Vikings vs Jets score and NFL Week 5 updates: Highlights, schedule, inactives, predictions, odds and analysis
By Nick Kosmider, Vic Tafur, Tashan Reed and Cale Clinton
The Denver Broncos officially snap one of the longest intra-divisional losing streaks as Bo Nix and the defense thrive in a 34-18 win against the Las Vegas Raiders at Empower Field at Mile High on Sunday.
Denver’s win over Las Vegas snaps an eight-game losing streak against their divisional opponent dating back to 2020. The streak was the second-longest active losing streak between divisional opponents, behind the Chicago Bears’ 10-game losing streak against the Green Bay Packers.
Broncos (3-2) rookie quarterback Bo Nix played one of his better games, bouncing back from his 60-yard performance in Week 4, with a 206-yard passing performance with three combined touchdowns. Nix posted his third straight game without an interception and posted a career-high 70.4 percent completion percentage on 19-of-27 passing.
Denver’s strong defense picked the Raiders (2-3) quarterbacks off three separate times, including a 100-yard pick six by Pat Surtain II that swung the game in Denver’s favor. Surtain posted his second career multi-interception game, his first since Week 12 of his rookie season.
Aidan O’Connell replaced Gardner Minshew again at quarterback as Las Vegas benched its QB1 in the second half. Meanwhile, Raiders defensive tackle Christian Wilkins left with a foot injury.
Surtain’s pick highlights defensive turnaround
It would be hard to return an interception 100 yards for a touchdown and not have it go down as a key moment in a game. But Pat Surtain’s splash play Sunday was something else entirely, a life raft equipped with a powerful motor.
The Raiders were five yards away from taking a 17-3 lead midway through the second quarter. Minshew had tight end Brock Bowers open underneath near the goal line on first down. But with Broncos rookie Jonah Elliss providing pressure, Minshew’s pass sailed and Surtain seized on the mistake.
Not only was the play a possible 14-point swing, it helped Denver’s defense settle into another dominant performance. The Broncos swarmed Minshew, closing off routes down the field, sacking him twice and adding another interception from Riley Moss in the third quarter.
Eventually, the Raiders benched Minshew in favor of O’Connell, but the results didn’t change. Surtain registered his second interception of the game when he picked off a tipped pass from the second-year quarterback in the fourth quarter. The All-Pro corner finished what he started. — Nick Kosmider, Broncos beat writer
Offense shows signs of progress after slow start
The Broncos failed their first five third-down attempts. Until the final few seconds of the second quarter, the team’s wide receivers had one total catch. Denver hadn’t stayed on the field long enough to build up carries in the run game. They were some familiar markers for an offense that has yet to find its footing consistently behind Nix.
But signs of progress came in the second half as the Broncos produced two touchdown drives and would have had a third if rookie Troy Franklin hadn’t dropped a deep pass from Nix in the end zone. Javonte Williams totaled more than 100 yards of offense and was a key factor as the Broncos turned a 13-10 lead into a runaway victory.
Nix, meanwhile, finished 19-of-27 passing for 206 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He also rushed for his third touchdown of the season. The rookie also finished a third straight game without throwing an interception.
One note of concern, though, the Broncos lost right tackle Alex Palczewski and center Luke Wattenberg to injuries. Right tackle Mike McGlinchey is already on injured reserve with a knee injury and will miss at least one more game. — Kosmider
Raiders bench Minshew for O’Connell
The Raiders were leading 10-0 and driving for a touchdown when Minshew was wildly off-target with a throw and Surtain returned the interception 100 yards for a touchdown. That was the beginning of the end for Minshew, who would throw another interception. O’Connell came in with 1:31 left in the third quarter and threw an interception himself before leading a touchdown drive in garbage time.
The Raiders fell to 2-3 after their second game without disgruntled receiver Davante Adams, who is expected to be traded this week. Minshew actually completed his first nine passes of the game, often looking for Bowers, before going 3-for-8 the rest of the way. The Raiders had 18 yards of offense in the third quarter.
Minshew beat out O’Connell for the starting job in training camp, but it was close as both struggled in first-year coordinator Luke Getsy’s new offense. The Raiders gave Minshew $15 million guaranteed when they signed the free agent to a two-year, $25 million contract in the offseason. He has 1,010 yards passing, four touchdowns and five interceptions on the year. — Vic Tafur, Raiders senior writer
Raiders prepare for life without Davante Adams
Adams is currently a Raider, but he’s likely played his final snap for the franchise after requesting a trade Monday. He’s missed two straight games due to the hamstring injury during practice on Sept. 26, which has given the Raiders an extended look at what life could be like without the future Hall of Famer.
The results haven’t been pretty. Despite beating the Cleveland Browns last week, Minshew was limited to completing set season-low marks with a completion rate of only 58.3 percent and just 130 passing yards. Against the Broncos, Minshew bottomed out. He completed 12-of-17 passes for 137 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. After his second interception in the third quarter, he was benched for O’Connell.
Bowers had a productive game with eight catches for 97 yards and one touchdown, but the Raiders’ receivers were largely held in check. Jakobi Meyers had six catches for 72 yards, Tre Tucker had two catches for 18 yards and DJ Turner had one catch for 12 yards. The Raiders ran the ball well — they took 25 carries for 115 yards — but the passing game and offense as a whole looked anemic whether it was Minshew or O’Connell taking snaps.
The Raiders offense was uninspiring with Adams, so its struggles without him are far from surprising. With that being said, it still paints a bleak picture for what the unit will look like moving forward if and when they trade him. — Tashan Reed, Raiders beat writer
Required reading
- Davante Adams trade proposals: What could the Raiders get for the future Hall of Fame WR?
- What we’re seeing from the Las Vegas Raiders: Injuries hampering the defense
- Why Sean Payton may be facing his most important game as Broncos coach vs. Raiders
- What I’m seeing from the Denver Broncos: Bo Nix’s rare feat, O-line depth, TE issue
(Photo: Matthew Stockman / Getty Images)
