Lead: On Nov. 6, 2025 in Denver, the Broncos eked out a 10-7 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders as Denver’s defense dominated a sloppy, low-scoring contest. The win pushed the Broncos to 8-2, the best record in the NFL, and extended their winning streak to seven games and their home streak to 10. Offense was scarce — Bo Nix threw for 150 yards, with two interceptions and one touchdown — while the defense recorded six sacks on Geno Smith and helped set up the decisive scoring sequence. Special teams and missed kicks by the Raiders ultimately determined the final margin.
Key takeaways
- Denver improved to 8-2 and holds the NFL’s best record through 10 games.
- The Broncos recorded six sacks on Geno Smith, raising Denver’s season total to 46 sacks in 10 games, the most any team has had in that span since at least 1990.
- Final score: Broncos 10, Raiders 7; Wil Lutz’s 32-yard field goal with five seconds left in the third quarter was the game’s only second-half scoring.
- Denver committed 11 penalties and had only 10 first downs; the offense posted seven three-and-outs in 13 possessions.
- J.L. Skinner blocked a punt with his facemask late in the third quarter, creating the short field that led to Lutz’s field goal.
- Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson missed a 48-yard field goal with 4:26 remaining; he has had multiple key kicking failures this season, including a blocked game-winner in Week 4 and a missed extra point last week.
- The Raiders fell to 2-7 after trading receiver Jakobi Meyers earlier this week.
Background
The Broncos entered the game as one of the league’s best teams by record, but their style of play this season has often been unpolished offensively. Sean Payton’s squad has leaned heavily on a disruptive defense and methodical clock control rather than explosive scoring outbursts. Penalties and inconsistent execution have been recurring themes across Denver’s wins, prompting coaches to emphasize correction even while the team racks up victories.
Las Vegas arrived amid a difficult stretch, having shifted personnel by trading Jakobi Meyers and struggling to find consistent placekicking and pass protection. Geno Smith, the Raiders’ starting quarterback, has faced mounting pressure behind a line dealing with injuries, and Daniel Carlson’s reliability from long range has been a growing concern for the team’s coaching staff. The matchup in Denver’s thin-air, windy conditions suggested a low-scoring game where turnovers, special teams and field position would be decisive.
Main event
The Raiders struck first when Ashton Jeanty finished a four-yard touchdown run to put Las Vegas up 7-0 after a slow Broncos start that produced only six yards in the first quarter. Denver finally moved the chains on its fifth possession, highlighted by a 13-yard run from J.K. Dobbins and concluded with an 11-yard touchdown pass from Bo Nix to Troy Franklin to tie the game at 7.
Late in the third quarter, Broncos defensive end J.L. Skinner blocked an AJ Cole punt; the ball made contact with Skinner’s facemask, and the play gave Denver the ball at the Las Vegas 12. After losing two yards on three plays, Wil Lutz converted a 32-yard field goal with five seconds left in the quarter that became the decisive points.
Denver’s defense dominated the second half, not allowing a first down on seven consecutive Raiders drives and forcing a turnover on downs as well as an interception. Kyu Blue Kelly recorded an interception in the final minutes that positioned Las Vegas at the Denver 45, but Daniel Carlson’s 48-yard attempt sailed wide right with 4:26 left.
The Broncos managed the remaining clock with a grinding final drive and finished the game kneeling inside the Raiders’ 20 after Las Vegas exhausted its timeouts. Denver’s defense finished with multiple takeaways, a blocked punt converted into points and the sack total that has defined their season-long identity.
Analysis & implications
Denver’s win underscores a durable, defense-first identity. Recording 46 sacks in 10 games is exceptional historically and gives the Broncos control even when the offense sputters. That pass-rush depth cushions offensive miscues and penalties, allowing Denver to win tight games that might otherwise be lost. If the defense maintains this level, the Broncos can remain a top seed despite ongoing offensive shortcomings.
Offensively, however, the Broncos face a limit. Bo Nix’s 150 passing yards and two interceptions emphasize lingering issues in downfield efficiency and ball security. The penalty total (11) and seven three-and-outs in 13 possessions demonstrate a lack of rhythm that could become decisive in playoff settings against elite defenses. Coaching staff will likely press for schematic tweaks and quicker starts to reduce reliance on narrow margins.
For the Raiders, the game crystallizes two trends: special-teams decline and offensive line instability. Daniel Carlson’s miss continues a string of critical errors that have directly cost points in close games, and injuries to interior linemen contributed to pressure on Geno Smith. Personnel moves such as trading Jakobi Meyers suggest the franchise is retooling, but the immediate effect has been mixed: talent changes have not yet translated into wins.
Comparison & data
| Metric | Denver (season through 10 games) | Las Vegas (season through 9 games) |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 8-2 | 2-7 |
| Sacks | 46 | — (team total less than Denver) |
| Penalties (this game) | 11 | — |
| First downs (this game) | 10 | — |
The table highlights Denver’s unusual sack production relative to its win-loss record; the Broncos are leveraging defensive pressure to offset modest offensive output. Season-long sack totals are an outlier compared with modern NFL trends and signal a unit capable of changing games via negative plays and turnovers. The Raiders’ kicking struggles and injury list are reflected qualitatively rather than in a single-season aggregate in this table.
Reactions & quotes
Broncos coach Sean Payton acknowledged flaws while celebrating the result, stressing ongoing work on penalties and execution. He summarized the team’s position with restrained optimism.
“We’ve got to clean up some of the penalties. We’ve got to clean up the execution,”
Sean Payton, Broncos head coach (postgame)
Quarterback Bo Nix, who produced a touchdown but also two interceptions, accepted criticism from the crowd and emphasized the need for more offensive production.
“At some point 10 points ain’t going to be enough. We’ve got to score more,”
Bo Nix, Broncos quarterback
Raiders coach Pete Carroll pointed to Carlson’s struggles while defending his team’s effort; he noted the kicker’s frustration and desire to improve.
“He’s got to kick better. I know it kills him, too. He wants to make every one of those,”
Pete Carroll, Raiders head coach
Unconfirmed
- Reports of the exact mechanism by which Skinner felt the ball on his visor come from his postgame description and are player-sourced; film review would best confirm the precise contact point.
- Longer-term effects of several injuries listed (Quinn Meinerz illness, Jackson Powers-Johnson left-leg injury, Dylan Parham ankle sprain) have not been fully disclosed by team medical staff and remain subject to official updates.
Bottom line
The Broncos’ 10-7 win over the Raiders on Nov. 6, 2025, is emblematic of a team winning despite offensive inconsistency because of an exceptional pass rush and opportunistic special teams. Denver’s defense — 46 sacks through 10 games — is sustaining a win streak that puts the franchise in clear playoff positioning, but offensive lapses and penalties are vulnerabilities that could be exploited by top opponents.
Las Vegas’s loss compounds season-long issues: unreliable kicking, offensive-line injuries and a roster transition that has yet to yield results. The immediate outlook favors Denver, but the Broncos will need cleaner execution and a more productive offense to avoid one-score defeats against the NFL’s stronger teams as the season progresses.