Broncos fall to Las Vegas Raiders 27-14, ends season at 8-9
The Denver Broncos finish the year out at 8-9 after falling to the Las Vegas Raiders 27-14 on the road.
Broncos quarterback finished the game completing 20 out of 34 passes for 272 yards with a touchdown score and one interception thrown. Javonte Williams was the leading rusher with 32 yards on nine carries. Samaje Perine was the second-leading rusher with 7 yards on three carries.
Wide Receiver Brandon Johnson ended the game as the leading receiver in the game with four catches for 88 yards. Jerry Jeudy was the second-leading receiver with three catches for 79 yards and one touchdown.
Alex Singleton led the defense with 12 tackles, five being solo and Josey Jewell was the second-leading tackler with nine total, and five were solo.
Denver kept the game close at the beginning of the contest after allowing a score from Las Vegas but returned the favor on an 11-play drive that led to a 24-yard pass completion for a touchdown from Stidham to Jeudy.
Las Vegas was halted to a field goal from Denver's defense after the score on offense, but after three offensive possessions, the Raiders worked up a 12-play drive for a short pass completion score to take a 17-7 lead into halftime.
In the second half, each team made defensive stands, including a turnover on downs situation from the Broncos that allowed the Raiders to score on a 33-yard pass completion.
The Broncos responded to the Raiders' score by marching back downfield into the red zone after a deep pass 43-yard pass completion from Stidham to Jeudy as he was marked at the 3-yard line.
After Stidham's fumble was recovered on 3rd and goal, Williams scored on a direct snap play to make it 24-14 with 10:09 left in the game.
Right after Denver's score, the Raiders stretched their lead after a successful field goal to put the game out of reach.
Head coach Sean Payton addressed the media following the last game of the season, touching on the running game and defense against the Raiders.
"I thought we got beat up front, was disappointed about how we played up front," said Payton. "I expected us to run the ball better today."
He also touched on the current state of the team and closing out the season by saying, "you are what your record is, in our league... it's just the truth," said Payton. "You're disappointed. Not discouraged, but disappointed because you do have an expectation."
