Initial thoughts on the Broncos’ 34-18 win over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 5 at Empower Field at Mile High:

Speak your talk, Bo: A year ago, Russell Wilson just took it. Sean Payton was chewing his ear on national primetime TV in Detroit, and the then-Broncos quarterback said virtually nothing. Fast forward to Sunday, and Bo Nix was having none of it. Confronted by the Denver coach after rookie wide receiver Troy Franklin dropped a hard, but catchable, deep ball into the end zone, Nix didn’t just stand his ground. He let Payton have it. Then he went out and led back-to-back touchdown drives, sneaking in one and throwing another to Josh Reynolds from 9 yards out. Could it be that all the Broncos needed was someone to yell at Payton?

Rai-duh-proud: One of the most frustrating aspects of the Broncos’ eight-game losing streak to the Raiders (now mercifully over). It’s the flippin’ Rai-duhs!!! A franchise with a well-deserved reputation for constantly shooting itself in the foot!!! Like on Sunday, when Gardner Minshew II floated a ball to Pat Surtain II at the Broncos goal line for a 100-yard pick-six. Or when Janarius Robinson committed an unnecessary personal foul late in the first half while missing a 59-yard field goal by Wil Lutz. Ten points, absolutely gift-wrapped by the Rai-duhs, and a 13-10 Denver lead that it should never have had.

Take a Bow-ers: Get ready to hear this for the next decade: Brock Bowers could have been a Bronco. Up for grabs at No. 12 in last spring’s NFL draft, the team’s brain trust opted to draft the next franchise QB instead (fingers crossed). So it was that on a day when third-year tight end Greg Dulcich was a healthy scratch, Raiders rookie big brother safety P.J. Locke on the fourth snap of the game for a 57-yard-and-over touchdown catch overall ran roughshod in his Mile High debut. Get used to it, Broncosland. This man will be here for a long time.