DENVER, CO — For the third week in a row, the Denver Broncos won a professional football match and improved to 3-2 on the season after defeating the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. The 34–18 victory over the Raiders was Denver’s first divisional game of the season.

The Broncos had some extra excitement playing their Orange Crush 1977 Throwback threads as they officially broke the Silver and Black’s eight-game winning streak. Sunday’s win in the Mile High City marked the first home game win for the Broncos this season and the first-ever win against the Raiders since moving to Las Vegas.

Before Sunday, the last time the Broncos defeated the Raiders was in 2019, in the team’s final appearance representing the city of Oakland, CA. The Raiders fell to 2-3 after Sunday’s loss, while the memorable Broncos look ahead to their Week 6 home game against another AFC West opponent: the Los Angeles charges.

But before we look ahead to the Bolts, let’s sum up my three biggest takeaways from a historic Broncos win at the start of the month of October.

If there was any doubt that Patrick Surtain II was the NFL’s best cornerback, those questions were quashed after a career day against the Raiders. Trailing 10-7 midway through the second quarter, Surtain Raiders picked off quarterback Gardner Minshew in the end zone and returned him 100 yards for a pick-six that put him in the franchise record books. It’s officially the second-longest pick-six in Broncos history.

It was Denver’s first touchdown of the day. The interception came on a first-and-goal throw that changed the entire momentum of the game, especially for the Broncos offense, which then started rolling en route to the team’s third win of the season.

Surtain would later take another pass and end the day as the hero on the field with two more tackles to boot. It was his second career game with two interceptions.

Even Surtin’s cornerback partner opposite him, Riley Moss, got in on the action, grabbing his first career interception, along with three tackles, and then sealing the day for Minshew, who was benched shortly after the turnover by the Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce. .

A Broncos pass rush that produced 12 sacks in the previous two games was added to the running total when Zach Allen, Jonathon Cooper and Nik Bonitto had sacks against Minshew and Aiden O’Connell. Aside from Minshew’s 57-yard pass to Raiders rookie Brock Bowers for the first score of the day, Denver’s defense remained stingy and vigilant all game.

Vance Joseph’s run defense also held up. The Raiders offense totaled 115 rushing yards, but it wasn’t until late in the fourth quarter that Ameer Abdullah recorded a score from three yards on the ground, just the second touchdown of the game for the visiting team.

It’s one thing for a defense to be dominant in back-to-back games, but seeing the Broncos continue to improve suggests this unit could be very special. The defense showed up when it mattered most and looked to push the Broncos to victory.

The Broncos ownership group deserves credit for extending Surtain last September, a move that is already paying off for the defense. Take a bow, Broncos. You’ve demoralized the Raiders on this one.

What happens next on the Broncos beat? Don’t miss news and analysis! Take a moment, sign up for our free newsletter and get the latest Broncos news delivered to your inbox every day!

Surtain wasn’t the only Bronco to make franchise history in Sunday’s win over the Raiders. Fellow team captain Bo Nix became the first starting quarterback in franchise history to win three straight starts for Denver.

Nix arrived at Empower Field at Mile High wearing a Broncos Throwback No. 7 John Elway jersey, heralding a historic and successful day for the 24-year-old, who was making his second career home start and earning his first-ever win in Denver .

The No. 12 overall pick in the NFL draft finished a career day completing 19 of 27 passes for 208 yards and two passing touchdowns. Nix also set a franchise record by completing passes to eleven separate receivers, involving everyone from receivers and tight ends to running backs and fullbacks.

Denver’s third straight win coincided with the third straight game in which Nix didn’t turn the ball over, reinforcing Sean Payton’s assertion that the rookie doesn’t make the same mistakes twice.

Nix learned to stay on the move to combat a ferocious Raiders pass rush led by Maxx Crosby, which resulted in three sacks on the Broncos’ rookie QB. Although he didn’t accumulate many rushing yards, Nix managed his third rushing touchdown of the season on a one-yard plunge.

Although Nix was far from perfect, he and his teammates defeated the hated Raiders, breaking that woeful streak and restoring pride and excitement throughout Broncos Country for the remainder of the season.

TV cameras caught a fiery sideline between Payton and Nix. The rookie quarterback’s passion and frustration toward his play-caller and head coach was on display for all to see on the broadcast. The scene came moments after Broncos rookie wideout Troy Franklin dropped a wide-open deep touchdown pass from Nix.

To the naked eye, it may have appeared that Nix had no respect for his coach, but I would emphasize that the conversation took place in the heat of the moment and fans should be excited about its implications.

I’ve been saying for months that Nix is ​​built in Payton’s image. The former Oregon star is unapologetically himself, doesn’t seem to care what the media thinks, and is addicted to the X’s and Os of pro football. Sometimes that kind of competitive personality can rub people the wrong way and be perceived as rude or mean.

But we see an inflection in both men, and that’s exactly the kind of delicate balance franchises fantasize about when drafting a quarterback or hiring a head coach. Payton has occasionally taken Nix’s handcuffs, allowing him to maneuver on the fly, rush for first downs and score touchdowns on the ground. Meanwhile, Nix has committed to improving his pocket presence and footwork under pressure and remains patient with the offense’s progression.

Even after Nix’s one-yard rushing score, cameras revealed a much calmer and collected conversation between coach and quarterback in which teaching and learning took place. This isn’t the same as Payton yelling at Russell Wilson in an embarrassing loss to the Detroit Lions last season.

No, the sideshow of Nix and Payton vs. the Raiders show a budding relationship that builds trust and accountability every week. The Broncos offense may be struggling right now, but there was significant growth for this football team in this huge win against the Raiders.

It seems like this quarterback and head coach will do whatever it takes to get on the same page, win football games and make this Broncos football team relevant again.

Follow up on Mile High Huddle X And Facebook and subscribe on YouTube for daily Broncos livestream podcasts!