games and three of those were with Lamar Jackson in the lineup. That said, I do thinks Baltimore comes out on top in a closer outcome.

Prediction: Ravens 27, Dolphins 24

Open thread in the comments section below. Discuss the games action there!​

Source: https://www.milehighreport.com/game-day-threads/162212/tnf-week-9-ravens-at-dolphins

 

[Denver Broncos]

Game by game Bronco snap percentages by player for 2025 at the half-way point

Not one player on the Denver Broncos has played every snap on offense or defense so far this season, but that is mainly due to getting a series for the backups in the blow out win over the Cowboys.

OFFENSE​

Offensive Line​

The loss of Ben Powers has shifted Alex Palczweski from the 6th OL to starting guard. AP’s quickness and hand-fighting skills have made him a plus guard. He played well at tackle last season when he had to fill in for one of the starting tackles. Frank Crum and Calvin Throckmorton have both been used now as the 6th OL with AP moving into a starting role.

Tight Ends and Running Backs​

Jaleel McLaughlin has lost his role from last season. JK Dobbins is getting the majority of the RB snaps, with RJ Harvey getting the RB2 snaps and Tyler Badie getting the 3rd down back snaps. With Harvey’s performance against the struggling Dallas defense I would expect him to take a few more RB snaps in the second half of the season.

The loss of Lucas Krull and now Nate Adkins means that the Broncos were forced to bring in veteran Mercedes Lewis as the blocking TE. Evan Engram’s effectiveness in the passing game has made the other TEs almost non-factors in the passing game. Adkins, Krull and Adam Trautman have combined for 22 targets in 8 games, despite Trautman playing the most TE snaps in many games this season. It will be interesting to see how quickly Lewis picks up the playbook. The 41-year old former first round pick (2006) has never played for Sean Payton, but he’s a veteran so he should pick it up quickly. He played 220 snaps for the Bears last season and was targetted twice. He’s listed as 6-6, 267 lbs.

Wide Receivers​

Courtland Sutton and Troy Franklin have been WR1 and WR2 for most games this season with the exception of game 6 when Pat Bryant get the same number of snaps as Franklin. Marvin Mims has mostly been WR4 with Trent Sherfield gradually losing playing time to Pat Bryant.

DEFENSE​

Defensive line​

Sai’vion Jones and Jordan Jackson have both played D snaps in only one game this season. Zach Allen has played the most snaps in every game except last week when Malcolm Roach did. The return of Roach from injury has relegated both Jackson and Jones to the game-day inactive list. Eyioma Uwazurike had been losing playing time until the last two games when he started trending up.

Outside Linebackers (edge defenders)​

Que Robinson was active and played in games 6 and 7 when Jonah Elliss was injured. Other than that Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper have been playing 55-75% of the snaps at OLB and Elliss and Dondrea Tillman have been playing 25-45%. The lone exception was the last game against Dallas when all four played about the same snap percentage.

Inside Linebackers​

Free agent acquisition Drew Greenlaw was injured until game 7 and then he was suspended for game 8. Alex Singleton has been the every down ILB with Justin Strnad coming off the field on passing downs. Karene Ried, Levelle Bailey and Garret Wallow have not seen the field much on defense when they were on the 53 man roster.

Cornerbacks​

Riley Moss is the darker blue and he has played almost every snap on defense this season. Pat Surtain was matching him until he got hurt last game. KAD took those CB snaps with Surtain out. I would expect that to continue unless Jahdae Barron proves he should be CB2 with Surtain out. Ja’Quan McMillian has played between 50-80% of the D snaps as the slot corner. Barron has been roughly between 20-40% in every game, but that might change with Surtain’s injury. KAD and Ja’Quan have both played CB2 for the Broncos in the past. It will be interesting to see how the roles and snaps are distributed while PS2 is out.

Safeties​

Talanoa Hufanga and Brandon Jones have played almost every safety snap through the first eight games. With Locke and/or Skinner getting a handful in heavy nickle here and there. Remember Locke was one of our starting safeties last year and the play at safety in 2025 has been significantly better this year relative to 2024. Jones (56.3) and Hufanga (93.1) have allowed fairly low passer ratings this season when their men are targetted. Locke allowed one of the worst passer ratings in the league last season among starters with a 125.8. He allowed 40/54 (74%) for 484 yards, 4 TDs and 0 INTs.

Source: https://www.milehighreport.com/denv...r-broncos-snap-percentages-by-player-for-2025

 

[Denver Broncos]

Broncos vs. Texans: 3 players to watch in Week 9 matchup

The Denver Broncos head on the road to battle the Houston Texans this weekend for their Week 9 gridiron matchup. The Texans are 3-4 and struggling to hit their stride on offense. However, their defense is one of the best in the National Football League. This will be a tough road challenge, but one Denver is capable of winning if they execute. Here are three players I believe need to play at a high level in order for the Broncos to come away with a victory on Sunday.

Garett Bolles — Offensive Tackle​

Left tackle Garett Bolles is the longest tenured member of the Broncos. In his ninth season in the National Football League, the franchise’s longtime blindside protector continues to perform at a high level. In fact, he might just be having the best season of his career.

So far in 2025, Bolles hasn’t allowed a single sack and has just four penalties. Even better? He has given up the least amount of pressure of any starting tackle in the NFL. Though his impact doesn’t stop there. Bolles’ play is a big reason for their uptick in production running the ball. J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey have had some of their best and most explosive runs of the season with #73 paving the way with his downfield blocking.

This weekend Bolles and teammate Mike McGlinchey have their biggest test of the season thus far. We all know the Broncos have a great edge rusher duo in Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper. Though the Texans boast a duo that is arguably just as formidable. Going up against Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter will be a big test for Denver’s offensive line. If they can protect Bo Nix and give him time to make plays down the field, that would go a long way toward achieving their seventh win of the season.

Kris Abrams-Draine — Cornerback​

The Broncos’ secondary has continued to be a bright spot this season. Unfortunately, reigning Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II will be sidelined for the next several games due to a pectoral strain. That will present some challenges for the unit but also more opportunities for some of their younger players.

It’s next man up in the Broncos’ secondary. Second-year pro Kris Abrams-Draine figures to see extensive playing time on Sunday opposite of Riley Moss. While the Texans’ offense is certainly missing Tank Dell, quarterback C.J. Stroud is known for distributing the football to a lot of different players. Even so, there is no doubt the Texans will be looking for ways to go after Abrams-Draine.

I’m interested to see how Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph approaches this game. Will he opt for more blitzes with zone coverages? Or will he still be calling man coverage at the highest rate in the NFL? With respect to Kris, I think we will see him in lot of off-man and zone coverages through the game. That should help him make some plays on the ball like we were accustomed to seeing during his collegiate days at Mizzou. Hopefully he can be consistent, keep the ball in front of him, and not allow big plays down the field.

J.K Dobbins — Running Back​

As we’ve outlined at Mile High Report all week, the Texans’ defense is formidable. They do a really good job of shutting down opposing quarterbacks through the air and force a lot of turnovers. I wouldn’t call it a weakness of theirs, but trying to establish the running game against them is going to be crucial for Denver to secure a road win.

There is no doubt the Broncos’ rushing attack has revitalized in ‘25 with veteran J.K. Dobbins leading the way. In eight games, the veteran is third in the NFL with 634 rushing yards. He has been a productive player, especially on first and second downs, and has toppled the 100-yard mark twice over the past several games. And even second-round pick RJ Harvey has flashed—including three touchdowns—in last week’s blowout victory over the Cowboys.

Dobbins clearly has a hot hand right now. So why stop giving him the ball? Pound the rock. Playing on the road, controlling the clock and dictating the pace of the game is important. If Dobbins can get rolling and generate consistent yardage early on, that should help sustain drives and alleviate some pressure off the shoulders of quarterback Bo Nix. If the Broncos’ rushing attack can thrive on the road, I believe Denver’s odds of winning improve immensely.

Source: https://www.milehighreport.com/denv...s-texans-3-players-to-watch-in-week-9-matchup

 

[Denver Broncos]

Ultimate Fan: Broncos’ pass rush, run game keys to beating the Texans

The beatdown over the Dallas Cowboys is ancient history by now, so the Broncos are turning their attention to another team from Texas.

And although the Texans’ record is 3-4, they are playing at home after a good win over the Niners. So as this week’s ultimate fan, TheGueroLoco, reminds us in his fabulous UFG — the Texans shouldn’t be taken lightly, but the Broncos have the personnel to win this.

Can the #Broncos throttle the #Texans as they did the #Cowboys?

I can't wait to find out. This team is fun two watch.https://t.co/elAAZHOFkv

— Doctor of Words (@docllv) October 30, 2025

Week 9: Broncos at Texans​

MHR – Rumor has it you live near a bunch of Cowboys’ fans. How much fun has this week been for you?
TheGueroLoco: It has been an absolute blast! I got to spend all of Sunday night trolling Cowboys fans on social media, which never gets old! I moved to Texas 22 years ago, and since I have lived here, the Broncos have never lost to the Cowboys. The last time Dallas beat us was Sept. 10, 1995 (John Elway was hurt, for the record). The next time we play will likely be in 2029. So by the time they beat us again – IF they ever beat us again – it will have been 34 years.

Another great thing about all these wins is that most of them have not been close. Cowboys fans can’t use their usual excuses about the refs, or Dak choking. It’s just good ol fashion beatdown after beatdown!

I am a big fan of memes, most of which I confiscate and redistribute (lol), but a few years ago I made this one myself! Feel free to steal it!

MHR – One of our new post-game stories at Mile High Report is to ask “what did you learn about the Broncos this week?” It’s a great question, so what did YOU learn about the Broncos the last few weeks?
TheGueroLoco: I do have some good news for Cowboys fans! I know y’all hate Jerry Jones as much as just about any fanbase can hate an owner. Well guess what? Jerry Jones doesn’t own the Cowboys anymore. The Denver Broncos do!

Okay, I’m done trolling Cowboys fans (maybe).

The one thing that has been true about the Broncos in the Sean Payton era is they beat the snot out of bad teams. That looked to not be true after back-to-back tight victories against New York’s not-so-finest. (I blame both games on the London trip, but I digress). On Sunday we got back to being the team that thumps bad teams. That’s a good thing, but won’t matter come playoff time.

My biggest takeaway is that when the players execute Payton’s game plan, good things happen.

MHR – The Broncos’ offense finally looked in sync on Sunday – or at least like it picked up where it left off in the fourth quarter against the Giants. Is it too soon to believe that this offense can be something special this season?
TheGueroLoco: Probably? Look, the Dallas defense is absolutely atrocious. On top of that, they were missing arguably their two best players in Trevon Diggs and DeMarvion Overshown (plus a few safeties). So not only were we playing a bad defense, but they were severely undermanned.

For now, it is too soon to say the offense IS something special. I still absolutely Bo-lieve that this offense CAN be special. I just don’t think beating up on a bad, injured defense allows us to say that unequivocally.

The main thing with this offense is they have to put up points against good and great defenses – which they finally get to do this week! Once I see them hang 24+ on a Top 10 defense, I’ll say they HAVE arrived.

MHR – The big story on Sunday was the production of the rookies – touchdowns from RJ Harvey and Pat Bryant plus an interception by Jahdae Barron. And the other touchdowns and interception were from “year two” guys – Troy Franklin and Dondrea Tillman. Not to mention, the guy under center is just in his second year as well. How encouraging is it to see so much production from so many young players?
TheGueroLoco: Not to throw cold water on a great game, but again, it was the Cowboys, lol.

That being said, any growth from the young players is a positive. The Cowboys’ game plan was clearly to shut down Courtland Sutton, and they were moderately successful. Seeing Troy Franklin step up was the most encouraging thing for me. All of the trade deadline chatter is that the Broncos need a WR2, but I’d love to see Troy put that to bed this week with a breakout against the Texans.

Seeing RJ Harvey house that sweep was awesome, we finally got to see his burst and open field ability (the last time I can remember him having a run like that was Week 1 against the Titans). If he can continue to provide explosive plays and catch the ball out of the backfield it adds another dimension to this offense.

I love Pat Bryant, I think he’s the guy who will ultimately unlock the middle of the field. He is incredible on slants, and can really be the go-to option when we need 5-8 yards. We’re now eight games into the season, and he seems to be coming into his own.

Aa for the defensive guys, Tillman getting that INT and turning into a running back for 15 seconds was fun to watch! Barron still hasn’t really played enough for us to make any judgments about him. I’m glad the team has been able to bring him along slowly, but he needs to step up big with Patrick Surtain II out this week! He’s a Texas kid, so I know he’s up to the challenge! (I turned my back on Colorado college teams, and embraced the burnt orange … sorry, not sorry!)

MHR – On the other end of the age spectrum, the Broncos just signed 41-year-old tight end Marcedes Lewis to the practice squad, primarily for his blocking ability and leadership. Do you think this signing indicates the Broncos, current AFC West leaders, want to do everything they can to give Bo Nix an edge – whether it’s another pair of hands to catch the ball or another blocker to protect the QB?
TheGueroLoco: Very interesting way to word this. To directly answer your question, no.

If that was the case, they would have traded for David Njoku or another veteran tight end that was not a street free agent. This is a desperation move to fill a void for a few weeks while they figure out how long Nate Adkins and Lucas Krull will be out. It is also an indication that the Caleb Lohner and Patrick Murtagh (never heard of Murtagh before now)) are nowhere near ready.

I do think it is a good move, though. This is a veteran’s veteran. He has been in the league since Sean Payton was a rookie head coach, so to say he has been around a while is an understatement! He is a guy you can plug right in. He blocks like an offensive lineman, and if you have to throw the ball to him, he will catch it. He only has 11 catches over the last three years, so don’t expect him to come in and be a weapon for Nix.

MHR – The run game last week broke wide open with JK Dobbins having his second game over 100 yards and rookie RJ Harvey busting out three touchdowns. Was that just because Dallas has such an awful defense, or are our running backs finding their footing (literally)? How do you expect them to do against DeMeco Ryans’ defense?
TheGueroLoco: Two things can be true at the same time: Dallas defense is , and the Broncos’ run game is finally clicking. After the 40-yard TD, Harvey didn’t do too much on the ground, but the rest of his work was mostly goal line and late game clock grinding.

I really enjoy watching JK Dobbins tote the rock. It is clear that a patient, veteran back was what we were missing last year. Our RB crew last year just seemed to charge full speed ahead into whatever they believed to be there as soon as they took the handoff.

Dobbins, on the other hand, is very patient sets up his blockers and churns his feet, always finding creases and extra yards. He always seems to get what’s blocked plus a few extra. Usually, when a guy is averaging 5.0+ yards per carry, he gets a bunch of chunk plays of 15+ to go with lots of 1-3 yard gains. Dobbins seems to find 5-7 yards on about every play and then every other game hits a 20+ yarder. It is a joy to watch.

The real question now is the last one: How does that translate this Sunday? This week is going to be tough sledding. My hope is Payton does not abandon the run like he usually does. This one is going to be a slog; those 5-7 yard carries are probably now 2-4. Denver has to just keep slamming into the brick wall until it breaks. If Payton abandons the run early and tries to win with screens and bombs (basically, our entire passing game revolves around these two things right now), it will be a long day. I believe Payton will stick to it and JK finally gets 20 carries, but it only translates into 70-80 yards.

MHR – Joe Lombardi said the Texans defense will be the best one the Broncos have faced so far. And likely the Broncos are the best defense that the Texans have faced. Which defense has the easier path on Sunday (or which offense is more likely to overcome the opposing defense better)?
TheGueroLoco: The Broncos defense has the “easiest path.” The Texans offensive line is by far the biggest weakness on the team. If Denver can get pressure with four pass rushers, they can dominate this game. I would also point out that this does not mean that four-down linemen are the only ones rushing the passer. This is a completely new line in Houston. None of them has played next to each other prior to this year. I think this key is a staple of Joseph’s defense: put 7 guys on the line of scrimmage and change up who is coming. In the last two weeks, this has led to interceptions by both Justin Strnad and the aforementioned Tillman. Repeatedly doing this will lead to miscommunications on the Texans offensive line and repeated sacks and throwaways for Stroud. If Denver can generate 4+ sacks and 10+ pressures, this game swings dramatically in their favor.

"It's going to be a physical game."

1-on-1 with @TalanoaHufanga ahead of #DENvsHOU pic.twitter.com/7nrUiZhlfv

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) November 1, 2025

MHR – The Broncos defense has been outstanding, especially making the NFL’s No. 1 offense last week look rather pedestrian. And even though CJ Stroud and the Texans’offense struggled early this season, last week looked like they turned a corner. How dangerous could Stroud be for our defense?
TheGueroLoco: I have watched a decent amount of their last two games and I have some news for you! No corners have been turned. The Texans have been able to beat teams with bottom eight pressure rates. Against the Seahawks, Stroud was running for his life most of the night and they did not score a single offensive touchdown (defense got one on an endzone strip sack). The 49ers front seven was decimated by injuries last week and didn’t have the firepower to pressure Stroud. The NFL in 2025 comes down to the trenches: can you pressure the Quarterback and can you keep pressure off of yours? Stats bear out that the Broncos are the best in the league in both of these categories. They lead the league in sacks, and Bo has been sacked less than any QB in football.

Could Stroud have a monster game? Yes, if Denver cannot get pressure, he can pick us apart, especially with PS2 out. I think Denver will heat him up enough and force the ball out quick. I trust the backend to make tackles and keep everything in front of us. This will be a great game to play “bend but don’t break,” because the Texans redzone offense is 31st in redzone percentage at 42.11. Ironically, their defense is also 31st at 70.59% (it’s technically a tie for last, but I like the symmetry).

MHR – Vance Joseph had a great quote this week about the approach to young quarterbacks, noting that thinking you always blitz a young quarterback is faulty because if he gets the ball out fast, he neutralizes the blitz but then also gets more favorable one-on-ones with receivers. What do you think the best approach will be for limiting Stroud’s strengths and keeping him more one-dimensional?
TheGueroLoco: As I said earlier, get home with four. Easier said than done for most teams. Dial up lots of simulated pressures. Give him exotic fronts where the line does not know who is coming. This line is still learning how to play together and will miss enough of these to swing the game. IF for some reason we struggle to get home, start blitzing Ja’Quan McMillian and the ILB’s but do that as a last resort.

MHR – Last week’s win over the Cowboys was also done mostly without Pat Surtain, and that meant Ja’Quan McMillian, Jahdae Barron and Kris Abrams-Draine had to step in, which they did. How confident are you in the Broncos’s secondary, without PS2, going against an offense that put up over 300 yards in the air last week?
TheGueroLoco: PS2 is what makes the whole thing go with this defense. The Broncos play man coverage at a higher rate than any other team in the league (and it’s not that close). This game is a litmus test for Vance Joseph as a coach: can you scheme around losing your best player? We will probably have to move to more zone coverage, which I think can work as long as we get pressure. The biggest key to me is Riley Moss, not the other three guys you mentioned. He needs to continue to play at a high level (I know some in Broncos Country hate him, but he has been really good this year). If he can get through the game without giving up a big play on third down (catch or DPI), it will go a long way toward us winning this game.

I am also really excited to see KAD. He is a converted WR and Payton says he has the best hands on the team (I am sure that was to fire up the WRs). They’re going to test him and I think he makes a game changing INT along the way.

MHR – Dre Greenlaw will be back in the line-up on Sunday. How much of a difference-maker is he (or do you think he will be) for this defense?
TheGueroLoco: He’s played one game. Alex Singleton isn’t coming off the field. He wears the green dot and is a team captain. Justin Strnad has played really well. In Greenlaw’s first game back, he played around 20 snaps. I don’t see that going too much over 30 in this one. Unless he forces a game changing fumble or lights up Stroud because the line forgot to block him, I don’t see him changing much. This isn’t because he isn’t a great player, but because Strnad has been playing at a very high level. Strand has been our best ILB this year and isn’t even playing full time as is.

I could see Greenlaw’s impact being bigger if he went in for Singleton at some point, but that isn’t happening barring injury.

MHR – Nik Bonitto and Jonathan Cooper, working in tandem with Zach Allen and JFM, provide relentless pressure. Combined with the secondary, and an improved inside linebacker corps, there are not too many holes in this defense. Which part of the Broncos defense do you think is the most formidable to opposing offenses?
TheGueroLoco: With Surtain II out, there is no question it is the pass rush. You listed the starters, but the Broncos bring pressure in waves with Jonah Ellis, Dondrea Tillman, Malcom Roach, and Eyioma Uwazurike, among others coming off the bench. This unit not only leads the league in sacks, but is on pace to break the single season sack record!

MHR – Who are your midseason MVPs – offense, defense, ST?
TheGueroLoco: I am going to run this like the Offensive Player of the Year and remove the QB position. It’s the most important position in football and Bo deserves credit for how he has played for stretches.

Offense: I have to go JK Dobbins here. He’s currently third in the league in Rushing yards. He’s tied for 4th in yards per carry (minimum 75 carries). He’s been the missing piece that this offense needed.

Defense: Vance Joseph and Sean Payton have both said publicly that the entire defense is based around the generational talent that is Patrick Surtain II. Nik Bonitto has been fantastic, but Surtain’s numbers (minus the INTs) have arguably been better than last year, when all he did was win Defensive Player of the Year. Pat’s MY GUY, and he gets the nod here.

I believe this is a get-right game for Bonitto. He has always struggled a bit against top-tier tackles. Sunday, he feasts against a rookie. By the time PS2 is back, Vonitto (this was a typo, but it might make a good nickname. Let’s hear it from the comments section) will likely have surpassed him.

Showdown in H-Town. pic.twitter.com/jWT3Cgk65R

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) October 31, 2025

Predictions​

Stats for BO NIX? 17/28 177 yards no TDs and more importantly no turnovers.

Stats for each Broncos RB? Dobbins finally gets 20 carries and snags 75 yards and a TD. Harvey adds 8 for 23.

Number of yards receiving/TDs for the receivers? Sutton 3 for 40, Franklin 6 for 52, and Bryant 3 for 18, with some tough catches on 3rd down to move the chains.

Longest FG for Lutz? 58

Number of sacks to CJ Stroud? 5

Number of times Nix barely misses getting sacked? 5

Broncos player with the most tackles? Talanoa Hufanga

Who gets the first sack of the game for the Broncos? Bonitto’s jump gets Aireontae Ersery on the first drive to force a punt.

Who gets any sacks? Bonitto 3, Cooper 1 ,Ellis 1

How many INTs/FF/FR for the Texans’ D? 0/0/0 Broncos play a clean game

How many INTs/FF/FR for the Broncos’ D?

2/0/0 KAD and another DL/Edge in coverage I’ll go with Cooper since he’s been SO close a few times.

How many completely wrong DPI penalties called on Riley Moss? 1

Final Score? Good old-fashioned rock fight…Denver 16, Houston 9

#DENvsHOU WEEK — Dec. 22, 2013 — Peyton Manning set an NFL record by throwing his 51st touchdown pass of the season, as the Denver Broncos beat the Texans 37–13 in Houston. Denver also captured its 13th AFC West division title.
TDs: DT (RIP), @EricDecker87 (2) and @Julius_Thomas pic.twitter.com/LDP5Vv7pgP

— Mile High Moments (@MileHighMoments) October 30, 2025

The Favorites ​

Favorite John Elway win outside of the Super Bowls? The Drive!

Favorite Broncos win ever? Should be Super Bowl 32, but there is something about Super Bowl 50 that still resonates with me a decade later. It wasn’t just an amazing time for Broncos Country, it was a peak in my own life as well.

Favorite Peyton Manning win? I would normally say SB50, but in honor of the Cowboys beatdown I will say the 51-48 victory in 2013. We can call it “The Bootleg.” When Manning faked the stadium, the announcers, and the camera man out and walked into the endzone.

Toughest Peyton Manning loss? Had to be the 2012 Ravens game, because we HAD that game in the bag!

Team you love to beat the most in the AFC West? Right now the Chiefs. The Raiders are so non-competitive it feels like beating up a very younger brother.

Coach you laugh at the most in the NFL? None of them really make me laugh. Pete Carroll running around with wide receiver gloves at 70 something is pretty funny though.

Coach you most want to “bench?” I know he is a coordinator, but I will always have a special disdain for Josh McDumbass (New England OC). The only good thing that guy ever did was run the Raiders further into the ground.

Team you hate to lose to the most in the rest of the AFC? Well now it is New England, because they are good again and Mcdouchecanoe is back to being their OC.

NFC team you could cheer for in the Super Bowl? It’s becoming cliche to say the Lions so I’ll go with the Bears since I have family in Chicago.

NFC team you want to face more than any other in the Super Bowl? The only thing Cowboys fans can hold over our heads is Super Bowl XII. Of course it’s them!

Favorite game looking forward to this season? Chiefs on Christmas! The ultimate litmus test: road game in December, short week, great team. If we win that one we can beat anyone anywhere.

Easiest game left on the schedule? No true gimmes left, and it’s a division game. Right now it’s the Raiduhs!

Toughest game left on the schedule? We all know it’s the Chiefs on Christmas in KC!

Favorite Broncos player on the current roster? Patrick Surtain II, he has a chance to go down as the greatest corner of all time.

Favorite Broncos player of all time not named John Elway? Von Miller (PS2 is RIGHT on his heels though)

Favorite new guy/rookie on the team? This is really hard, because they’re all playing so well. I’ll say Talanoa Hufanga

Food/Snack you have to eat on game day? I’m not picky, but as a Texan I have to wash it down with Dr. Pepper

Favorite game analyst/commentator? Joe Buck is one of the great play by play guys of all time. I’ve got to give him some respect!

If YOU were choosing your Broncos’ Mt. Rushmore, who would be included?
I am cheating and making an offensive and defensive. Offense: Floyd Little, John Elway, Peyton Manning, Terrell Davis (SOOOO hard to leave off Shannon Sharpe and DT). Defense: Randy Gradishar, Von Miller, Champ Bailey, Patrick Surtain II (yeah he is that good) sorry Steve Atwater.

How did you become a Broncos fan?
It was a cold December day in 1984 in The Rocky Mountains, and my mom went into labor. Our little town did not have a labor and delivery ward, so they typically sent the moms to the next county to give birth. I wasn’t waiting, so our family doctor had to deliver me. When he slapped me on the butt, I looked at him and said “that Elway kid is something, ain’t he?” The nurses were shocked when they drew my blood and it came out orange. The lab tech took one look at it and said “this one is a Broncos fan for life!”

Source: https://www.milehighreport.com/denv...pass-rush-run-game-keys-to-beating-the-texans

 

[Denver Broncos]

Week 9: Broncos at Texans – Live Coverage

The Denver Broncos will be looking to extend their win streak to six games here on the road against the Houston Texans. Two of the NFL’s top defenses will take the field in this one, so I would expect a bit of a defensive struggle. After starting 0-3, the Texans are on a roll too winning three of their last four games. Denver needs to keep winning, though, as both the Chiefs and Chargers are right on their heels in the AFC West.

Kickoff is set for 11:00 a.m. Mile High time on Sunday, November 2, 2025 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. You can watch the live stream of the game through FuboTV or on FOX. The game will be called by Kevin Kugler (play-by-play), Daryl Johnston (analyst), and Allison Williams (sideline). You can also check local Broncos radio network affiliate stations.

• Game Information
• Gameday Inactives
• Everything we have on this game

Broncos vs. Texans score predictions​

According to FanDuel, the Broncos were 1.5-point favorites when betting opened, but the line shifted the Texans way over the week. Houston is now favorited by that amount, instead. In my prediction this week, I felt it was going to be a tough slog for Denver this week. The game feels like a ‘trap’ and the Texans defense is as legit at Denver’s. Even so, the Broncos are rolling and I’m going to give them the slight edge here.

Prediction: Broncos 17, Texans 16.

Join the discussion in the comments section below.​

Broncos vs. Texans live updates​

Geared up for #DENvsHOU pic.twitter.com/rKJ610Zb4z

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) November 2, 2025

There might be more Broncos fans in NRG stadium than Texans fans just before kickoff pic.twitter.com/UFLjfgGgZt

— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) November 2, 2025

Have seen both Jahdae Barron and Kris Abrams-Draine outside opposite Riley Moss in warmpus.

— Parker Gabriel (@ParkerJGabriel) November 2, 2025

Bo Nix, Talanoa Hufanga and Alex Singleton are the Broncos' game-day captains.

Broncos call heads, win the toss and defer.

— Aric DiLalla (@AricDiLalla) November 2, 2025

#Broncos DC Vance Joseph said the plan was to cover Pat Surtain's absence with a few guys. We're already seeing that.

Jahdae Barron started at outside CB, but was at nickel with Kris Abrams-Draine outside on that third down

— Luca Evans (@bylucaevans) November 2, 2025

Stroud's got two third-and-long conversions working on Kris Abrams-Draine already.

First a slant to Nico Collins and now a ball to Christian Kirk when he had enough time to let Kirk work toward the sideline.

— Parker Gabriel (@ParkerJGabriel) November 2, 2025

Zach Allen's sack likely was the difference of the Texans making and missing the FG.

Huge sack.

Broncos get the ball on the Texans' 41 yard line.

— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) November 2, 2025

Marcedes Lewis checks in for the Broncos on their fourth offensive snap of the day. He officially becomes the oldest player in Broncos history.

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) November 2, 2025

Wil Lutz is… blocked

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) November 2, 2025

Dalton Schultz past Alex Singleton for the deep 47-yard catch-and-run. Texans in the red zone.

Also, Tyler Badie's earlier drop was his third of the season in 11 catchable passes — a 27-percent drop rate.

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) November 2, 2025

Source: https://www.milehighreport.com/game-day-threads/162363/broncos-vs-texans-live-coverage-week-9

 

[Denver Broncos]

Broncos vs. Raiders betting odds for Week 10

The Denver Broncos secured their sixth win in a row on Sunday in a defensive slugfest on the road against the Houston Texans. They will now have a short week to prepare for their AFC West rival Las Vegas Raiders who are coming off their own close game, though they lost in overtime on a failed two-point conversion attempt. This is a must-win game for Denver as they will be hosting the Kansas City Chiefs the following week in a game that figures to have major playoff implications.

According to FanDuel, the Broncos are 9.5-point home favorites against the Raiders in Week 10 on Thursday Night Football. The over/under stands at 42.5 for this matchup.

Broncos vs. Raiders betting odds​

Denver Broncos vs. Las Vegas Raiders
Thursday, November 6, 2025 at 6:15 A.M. Mile High time
Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado
ATS Betting Lines: Denver -9.5
Moneyline Odds: Denver -560 / Las Vegas +420
Over/Under: 42.5

I know the Raiders are a bad football team, but they are a divisional opponent. Divisional games can be quite tough and the Raiders biggest strengths in their passing game on offense is Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty. The Broncos defense struggles to cover both tight ends and running backs, so that should make this game a lot closer than the line suggests.

Even so, the Broncos should beat the Raiders at home here. They are the better team right now and are riding high on the NFL’s longest win streak. I do think Denver wins, but I am not confident they cover this 9.5-point spread.

What are your predictions for the Broncos-Raiders game in Week 10?

Source: https://www.milehighreport.com/denver-broncos-odds/162369/broncos-vs-raiders-opening-odds-week-10

 

[Denver Broncos]

Broncos stats and snaps for the win over the Texans

As I write this, the Denver Broncos are tied with the Indianapolis Colts and the New England Patriots for the league lead in wins with 7. There is no NFC team with 7 or more wins.

Interesting look at the distribution of wins so far this season in the NFL – 3 teams with 7, 3 teams with 1, but 14 with 5 or 6, and only 1 with 4. pic.twitter.com/6fLTSppGbK

— Joe Mahoney (@ndjomo76) November 3, 2025

The Broncos are currently 4th in points allowed per game.

The Bronco offense has now beaten the best scoring defense in the league after having played five of the six worst scoring defenses in the league. The only one of those that the Broncos have yet to face is the Bears – Denver does not play Chicago this year. The Broncos have two games remaining with the Chiefs (3rd), Raiders (23rd) and get to face the Commanders (22nd), and the Jaguars (17th). The also have to play the Chargers (11th) and the Packers (8th).

The Broncos were 1-6 in one score games last season and are 5-2 so far this season. Over the last two seasons they are still 6-8, but at least they are not the Giants who are now 2-10 in one score games over the last two seasons.

The Eagles and the Chiefs (who met in the slaughter of the chiefs last Super Bowl) both have been great in one-score games over the last two seasons. The Jaguars have had the most one-score games 2024-2025 with 19. They are 7-12 in those games. That’s pretty crazy that 19 of the Jags 25 games have been one score.

The Bronco defense now has 40 sacks in 9 games. That’s 4.4 sacks per game which is not only the best per game season in Bronco history, but is also the second best rate in NFL history. The Broncos are on pace for 75 sacks, which would be three more than the 1984 Bears, but they did it in 16 games.

Broncos are now at slightly lower sack per game rate than the 84 Bears (4.4 vs 4.5), but still have a crazy sack rate relative to league average pic.twitter.com/xmS48epoHI

— Joe Mahoney (@ndjomo76) November 3, 2025

The snaps will follow

Player	Pos	Num	Pct	Num	Pct	Num	Pct
Luke Wattenberg	C	63	100%	0	0%	3	9%
Mike McGlinchey	T	63	100%	0	0%	3	9%
Quinn Meinerz	G	63	100%	0	0%	3	9%
Alex Palczewski	T	63	100%	0	0%	3	9%
Garett Bolles	T	63	100%	0	0%	0	0%
Bo Nix	QB	63	100%	0	0%	0	0%
Courtland Sutton	WR	58	92%	0	0%	0	0%
Troy Franklin	WR	50	79%	0	0%	0	0%
Adam Trautman	TE	46	73%	0	0%	3	9%
Pat Bryant	WR	36	57%	0	0%	3	9%
Evan Engram	TE	32	51%	0	0%	0	0%
J.K. Dobbins	RB	29	46%	0	0%	0	0%
RJ Harvey	RB	20	32%	0	0%	5	15%
Tyler Badie	RB	14	22%	0	0%	20	61%
Adam Prentice	FB	10	16%	0	0%	17	52%
Trent Sherfield	WR	8	13%	0	0%	16	48%
Michael Bandy	WR	6	10%	0	0%	8	24%
Marcedes Lewis	TE	6	10%	0	0%	0	0%
Riley Moss	CB	0	0%	73	100%	6	18%
Talanoa Hufanga	S	0	0%	73	100%	6	18%
Alex Singleton	LB	0	0%	73	100%	0	0%
Brandon Jones	S	0	0%	70	96%	0	0%
Ja’Quan McMillian	CB	0	0%	51	70%	0	0%
Zach Allen	DL	0	0%	48	66%	6	18%
Kris Abrams-Draine	CB	0	0%	43	59%	8	24%
Malcolm Roach	DT	0	0%	42	58%	10	30%
Nik Bonitto	LB	0	0%	41	56%	0	0%
John Franklin-Myers	DL	0	0%	36	49%	6	18%
Jahdae Barron	CB	0	0%	34	47%	8	24%
Justin Strnad	LB	0	0%	31	42%	21	64%
D.J. Jones	DT	0	0%	29	40%	6	18%
Jonathon Cooper	LB	0	0%	29	40%	0	0%
Dondrea Tillman	LB	0	0%	28	38%	24	73%
Dre Greenlaw	LB	0	0%	27	37%	0	0%
Eyioma Uwazurike	DL	0	0%	26	36%	10	30%
Jonah Elliss	LB	0	0%	23	32%	19	58%
Quandarrius Robinson	LB	0	0%	23	32%	12	36%
JL Skinner	S	0	0%	3	4%	19	58%
Devon Key	DB	0	0%	0	0%	30	91%
Karene Reid	LB	0	0%	0	0%	24	73%
J.T. Gray	DB	0	0%	0	0%	21	64%
Jeremy Crawshaw	P	0	0%	0	0%	11	33%
Mitchell Fraboni	LS	0	0%	0	0%	11	33%
Frank Crum	T	0	0%	0	0%	9	27%
Wil Lutz	K	0	0%	0	0%	6	18%
Alex Forsyth	C	0	0%	0	0%	3	9%
Calvin Throckmorton	G	0	0%	0	0%	3	9%

Source: https://www.milehighreport.com/denver-broncos-stats/162712/broncos-stats-snaps-vs-texans

 

[Denver Broncos]

Broncos vs. Raiders: Monday practice participation report

The Denver Broncos win over the Houston Texans seemed to have come at a cost on the injury front. It was a tough defensive slugfest and this practice report shows that. There are seven guys on the DNP list, though four of those guys were out on Sunday anyway, but it is troubling to see Brandon Jones and Riley Moss on the report. It doesn’t seem like anything serious, though, but with the short week it will be something to monitor.

Meanwhile, the Las Vegas Raiders are looking fully healthy. Brock Bowers came back and had a massive game after being out a while, so he’ll be a big factor on Thursday against Denver’s defense. Hopefully, that defense can get to full healthy by Thursday.

Here is your full practice report for Monday.

Denver Broncos Injury Report​

Player	Pos.	Injury	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Game Status
Jonathon Cooper	OLB	Thumb	LIMITED
John Franklin-Myers	DL	Shoulder	LIMITED
D.J. Jones	DT	Knee	LIMITED
Nate Adkins	TE	Knee	DNP
J.T. Gray	DB	Hamstring	DNP
Brandon Jones	S	Foot	DNP
P.J. Locke	S	Neck	DNP
Marvin Mims	WR	Concussion	DNP
Riley Moss	CB	Ankle	DNP
Pat Surtain II	CB	Pectoral	DNP

Las Vegas Raiders Injury Report​

Player	Pos.	Injury	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Game Status
Thomas Booker	DT	Oblique	FULL
Brock Bowers	TE	Toe	FULL
Lonnie Johnson	S	Fibula	FULL
Aidan O’Connell	QB	Wrist (Right)	FULL
Isaiah Pola-Mao	S	Hip	FULL

BOLD – Indicates change in status; NIR- Indicates not injury related; *- Team conducted a walk-through / report is an estimation
STATUS DEFINITIONS: Did not participate (DNP); Limited: means less than 100 percent of a player’s normal repetitions; Full—100 percent of player’s normal repetitions; Out: will not play; Doubtful: Unlikely to play; Questionable: Uncertain to play

Source: https://www.milehighreport.com/denv...776/broncos-vs-raiders-monday-practice-report

 

[Denver Broncos]

Broncos Film Review: Mike McGlinchey vs the Texans

Finally. Let’s spend today talking about a man who is quietly one of the best offensive tackles in the league this season.

Mike McGlinchey’s tenure with the Denver Broncos has not been completely positive. Not that I necessarily agree with those sentiments, but his first year with the team was rocky at times, and he did have those moments last year as well, particularly in the passing game. But I think that overall he has been playing really solid football and has been a key contributor to the success of this offense.

This year he has been proving me right. He has been consistently reliable, always in the game, rock solid, and has sneakily been one of the best players on the offense. McGlinchey really does feel like he embodies the classic offensive line sentiment that you only hear about them when they’re bad, and when they’re good no one talks about them.

Let’s change that.

Stat crunch​

Mike McGlinchey played every offensive snap of the game. The Broncos had 61 of them on Sunday, running 22 designed run plays (including RPOs) and 39 designed pass plays.

He had a statistically perfect night as he gave up zero TFLs, zero pressures, zero QB hits, and zero sacks.

He finished the game with one “Bad” block, five “Meh” blocks, 12 “Alright” blocks, and 43 “Good” blocks. This gave him a score of 5.5 points or 89.3%.

In run protection he finished with 19.25 points (87.5%) and in pass protection he finished with 35.25 points (90.4%). His lone “Bad” block came in pass protection.

In general​

Unlike last week’s film review on Quinn Meinerz, there was nothing super flashy about McGlinchey’s game and there weren’t these huge blocks that he was making. But that’s not something I’m going to hold against him. Not every game has to be that way and not every player has to play that way. McGlinchey on Sunday was not spectacular, but he was very, very solid.

He was strong in pass protection all day long. We’ll take a look at one of his mistakes, but it wasn’t horrible. For the most part as long as he was able to absorb the initial impact or counter the initial pass rush, these Houston Texans defenders weren’t doing a dang thing. He only got beat on a stunt. Bull rushes weren’t working, speed rushes weren’t working, and he didn’t give the edge rushers any space to work with.

In run protection he fixed some of the mistakes I’ve seen him make semi-regularly this year. In particular, as the playside tackle on Inside Zone he wasn’t playing as soft on the LOS as he has. He was taking that inside shoulder and working through it, not giving the defender an opportunity to work back inside on him. He looked pretty strong out there too, which isn’t something that usually happens. There were a couple of plays where he straight-up just manhandled someone.

And while you didn’t hear his name much, he wasn’t the reason for a running back getting hit early or Bo Nix having to escape the pocket. The defense just couldn’t get him to mess up for the most part. And this is all against a defensive line that has been doing a good job all year in both the run and pass game.

I think one of the coolest or most notable things you’ll see in these upcoming clips is just how well both him and Meinerz work together. They’re a really strong pairing, and obviously that’s what makes a great offensive line truly great.

The specifics​

Run play – Inside Zone – Good block

Here’s a great rep of McGlinchey running a backside double team on Inside Zone with Meinerz. McGlinchey’s job is to work to get either head-up or to the playside shoulder (depends on the offensive system/ philosophy) of the DT that’s aligned over the top of him. Meinerz does a good job of taking on the block and McGlinchey fills in through the backside of the double team and gets some extra vertical displacement on the DT after Meinerz comes off to get the linebacker.

One detail I really want to highlight here is how McGlinchey takes away any space between him and Meinerz. Double team blocks on Inside Zones only work if the two linemen are conjoined at the hip, otherwise there’s a great risk of the block getting split by the DT. McGlinchey gets to Meinerz’ hip with such intentionality that he’s behind Meinerz for the first couple of steps. This is good stuff.

Pass play – Drop back – Good block

This clip shows 0ff some high-level hand fighting by McGlinchey.

First off, he gets a fantastic get off and gets to his point in the backfield, beating the wide-aligned DE (this wide alignment is a total pain to deal with in pass pro) to the spot. His initial strike is great, as you can see that the DE is stunted, and as the DE’s pad level rises, McGlinchey swats down his hands and sends him into the turf.

A great victory in the chess match that happens on every play.

Pass play – Drop back – Meh block

Sometimes the defense executes a well-timed stunt and there isn’t too much you can do about it.

With how wide the DE is, McGlinchey is forced to take a big first step backwards and to get his eyes out wide, making it near impossible for him to see the DT that’s heading right towards him. And the DE does a great job of waiting until the DT makes contact to loop back inside. Honestly the more I look at this play the less it appears to be a mistake by McGlinchey and I want to blame Meinerz for this.

I think Meinerz’ pass set should have been a touch more vertical and he should have stayed on this DT for a hair longer. He kind of sends the DT into McGlinchey as well and doesn’t give his RT much of a chance to pick this block up and leaves a little early to pick up the looper.

Now with that being said, you can also make the argument that as soon as the DE hesitates on his rush, that should give you a key to look inside for a stunt, but that is an incredibly hard read to make in that short of time. I’ll be bumping this grade up to a Meh and all scores will be adjusted.

Run play – Counter – Good block

The Broncos are running Counter to McGlinchey’s side so this means they have to block the DT over them to the backside linebacker (#39). With the DT lined up on an inside shade on McGlinchey, you can make the presnap assumption that McGlinchey will be doing most of the work on the DT while Meinerz will be heading up to pick up the linebacker.

Meinerz does a good job with his initial contact on the double team and makes an athletic move to recover late and pick up the linebacker, who makes a great read and does exactly what he should on Counter. That backside linebacker should be crashing hard to the playside A gap. And Meinerz makes this block a little hard on him due to him bringing his left arm into the DT and burying his head into the block as well.

McGlinchey however, aided by the good contact by Meinerz, is able to physically push the DT along the turf. This is impressive. He gets great leverage on the man with good hands and a nice forward-leaning posture which keeps his butt and hips behind him, and that’s where your power and leverage from the lower body comes from. Offensive line is part physics. If your hips are underneath you then your force vector is vertical, but if your hips are behind you then that force vector is horizontal, which is what you need for achieving vertical displacement.

McGlinchey takes the DT a few yards away from where they initially started, opening up tons of space behind him. Counter looks great when everyone executes their blocks like they do here.

Final thoughts​

Mike McGlinchey is worth the price of his contract. He has been worth it for most of his time in Denver and he absolutely is worth it right now. He is one half of the best offensive tackle tandem in the league and is playing probably the best football of his career. There is a reason that, according to PFF, he has yet to give up a sack (the same can be said for Garett Bolles as well).

He is one of the most dependable and consistent players on this roster, and he really is one of those much-needed “locker room guys”. I am very happy to have a guy like Mike McGlinchey on this team.

Source: https://www.milehighreport.com/bron...broncos-film-review-mike-mcglinchey-vs-texans

 

[Denver Broncos]

Broncos vs. Raiders: Tuesday practice participation report

Some good news from the Denver Broncos practice report on Tuesday as yesterday’s was an estimation anyway. Three of their key defensive starters were full practice participants, while three more were at least limited — which is good for their likelihood of playing on Thursday. The biggest news is that wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. is now limited and progressing through the concussion protocol there.

The only surprise on this report would be kicker Wil Lutz who was held out with an illness. Hopefully he is fully recovered by Thursday night.

Here is your full practice report for Tuesday.

Denver Broncos Injury Report​

Player	Pos.	Injury	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Game Status
Jonathon Cooper	OLB	Thumb	LIMITED	FULL
John Franklin-Myers	DL	Shoulder	LIMITED	FULL
D.J. Jones	DT	Knee	LIMITED	FULL
Brandon Jones	S	Foot	DNP	LIMITED
P.J. Locke	S	Neck	DNP	LIMITED
Marvin Mims	WR	Concussion	DNP	LIMITED
Riley Moss	CB	Ankle	DNP	LIMITED
Nate Adkins	TE	Knee	DNP	DNP
Wil Lutz	K	Illness	—	DNP
Pat Surtain II	CB	Pectoral	DNP	DNP

Las Vegas Raiders Injury Report​

Player	Pos.	Injury	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Game Status
Thomas Booker	DT	Oblique	FULL	FULL
Brock Bowers	TE	Toe	FULL	FULL
Lonnie Johnson	S	Fibula	FULL	FULL
Aidan O’Connell	QB	Wrist (Right)	FULL	FULL
Adam Butler	DT	Back	—	LIMITED
Isaiah Pola-Mao	S	Hip	FULL	LIMITED

BOLD – Indicates change in status; NIR- Indicates not injury related; *- Team conducted a walk-through / report is an estimation
STATUS DEFINITIONS: Did not participate (DNP); Limited: means less than 100 percent of a player’s normal repetitions; Full—100 percent of player’s normal repetitions; Out: will not play; Doubtful: Unlikely to play; Questionable: Uncertain to play

Source: https://www.milehighreport.com/denv...29/broncos-vs-raiders-tuesday-practice-report

 

[Denver Broncos]

Broncos vs. Raiders predictions: Final score picks for NFL Week 10

The Denver Broncos take their six-game win streak into Thursday Night Football where they will host the hated Las Vegas Raiders. This game has a ‘trap’ feel to it with the all-important home matchup next week against the Kansas City Chiefs looming. Denver absolutely needs this win to keep their momentum rolling and the closer they get to double-digit wins before their Bye week the better it will be for them in the final stretch of the season.

Game Overview​

Denver Broncos vs. Las Vegas Raiders
Thursday, November 6, 2025 at 6:15 P.M. Mile High time
Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado
ATS Betting Lines: Denver -9.5
Moneyline Odds: Denver -500 / Las Vegas +385
Over/Under: 42.5
Note: All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.

Collectively, our Mile High Report staff is predicting a Broncos 32-15 home win over the hated Raiders. Almost all of us are predicting a two-score or more win on TNF. Though not all. Here’s how each of us predicted things would go individually:

Broncos 27, Raiders 23​

I don’t see a blowout in this game. The defense is going to be worn a bit from Sunday’s slugfest and that might give the Raiders some big play opportunities in the game. That said, the Raiders do kind of stink and that should give the Broncos offense some chances in this game. At the end of the day, I think they prevail, but it surely won’t be covering the large spread for this game. – Tim Lynch

Broncos 34, Raiders 12​

The Raiders have always been trash and will continue to be trash on Thursday night. The Broncos will drop kick them into next Tuesday with extreme prejudice. – Sadaraine

Broncos 37, Raiders 16​

The Raiders are down one of their best offensive weapons, leaving the Broncos with mostly just two guys to have to deal with. Geno Smith has been awful and both him and his offensive line have given up the sixth-most sacks in the league. Their rushing attack is minimal because Ashton Jeanty gets hit in the backfield constantly and their run defense is average at best. The Broncos beat them in every matchup on paper and that should translate to the field. And FWIW, we all remember the last time these two teams faced off while the Broncos donned the Orange Crush uniforms. – Ross Allen

Broncos 28, Raiders 15​

The Broncos’ defense notches their 5th game of the season with zero TDs allowed. Vance Joseph emphasizes coralling Brock Bowers, leaving Geno Smith & company too much to do with too little talent to do it. Denver’s offense gets back into rhythm as well, with an easier matchup on the heels of last week’s challenge against the Texans’ defense. Nix & company score 4 TDs total- 2 on the ground, 2 in the air- as the Broncos match their 7-game winning streak from 2015. – Taylor Kothe

Broncos 30, Raiders 17​

This is a game where I believe the Broncos are finally going to force some turnovers. The Raiders have given up the ball at one of the highest rates in the NFL season and Geno Smith has really struggled to date. Without Jakobi Meyers, who was traded, they will be down to just two weapons in Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers. I’m optimistic Vance Joseph will be able to call a game that limits their impact. Moreover, I think the offense turns things around this week and Bo Nix and company perform much better. -Chris Hart

Broncos 37, Raiders 8​

We head into a Thursday night game with the Broncos on a significant win streak, and the Raiders continuing a slide into irrelevance. This really shouldn’t be a contest, but footballs are shaped oddly, and sometimes bounce funny. Not going to be an issue against Las Vegas. JK Dobbins and RJ Harvey are going to have a huge game. The defense will terrorize Geno Smith and could add another big number to their league leading sack total. – Adam Malnati

Broncos 31, Raiders 13​

Obviously I have no clue what the score will be TNF, but the Broncos should win this game and remain at the top of the AFC West standings. The defense will limit the big plays of Bowers and shut down Jeanty, while the offense will run the ball and get some big plays through the air. In the word of the late Al Davis, just win, baby! Whatever it takes. And the Broncos do that in their throwback classic helmets and jerseys. – Ian St. Clair

What is your score prediction for the Broncos-Raiders game? Let us know in the comments section below.​

Source: https://www.milehighreport.com/denv...ers-predictions-final-score-picks-nfl-week-10

 

[Denver Broncos]

Broncos vs. Raiders: Wednesday practice participation report

Everyone added to the report from Sunday’s win over the Houston Texans appears to be fully ready to go against the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday Night Football. That is good news for the Denver Broncos defense especially since all but one guy was on that side of the ball after shutting the Texans offense down in a physical defensive battle.

It looks like Marvin Mims Jr. will be good to go against the Kansas City Chiefs next week provided he has no setbacks from his return through the concussion protocol. They just need to get past the Raiders here tomorrow and the stage will be set for a massive showdown in the Mile High City next week.

Here is your full practice report for Wednesday.

Denver Broncos Injury Report​

Player	Pos.	Injury	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Game Status
Jonathon Cooper	OLB	Thumb	LIMITED	FULL	FULL	—
John Franklin-Myers	DL	Shoulder	LIMITED	FULL	FULL	—
D.J. Jones	DT	Knee	LIMITED	FULL	FULL	—
Brandon Jones	S	Foot	DNP	LIMITED	FULL	—
P.J. Locke	S	Neck	DNP	LIMITED	FULL	QUESTIONABLE
Wil Lutz	K	Illness	—	DNP	FULL	—
Riley Moss	CB	Ankle	DNP	LIMITED	FULL	–
Marvin Mims	WR	Concussion	DNP	LIMITED	LIMITED	OUT
Nate Adkins	TE	Knee	DNP	DNP	DNP	OUT
Pat Surtain II	CB	Pectoral	DNP	DNP	DNP	OUT

Las Vegas Raiders Injury Report​

Player	Pos.	Injury	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Game Status
Thomas Booker	DT	Oblique	FULL	FULL	FULL	—
Brock Bowers	TE	Toe	FULL	FULL	FULL	—
Lonnie Johnson	S	Fibula	FULL	FULL	FULL	QUESTIONABLE
Aidan O’Connell	QB	Wrist (Right)	FULL	FULL	FULL	OUT
Adam Butler	DT	Back	—	LIMITED	LIMITED	QUESTIONABLE
Isaiah Pola-Mao	S	Hip	FULL	LIMITED	LIMITED	QUESTIONABLE

BOLD – Indicates change in status; NIR- Indicates not injury related; *- Team conducted a walk-through / report is an estimation
STATUS DEFINITIONS: Did not participate (DNP); Limited: means less than 100 percent of a player’s normal repetitions; Full—100 percent of player’s normal repetitions; Out: will not play; Doubtful: Unlikely to play; Questionable: Uncertain to play

Source: https://www.milehighreport.com/denv...roncos-vs-raiders-final-injury-report-week-10

 

[Denver Broncos]

Ultimate Fan: No need to be too clever — Run. The. Ball.

It’s only been a few days since the Broncos edged out the Texans, but it’s a prime-time matchup with a hated rival — and the boys will be wearing the Throwbacks — so life really just couldn’t get any better.

And helping us figure out this Jekyll & Hyde team (or at least offense) is season ticket holder and Sunday morning waffle lover, Arimaris. And those waffles are working because Arimaris has some seriously good advice for our head coach — Keep. It. Simple. Stupid.

Ok, he didn’t add the “stupid” part. No one thinks Sean Payton is stupid. But sometimes the opposite. Like most of us, our strengths are often our weaknesses, and when you are an offensive “genius” sometimes you forget that your young offense isn’t ready for all that.

But WE are ready for all this UFG greatness…and a little Samuel L. Jackson:

“There are Raiders. There are Broncos. There’s an enclosed space. There’s piles and piles of hate. And there’s YOU! So let me ask you, ‘Are you ready for some football?”

2003 Monday Night Football Intro with Samuel L. Jackson (Denver Broncos VS Oakland Raiders) pic.twitter.com/KyzUNm0tsu

— CosmicHustle (@CosmicHustle) March 24, 2025

Week 10: Broncos v. Raiders on TNF​

MHR – The win over the Texans was not easy. Was that what you expected? How are you feeling about this team’s progress at this point in the season?
Arimaris: I think the team struggled over the Texans because of poor play calling more than anything else. That has been the number one issue on offense. Sean Payton loves his screens and wide runs, and against the Texans, that is a foolish mistake. To me, the reason we suddenly are better late in games is Payton doesn’t have the ability to be clever anymore and has to keep it simple and aggressive. As for the team as a whole, I am excited because the talent is there on both sides of the ball. The challenge is going to be that our offense is still learning how to play together and we have a head coach who is too clever for his own good. If he remembers that simple can be good, we are going to be even better.

MHR – Last year the Broncos finally beat the Raiders – and based on the team’s records and performance currently, it would seem that should carry over. But we all know how tough AFC West matchups are and how hard the Broncos like to make easy games. Before we get to specifics, what is your No. 1 worry about beating this Raiders team (if there is one)?
Arimaris: My number one worry is exactly what I said before, the play calling being too clever. The Raiders have some good individual players on defense, but they also have a ton of holes. Keep it simple. Run the ball consistently. Use the quick and crossing routes and let the receivers run after the catch. Just beat them down with simple concepts and it’s a win. If we allow them to stay in the game by trying to do what we have done against weak teams like the Jets and Titans, we are going to have a tough game. It should not be tough, but I think that we need to make it simple to ensure it isn’t a tough game.

MHR – The Raiders finally have stability at the head coaching position and have several playmakers, including a rookie running back that many wanted in Denver – Ashton Jeanty. Although he hasn’t been as impressive as many thought, he has accounted for nearly a fifth of the Raiders’ total first downs and has scored six touchdowns, both through the air and on the ground. What is the best way to stop him and what is your confidence level in the Broncos’ run defense right now?
Arimaris: I was frustrated when the Raiders drafted Jeanty because I truly hoped he would fall and we pick him up. I think RJ Harvey is a poor man’s version of him, so the fact Jeanty went to the Raiders was painful, but Harvey is fine. As for stopping him, I don’t see this as a priority. I think if we just play consistent defense the worst he can do is rack up some yards, but with our players he is going to be slowed down enough that it isn’t an issue. The reality though is that he is one of the best playmakers they have so it would be nice to see Greenlaw, and I think our own 1st round pick in Barron, covering him when he is out on a route. Then just be disciplined and make the tackle when he runs.

MHR – Brock Bowers is a dangerous tight end, and after three weeks out for a knee injury, he came back with a vengeance, getting over 100 yards and scoring three touchdowns. Jahdae Barron has shown some skill covering tight ends and Dre Greenlaw has been great in the two games he’s played; do you think they can shut down Bowers on Thursday night?
Arimaris: Yes. I think that Joseph is smart enough to use Barron and Greenlaw to slow down Bowers and Jeanty enough that they are not able to impact the game. I also think they probably get some yards and even TDs, but the key will be slowing them down enough to let us win.

MHR – The Broncos defense has been amazing but has certainly noticed the absence of Pat Surtain II. Now that the Raiders traded Jakobi Meyers and Tyler Lockett had a sub-par debut, which secondary-wideout matchups will be the ones to watch? How do you think the Surtain-less secondary stacks up to the Raiders wide receivers?
Arimaris: I think our secondary is going to be fine. The WRs that the Raiders are putting out there are not NFL caliber and even without Surtain, we are going to be able to deal with them. The keys are more around slowing Jeanty and Bowers because they are the real threats. If the Raiders are throwing to the other receivers, that is a winning matchup for the Broncos.

#Broncos CB Riley Moss is allowing the lowest completion percentage (44.4%) in the NFL this season, per @NextGenStats.

He's faced more targets (63) than any other defender. pic.twitter.com/MTP42tfMRa

— Zack Kelberman (@KelbermanNFL) November 5, 2025

MHR – The Broncos’ offense has generally struggled to get a fast start – except against the putrid Cowboys’ defense. What needs to happen from a play-calling standpoint by Sean Payton and an execution standpoint by Bo Nix for the Broncos to get out to a fast start on Thursday night?
Arimaris: I said it before and it remains true, keep it simple. Don’t try to have four players in motion all come set and then run an end around to Franklin. Rather than trying to make a WR screen work repeatedly, just have players run a set of routes where Nix gets to read and pick the best option. And Run the ball! Not just out of the Jumbo formation, either. RUN THE BALL!

MHR – Nix is becoming a Fourth Quarter Kid. Are you ok with that or are you concerned he is too inconsistent overall? Where is your temperature on Nix ultimately still being our franchise QB?
Arimaris: I truly want to Bo-lieve, but the doubt just sticks around. The throws where he isn’t set and he airmails the ball over a wide open receiver’s head, or the deep shots where he is underthrowing his target are maddening. What is fascinating is that somehow in the 4th quarter, these issues seem to disappear. It makes me point to the play calling as a bigger concern because it seems like for three quarters Nix still has to think in the pocket and then suddenly when the plays are more straightforward, he is able to play better.

MHR – JK Dobbins has been a huge addition to the run game, and even RJ Harvey has been an important contributor already. But Payton continues to relegate the run game to an afterthought. First, what do you think of Dobbins and Harvey as our backfield? And how would you advise Payton on how to use these two Thursday night as well as the rest of the season?
Arimaris: I liked Dobbins and Harvey as offseason additions. As the season progresses, I LOVE Dobbins and I am hopeful that Harvey can continue to develop. As for how to use them, (gets out drum) RUN THE BALL, RUN THE BALL, RUN THE BALL. I truly think Payton should consider the Dan Reeves offensive approach of run, run, and pass if it is over 3 yards. Our O-Line is good enough to pull that off and doing so early in games is going to be a good thing.

MHR – Despite all the talk of a “joker” player with Evan Engram, he has mostly been underwhelming. Is that more of a QB problem? A communication problem? Or an overhyped problem?
Arimaris: Overhyped. And not even close. Would it be nice if somehow we had a Darren Sproles or Jimmy Graham? Yes. Do we have a player like either of them? No. And Engram was never going to be that player. What he is is exactly what he has always been. He is an above-average NFL Move TE. We needed him to improve the team because we did not have anyone who was like him with his level of experience and even a rookie option is not a big improvement. I actually think he has been quite solid for the team and the fact that he is doing what you want from an above-average TE is more than enough for me.

MHR – Troy Franklin – and Pat Bryant to some extent – have seen an increasing number of targets while our clutch pass-catcher Courtland Sutton has been relatively quiet despite a few important third-down conversions or the occasional touchdown. Is this just the way it is when you have so many potential targets or would you prefer to see him used more?
Arimaris: I think this is more of the key to success in Payton’s offense than having a “joker” or some other high end playmaker. When Nix has his best games he is throwing to a larger number of targets. I know that fans and fantasy players (like me!) want consistency, but the reality is that in Payton’s offense the most success comes when every player is catching passes. It’s another concern I have with some of the play calling where they are trying to force it to one player rather than making it about dealing with all the possible threats. If we are going to be successful, it is going to be because 10 different players caught a pass.

MHR – The kickers have been outstanding but special teams coverage has been mostly a nightmare. How do the Broncos fix this? Better coaching? New coaching? Bench some players?
Arimaris: The Broncos are cursed to have poor quality coaching on special teams. There was hype that we were upgrading, and I actually think Payton did upgrade our special teams coaching, but it is still not acceptable. They are making mistakes that High School coaches wouldn’t accept out of players. I think it is back to the coaching, but I also think you do not change midseason unless it is truly awful. Payton needs to step in and demand more and then replace the coaching this offseason.

MHR – How great is it that the Broncos will wear the throwback Orange Crush uniforms again tomorrow night? Do you expect even more energy in that stadium tonight?
Arimaris: I am thrilled for the throwbacks! I love the old uniforms and it is always amazing when they are worn. And a Raiders game on Thursday the energy is going to be crazy!

MHR – How big of a deal is it that the Broncos are sitting atop the AFC West? How important is it to get this win on Thursday (aside from the usual importance) and get even more ahead of the Chiefs and Chargers?
Arimaris: Huge! The fact we are one game away from facing the Chiefs holding the top spot in the West is enormous. We need to take care of business and make sure our Broncos are facing them holding first with their lead above the Chargers intact. More impactful is that we are a couple of right calls by the officials away from holding a two or three-game lead. I did not expect that, and honestly, this is just fun!

The Broncos are at 7-2, won 6 straight games, had another 4th quarter comeback and are STILL your AFC West leaders pic.twitter.com/8GAnlwetv0

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) November 3, 2025

Predictions​

Note: I am terrible at predictions, but let’s go! All of these are guaranteed to be wrong or your money back!

Stats for Bo Nix? 19/30, 257 yards, 2 TDs
Stats for each Broncos RB? Dobbins 17 for 75 yards, Harvey 5 for 11 yards, 2 TDs, 3 rec for 51 yards
Number of yards receiving/TDs for the receivers? Everyone has 2 catches and at least 15 yards, except Franklin who catches 6 for 120 and both TDs as he is on my fantasy team!
Longest FG for Lutz? 52 yards
Number of sacks to Geno Smith? 0
Broncos player with the most tackles? Hufanga ,11 tackles
Who gets the first sack of the game for the Broncos? Jonah Ellis, I really like him and pull for him.
How many INTs/FF/FR for the Raiders D? 0 INT, 1 FF, 0 FR
How many INTs/FF/FR for the Broncos’ D? 1/1/1
Final Score? 31-10, Broncos win!

.@djjones_44 gave custom cleats a whole new meaning pic.twitter.com/2sVGbBm9xE

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) November 6, 2025

The Favorites ​

Favorite John Elway win outside of the Super Bowls? The 1987 AFC Championship game where we beat Cleveland again. It’s one of the first games I remember watching and the excitement over what was a great game still sticks with me.
Favorite Broncos win ever? Beating the Ravens on the OT TD from Tebow to Thomas.
Favorite Peyton Manning win? The comeback over the Chargers where we were down 24-0 at halftime and ended up winning
Favorite win over the Raiders? Beating Art Shell’s Raiders on Sunday Night in 1992. It was the first time I was allowed to go to a night game and the atmosphere was electric
Team you love to beat the most in the AFC West? RAIDERS!
Coach you laugh at the most in the NFL? Brian Schottenhiemer. No one has done so much with so little
Coach you most want to throat-punch? I still want to throat-punch Belichick; he is just gross
NFC team you could cheer for in the Super Bowl? San Francisco 49ers. They were my dad’s 2nd favorite team
NFC team you want to face more than any other in the Super Bowl? Dallas Cowboys. My wife is a fan and we would try to go.
Favorite game so far this season? Win over the Giants. That was nuts, and I was one of the idiots who left early
Favorite Broncos player on the current roster? Quinn Minerz
Favorite Broncos player of all time not named John Elway? Steve Atwater!
Favorite new guy/rookie on the team? Jeremy Crawshaw who looks like he is older than his years, both on the field and off
Food/Snack you have to eat on game day? Almost always waffles because Sunday is waffle day!
Favorite game analyst/commentator? Mike Turico is my favorite play by play, Romo is my favorite color guy right now, but I loved Madden back in the day, especially when he would get excited about the smallest things
Who is in your Broncos’ Mount Rushmore? Elway, Miller, Atwater, Davis

How did you become a Broncos fan?
I had no choice. My family is all Broncos fans. I am lucky that my Great Uncle was an original season ticket holder, and he passed them to my Dad, who was the only one willing to go with him to the games back in the 1960s when the team was bad.

Source: https://www.milehighreport.com/denv...ate-fan-no-need-to-be-too-clever-run-the-ball

 

[Denver Broncos]

Winners and Losers from the Broncos 10-7 victory over the Raiders

That was an ugly Thursday Night game, but the Broncos once again came out on top and improved to an NFL-best 8-2 record. They have now won 7-straight games, lead the AFC West, and will have a mini-bye week before their big game vs. the Chiefs next weekend.

Like most Thursday Night games, this was a sloppy one. The Broncos held two walk-throughs prior to this game, and it showed. On offense, they looked out of sync, unprepared, and just sloppy. They’re slow starters normally, but it was even worse tonight as they struggled to score at all. The same cannot be said for the Broncos’ defense, which kept them in it all game, but overall, they looked off tonight.

As for winners and losers, it’s hard to come up with much good despite the victory, but here are your winners and losers from the Broncos’ 10-7 victory over the Raiders.

WINNER – Broncos defense​

Much like 2015, the Broncos are winning ugly games thanks to their top-ranked defense. They gave up an early touchdown to rookie running back Ashton Jeanty, but bounced back from that and held the Raiders scoreless for the remainder of the game.

The Raiders were held to just 114 yards passing, 74 yards rushing, 7 points, and the Broncos’ defense sacked them 6 times while Dondrea Tillman came down with his second interception of the season (He’s great in open space).

Nik Bonitto had 1.5 sacks, Hufanga had a big 4th down sack, while Zach Allen, Jonathon Cooper, John Franklin-Myers, Malcolm Roach, and Uwazurike all tallied sacks in this one.

DONDREA TILLMAN INTpic.twitter.com/4pcQJHA844

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) November 7, 2025

The pass rush was relentless; they held Brock Bowers to 1 reception for 31 yards, and survived another game without reigning DPOY Pat Surtain II.

This unit is playing out of their mind, and the reason they sit at 8-2 right now. Vance Joseph and this unit deserve all the flowers as they continue to play like this despite being down their top defensive player.

LOSER – Broncos offense (everyone)​

Woof.

Bo Nix and the Broncos’ offense did not show up for this game. Nix looked flustered and off target. The blocking wasn’t great at times, the receivers dropped passes and struggled to track balls, and the play-calling was iffy at best.

It was their worst overall showing of the season. Not even the 4th quarter could bring them to life. I will say, the short week likely played into this, as they seem to get off to a slow start normally, but it was rough tonight.

Bo Nix threw two interceptions. One ended up being a long arm punt before halftime. He threw a deep ball to Troy Franklin, who was double-covered and it landed in the arms of a Raiders defender. Later in the game, a pass hit Franklin, but he couldn’t come down with it and ended up being a deflection INT. These two turnovers never came back to hurt the Broncos, but something that cannot happen much moving forward.

Play-calling was rough, specifically that 3rd and 1 call where they called a wide receiver pass. The run game was working. Pound the ball and get the first down. That was one of the more head-scratching calls of the season.

Penalties were an issue again, and multiple ones set the offense back and/or killed drives. The big one was an iffy offensive pass interference call on rookie Pat Bryant that erased what would have been a big gain and first down.

Again, they did enough to win the game, but man, it was a sloppy one.

LOSER – Jeremy Crawshaw​

Crawshaw has been booting the ball pretty good lately, but man, he had some of the ugliest punts I have ever seen tonight. He had like 3 in a row that he shanked, whiffed, and just kicked terribly.

Jeremy Crawshaw with one of the WORST punts I’ve ever seen

pic.twitter.com/Lb3SotUOAC

— Novo (@NovoHeat) November 7, 2025

To his credit, he improved as the game went on and has been pretty good all season, but he had a rough showing tonight. Hopefully, he goes back to booming punts next week, and this showing gets forgotten.

LOSER – Penalties​

The Broncos had 11 penalties for 78 yards. Some of these were drive killers, erased first downs, and/or put the Broncos back in awful field position.

We have seen this be a problem all season, and they really need to clean it up moving forward

WINNER – JL Skinner​

The Broncos’ special teams have been a problem this year, but they stepped up in a key moment late in the game. It was 4th down, a tie game, and the Broncos’ defense forced another punt. Bo Nix and the offense were struggling to do anything but safety. JL Skinner stepped up and put them in position to kick what ended up being the game-winning field goal.

JL SKINNER BLOCKS THE PUNT!pic.twitter.com/Cf33UOTbUZ

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) November 7, 2025

He put his large mitts on a Raiders punt and set the Broncos offense in great field position. They would go on to kick a field goal, and that would end up being the difference in the game.

WINNER – Best record in the NFL and 7 straight wins​

I understand you’re probably coming into this angry, ready to rant, and point out the flaws, but let’s take a step back for a second.

The Denver Broncos are 8-2. They currently have the best record in the NFL, leading the AFC West, have won 7 straight games, and have great odds of playing postseason football this winter.

#BroncosCountry Stand up!!! 7 in a row!!! Haters gonna say it was an ugly win. From these defensive eyes, it was beautiful!!!

— AqibTalib21 (@AqibTalib21) November 7, 2025

Enjoy this. Winning isn’t easy, and our Broncos are doing a lot of it right now. It may not be pretty, but how many pretty wins did the 2015 Super Bowl-winning team have? It wasn’t all that long ago that we had Nathaniel Hackett on the sidelines leading this team into the dumpster without a first-round pick, Russell Wilson signed to a historically bad contract, and the Broncos being a total embarrassment.

Yes, this team is flawed, and these flaws may very well catch up to them at some point but man, things could be much worse right now. We have lived through it. I’d rather live through ugly wins and an 8-2 record over the dark times of 2016 through 2023.

Other notable Winners and Losers​

• S Talanoa Hufanga – WINNER: He has really stepped up lately and has been making plays all over the field. Hufanga is healthy and is a big reason why this defense is elite this season.
• WR Pat Bryant – WINNER: The rookie wide receiver made probably the biggest play of the game and took a Bo Nix pass down the sideline and into the red zone. This would set up the Broncos’ only touchdown of the game.
• EDGE Dondre Tillman – WINNER: He intercepted his second pass of the season and showcased his open-field moves once again.
• RB J.K. Dobbins – WINNER: It wasn’t flashy, but Dobbins was the Broncos’ offense tonight. He totaled 18 carries for 77 yards and helped the offense milk the clock late in the game.
• Stopping TE Brock Bowers – WINNER: Bowers was expected to be a big part of the Raiders’ offense, but the Broncos’ defense held him to just 1 catch for 31 yards.
• RB Tyler Badie – LOSER: He drops at least one pass every week.
• Thursday Night Football – LOSER: Produces an ugly product most weeks.

Source: https://www.milehighreport.com/denv...rom-the-broncos-10-7-victory-over-the-raiders

 

[Denver Broncos]

4 things we learned from the Broncos sloppy win over Raiders

It seems like Thursday Night Football might be the NFL’s worst product. Or maybe I watch too many TNF games the Denver Broncos play in. Either way, I’m not a fan of it outside of the traditional Thanksgiving Day. Their 10-7 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders wasn’t pretty, but it was defensively dominant and that is an important takeaway.

The Raiders started the four drives at their 49 yard line or better and came away with seven points. Defense does win championships and Denver is in the otherworldly in that category. They lead the NFL in sacks by 18 and are in the Top 3 in both total yards and points allowed. This is legit. The offense just needs to get its act together.

#BroncosCountry Stand up!!! 7 in a row!!! Haters gonna say it was an ugly win. From these defensive eyes, it was beautiful!!!

— AqibTalib21 (@AqibTalib21) November 7, 2025

Here is what our Mile High Report staff learned from this Week 10 victory:

1. This defense is special.​

They now lead the league in sacks by an 18 sack margin – albeit with an extra game or two over some teams. They are second in total yards allowed and third in points allowed per game. This should keep them in most games regardless of how the offense is doing. The real test is next week against the Kansas City Chiefs. They too have a top NFL defense and are fourth in points allowed. Patrick Mahomes isn’t going to squander the opportunities that were given to the Las Vegas Raiders last night, so Bo Nix and that offense will need to figure things out real quick. At 8-2, however, the Broncos are sitting pretty and have a championship caliber defense. They are not a team to be taken lightly by any measure. – Tim Lynch

2. Bad games happen.​

The Defense played out of their minds, but the offense played probably their worst overall game in the Sean Payton era. Shit happens. Bad games happen. This is a young offense that has been streaky all season and has turned it on when needed (77 points in 5 quarters). It was a short week and a TNF game vs. a rival. Better games are coming from the offense, and the Broncos sit at 8-2. Rest up and silence the haters by whooping the Chiefs. – Scotty Payne

3. Denver’s (maybe) got the TE thing figured out on defense.​

Brock Bowers was coming off a three touchdown monster game and is a wide receiver playing tight end. He was held to one catch for 31 yards and a rush of -4 yards. Denver also held Jake Ferguson, who has been one of the most productive tight ends in the league in Dallas to no catches.

I don’t want to call it too early, but VJ and the defense definitely deserve credit for shoring up what’s been traditionally a weakness.

I love seeing Barron shadowing TEs in sub packages. – Jeff Essary

4. Sean Payton can get too cute sometimes.​

Well, we didn’t learn this as much as it was shown to us once again: Sean Payton can get too cute with the play calls. I know that we have no way of knowing what is said to Nix when the plays come in. Maybe he is checking out of the perfect play. But when it’s 3rd and 1, and you are running the ball well, a backward pass to Courtland Sutton so that he can see the play blow up in front of him and then run for a loss is a great example of “Stick a pencil into my ear while scratching my eyes out and throw me into a volcano” play calling.

Scotty is right. TNF is always weird. The Broncos have been all over the world playing tough games and dealing with injuries and suspensions. Still, they are 8-2, atop the division, and in a prime spot to make a deep playoff run. But can I just get a normal running play on 3rd and 1, please?. – Adam Malnati

What is the one thing you learned from the Broncos-Raiders game? Share in the comments section below.​

Source: https://www.milehighreport.com/denv...-learned-denver-broncos-win-las-vegas-raiders

 

[Denver Broncos]

Future Broncos: A Tale of Two FCS Prospects

Last week’s edition of Future Broncos took a short departure from collegiate prospects to discuss potential options Denver could make to upgrade the team at the trade deadline. While many across Broncos Country were hoping the team would make a splash to help with their efforts down the stretch, the Broncos opted to stand pat and roll with their current roster for the rest of the season.

For this week’s segment, I finally thought I’d get into some FCS prospects available in this year’s draft. There are certainly a lot more than this, but I think the prospects below could certainly help the Broncos, especially if they make adding talent to the offense a primary endeavor of theirs next April.

Bryce Lance – Wide Receiver – North Dakota State
6’3”, 206 pounds, 40-yard dash: 4.6 seconds

The North Dakota State Bison have endured a decade of dominance at the FCS level. If they aren’t winning the championship, every year they are still competing for it. The Bison program is clearly the best at its level and keeps sending players to the NFL who are able to compete.

Next in line to carry out their tradition to the pros is senior wide receiver Bryce Lance. He is the younger brother of Trey Lance and is arguably the best prospect in the FCS. Last season Lance had 75 catches for 1,053 yards and 17 touchdowns for the Bison. His junior year numbers catapulted his anticipated draft stock in the process.

While this year’s touchdown production has dropped immensely, he has really established himself as a premier vertical threat. This season, he has 36 catches for 703 yards and 4 touchdowns. He certainly can create after the catch and contact, but his calling card is his abilities to beat defenders deep showcased by his whopping 19.5 yard per catch average. Though his timed speed isn’t great and I do have concerns about that success translating to the NFL.

Even so, he is a consistent chain over with 29 catches of his going first downs or scores. Not only that, but he does also well over the middle of the field coming down. High-pointing and coming down with contested catches is also a strength and his impressive 40” vertical is on display most every week for the Bison coming down with highlight reel catches.

The Broncos have a young receiver corps with Marvin Mims Jr., Troy Franklin, and Pat Bryant but none have truly established themselves as a tried-and-true vertical threat at this point in his career. It’s also clear that none to date have proven to be a viable number two for Denver’s offense. I’m by no means giving up on any of their development, but I’m also in favor of the Broncos adding more talent to the position if the opportunity presents itself.

Nix isn’t shy about taking his deep shots and Lance could certainly help with Denver’s down the field vertical attack and give them another option capable of making tough catches in traffic. The latter is something they have sorely missed this year. On top of that, he is also an experienced special teams player and could contribute in that fashion immediately as a rookie.

Overall, it wouldn’t be surprising if Lance found his way into the mix somewhere on Late Day 2 and wound up a Top 100 player. As of now, Denver has two selections (original third and early fourth from New Orleans) in that area and would be wise to consider him if available.

Dason Brooks – Running Back – Idaho State
5’11”, 228 pounds, 40-yard dash: 4.55 seconds

While the Broncos have experienced a significant uptick in production at running back with J.K. Dobbins in the fold, it’s important to remember he just on a one-year deal with the team. While the Broncos very well may bring him back again next season, it’s not for sure bet.

Last April, after a series of trades, the Broncos took UCF standout RJ Harvey in the second round. While he hasn’t made a great impact as a runner, his receiving abilities are getting a lot of looks in Head Coach Sean Payton’s offense. Tyler Badie hasn’t impressed, and Jaleel McLaughlin has been a healthy scratch for most all the season.

Each and every draft, it seems like you can find productive running backs later on. One player who fits the mold as a decisive runner who should be on the Broncos’ radar is Idaho State prospect Dason Brooks. Brooks is a redshirt junior has an extra year of eligibility if he wants it, but if he keeps on producing the way he is, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he declared himself eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft.

His path to becoming an NFL running back isn’t traditional. He started out his career with the Bengals as a linebacker but made the switch last season to running back. In 12 games in 2024, he amassed 506 yards on 80 touches with just four touchdowns. This season through nine games, he already has 763 yards on 105 attempts with 8 rushing touchdowns. I don’t care what level you play at—averaging over 7.5 yards per rushing attempt will catch scouts’ eyes.

While he hasn’t showcased much as a receiver and dealt with some injuries early on in the year, he is proving to be a bruising battle horn between the tackles and is effective running the ball out of their heavy shotgun formation offense. I like his vision, patience, and ability to grind out yards after contact. Considering he is still new to learning the position, I think such upside is worth taking a flier on.

Coming from the Big Sky Conference, the drastic switch in competition may be a bit to handle early on, but what he excels at translates to the next level. If it’s late on Day 3 and the Broncos are looking to add to their backfield—and by all means they should—they could do worse than Brooks. Let’s be honest, Denver doesn’t have anyone besides Dobbins who has shown to be effective between the tackles. And guess what? That’s Brooks’ bread and butter.

Other Top FCS Prospects to Watch:

• Marquis Gillis, RB – Delaware State
• Jared Richardson, WR – Penn
• Chris Corbo, TE – Dartmouth
• Cole Payton, QB – NDSU
• Jalen Jones, CB – William & Mary
• Ashton Grable, OG – Florida A&M

Source: https://www.milehighreport.com/denv...94/future-broncos-a-tale-of-two-fcs-prospects

 

[Denver Broncos]

Broncos Film Review: The last drive vs the Raiders

If you guys have been reading these film reviews over the last couple of years (thank you, by the way), then you know that I have a brutal addiction to optimism. If you want proof just check out my article hyping up Audric Estime that I wrote relatively shortly before they cut him. It’s how I live life and it’s how I watch football. And how could I not be this way? I’ve had to suffer through the last 10 years of Denver football and I coach offensive line at a small school. If you don’t have optimism then you have nothing.

With that being said, what a doozy of a game Thursday night was. There’s nothing I can say that hasn’t already been said, positive or negative. At first glance there isn’t much good to take a look at. But I would disagree. That last drive they put together to ice the game was well executed and made a guy like me smile. The Raiders knew they would be running and still couldn’t stop it (besides two plays).

This week’s format will be a bit different than usual. I’m taking you play-by-play on that final drive to see how the Broncos made it out of this one with a win.

The final drive​

Play 1​

1st and 10 – Dive – Gain of 8

To me this looks like some sort of Dive/ Wedge play given that the offensive line is all stepping to the inside rather than left or right.

Everyone up front, including the TEs and Trent Sherfield do a pretty bang-up job. Everyone is able to seal their inside gap and the interior guys, especially there on the right side, get vertical push on the defensive line and the right A gap is there for the taking if Dobbins wants. And it’s probably a gain of four to five if he hits it. But instead he sees the end man on the left side go to the inside of Sherfield, leaving no one there in containment. Dobbins bounces it outside for a chunk gain on first down.

Play 2​

2nd and 2 – Power Lead – Gain of 1

This is a really tough block for Mercedes Lewis (#89) to make. With them running Power to the right, that means that Mike McGlinchey is blocking down on the playside DT and Lewis is then blocking down on the DE, which happens to be Maxx Crosby.

Crosby plays this perfectly. As a defensive lineman when you read down block away, it’s your job to squeeze the down block and play right off the backside of their hip in order to get penetration. Doing this makes it incredibly hard for the man that has to down block on you to get to you before you get passed the line of scrimmage. That’s exactly what plays out here.

Hindsight shows that it would have been better for both Meinerz and McGlinchey to slow-play this a little more. Meinerz should be less aggressive going inside and should just pick-up-put-down that left foot and work through the midline of the DT as best as possible. McGlinchey should still be moving down to the DT, but first he should be chipping Crosby with his right arm to give Lewis an extra moment to get over to Crosby.

With all of that being said, Lewis and the rest still block it up in a way that Palczewski is able to get around the mess and give Dobbins a good rushing lane, but it’s Adam Prentice that stops his feet on contact, and then gets too head-up with the defender, allowing himself to get thrown off and for his guy to make the play. If Prentice keeps working through that upfield shoulder then Dobbins has at least five yards on this play.

Play 3​

3rd and 1 – Boot Right – Gain of 18

Passing the ball on third down and short when you need to keep the clock running always worries me until they manage to complete the pass and keep things churning.

The offensive line sells the sweep away, sucking Maxx Crosby in and giving Bo Nix space on the outside to make a play. He puts the ball in a perfect spot while on the move, hitting Troy Franklin in stride, who picks up a huge gain. This play would have been perfect if only Franklin either didn’t step out of bounds or if he put his foot in the ground and cut back to the inside. That might have taken him to the house.

Play 4​

1st and 10 – Inside Zone Lead – Gain of 4

The key block I want you guys to pay attention to is Quinn Meinerz on the inside shade DT. He knows that Dobbins is trying to hit the right side A or B gap, given the alignment of the defensive line, so he makes the right call to simply wash the DT, rather than try to get vertical displacement. Usually vertical displacement is the goal on Inside Zones as an interior offensive lineman, but this quick thinking opened up a massive rushing lane through that A gap.

Adam Prentice nails his lead block too, but the issue ends up being Mike McGlinchey. But it’s also not completely his fault either. Like most plays, it’s complicated. Given how the DE is inside of him and Prentice is hitting the C gap defender, McGlinchey probably expects Dobbins to hit the C gap, which enables him to play the DE head up, like many zone teams teach as it gives Dobbins a choice of what gap to hit, rather than declaring it for him. But when the MLB does a great job of filling the gap, it forces Dobbins to bounce to the B gap, and the DE on McGlinchey makes a good play.

Play 5​

2nd and 1 – Inside Zone Lead – No Gain

For how good Dobbins has been this year, this play is a frustrating one to watch. Everyone up front gets good movement on their guys, Prentice throws a good enough block in the hole, and Dobbins should be banging it through the left B gap. Instead he tries to bounce it, which I see what he’s going for, but there’s simply no need to take a risk like this. Just get your one yard and move on.

Play 6​

3rd and 1 – QB Sneak – Gain of 1

The refs gave Nix the correct spot here. Nothing fancy. Just Quinn Meinerz and the interior guys getting a really good push to pick up the first down.

Play 7​

1st and 10 – Dive – Gain of 7

A simple play but the guys up front and Dobbins execute incredibly well.

Wattenberg and Palczewski both get to double team on the 2i DT and they both bully him off of the ball. Meinerz handles business on his iso block against the head-up DT. Look at his hand fighting here throughout the block. That’s what makes it work. And both Bolles and McGlinchey do good jobs of washing their DEs to the outside, opening up the entire inside of the line for Dobbins to work behind.

Prentice lays a good block in the gap but Dobbins does a great job cutting right off of the but of Wattenberg, brushes off the first tackler, and picks up four yards after contact for a chunk gain on first down.

Play 8​

2nd and 3 – Inside Zone Lead – Gain of 5

The play that finally puts the game on ice.

Man, if they called this play to the right then Dobbins probably walks in for a touchdown based off how well Wattenberg, Meinerz, McGlinchey, and Trautman handle business. But the defense plays into their hand with the DE over Bolles getting caught playing head up, which opens up space on the outside for Prentice to go lay a block, and that’s just too much room for Dobbins to work with as he easily picks up the first down.

I’m almost surprised by the linebackers not playing more downhill on this play. This seems like a situation where they’re moving too laterally at the snap. Dobbins is not a guy you can do that against in this sort of situation.

Final thoughts​

Man am I glad that Denver came away from this one with a win. And as each week goes by the more I want Dobbins to be locked in for at least another couple of years. He has been a fantastic acquisition. In fact, the trio of Talanoa Hufanga, Dre Greenlaw, and JK Dobbins have been instrumental to the success they’ve had this year. Well done to Paton and Payton.

My main takeaway from this is that the Broncos have gotten exponentially better at closing out games. The entire offense did a great job of coming up huge, especially in the run game when the defense know exactly what Denver wanted to do. Dobbins gaining more than four yards a carry in this situation is massive.

Source: https://www.milehighreport.com/bron...298/broncos-film-review-last-drive-vs-raiders