December 7, 2025 | Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV | Attendance: 62,442 | CBS
The Denver Broncos spent nine consecutive weeks winning games they had no business winning. Sunday in Las Vegas was a different kind of win entirely. Denver took the opening drive 81 yards, scored first, and held that lead from start to finish — something they had not done once all season. A 24-17 final score flatters Las Vegas considerably. The Broncos outgained the Raiders 356-229, held possession for nearly 40 minutes, and pushed their winning streak to 10 games.
For the Raiders, the afternoon turned worse in the third quarter when Geno Smith left the field with a hand laceration and a shoulder that, in coach Pete Carroll’s words, “really locked up.” Las Vegas dropped to 2-11 on the season, their seventh straight loss, and their 11th consecutive divisional defeat — the longest active skid in the NFL.
Sean Payton summed up the mood on the Denver sideline: “It did not feel like some of these other games recently. My headset was off earlier.”
Table of Contents
Quarter-by-Quarter Score
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 7 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 24 |
| Las Vegas Raiders | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 17 |
Scoring Summary
| # | Qtr | Time | Score | Play | Drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Q1 | 6:06 | DEN 7 – LV 0 | Bo Nix 8-yd rush (Lutz kick) | 14 plays, 81 yds, 8:54 |
| 2 | Q1 | 0:00 | DEN 7 – LV 7 | Brock Bowers 15-yd pass from Geno Smith (Carlson kick) | 10 plays, 70 yds, 6:06 |
| 3 | Q2 | 6:29 | DEN 14 – LV 7 | Marvin Mims Jr. 48-yd punt return (Lutz kick) | — |
| 4 | Q3 | 4:05 | DEN 21 – LV 7 | RJ Harvey 3-yd rush (Lutz kick) | 14 plays, 91 yds, 9:13 |
| 5 | Q4 | 3:56 | DEN 24 – LV 7 | Wil Lutz 23-yd FG | 19 plays, 90 yds, 10:17 |
| 6 | Q4 | 2:17 | DEN 24 – LV 14 | Shedrick Jackson 25-yd pass from Kenny Pickett (Carlson kick) | 6 plays, 65 yds, 1:39 |
| 7 | Q4 | 0:00 | DEN 24 – LV 17 | Daniel Carlson 46-yd FG | 6 plays, 44 yds, 0:58 |
How the Game Unfolded
Denver set the tone immediately. The Broncos marched 81 yards on 14 plays, burning 8:54 off the clock on the opening drive alone. Nix finished it himself with an 8-yard keeper. Las Vegas matched with a 10-play answer, Smith threading a 15-yard touchdown pass to Brock Bowers to level it at 7-7 before the quarter ended.
The second quarter pivoted on a single play. Marvin Mims Jr. caught a punt inside his own half and took it 48 yards to the house, returning the lead to Denver. Las Vegas would not score again until the fourth quarter was already slipping away.
Harvey’s 3-yard plunge in the third, capping a 14-play, 91-yard drive that ran over nine minutes, pushed it to 21-7. The Raiders were getting dominated at the line of scrimmage and losing the possession battle badly.
Smith absorbed a hit late in the third and did not return. Pickett stepped in and gave Las Vegas a brief pulse, hitting Shedrick Jackson for 25 yards to make it 24-14 with just over two minutes left. Carlson’s 46-yard field goal on the game’s final play got the Raiders to 24-17 — but only because safety Brandon Jones drew a delay-of-game penalty for not allowing Tyler Lockett to get up after a 26-yard gain with five seconds remaining.
Payton was direct about it afterward: “We’re going to run the clock out. That wasn’t real smart.”
Players Who Shaped the Game
Nik Bonitto, DEN — Pass Rusher Two sacks, bringing his season total to 12.5. He is the first Denver player with double-digit sacks in back-to-back seasons since Von Miller ran that five-year stretch from 2014 to 2018.
RJ Harvey, DEN — Running Back 17 carries, 75 yards, one touchdown on the ground. Six receptions for 25 more yards. Harvey has been the quiet force behind Denver’s ball-control offense all season, now with five rushing touchdowns.
Marvin Mims Jr., DEN — Special Teams The 48-yard punt return defined the second quarter and handed Denver a halftime lead they never gave back.
Maxx Crosby, LV — Defensive End One sack and two tackles for loss pushed Crosby to 25 TFL on the season, surpassing his own Raiders franchise record of 23 set three years prior. Even with Las Vegas falling apart around him, Crosby keeps delivering.
Kenny Pickett, LV — Quarterback Entered cold in the third quarter and went 8-of-11 for 97 yards and a touchdown. Pickett gave Carroll something to work with heading into the final weeks of a lost season.
Carroll on his backup: “He’s active, he’s quick, he’s really athletic, he’s a good thinker. I’m coaching the hell out of him because I want him to be ready if the opportunity pops.”
Full Box Score
Passing Stats
| Team | Player | C/ATT | YDS | AVG | TD | INT | SACKS | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEN | Bo Nix | 31/38 | 212 | 5.6 | 0 | 0 | 3–8 | 89.9 |
| LV | Geno Smith | 13/21 | 116 | 5.5 | 1 | 0 | 3–19 | 92.6 |
| LV | Kenny Pickett | 8/11 | 97 | 8.8 | 1 | 0 | 1–5 | 129.7 |
Rushing Stats
| Team | Player | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEN | RJ Harvey | 17 | 75 | 4.4 | 1 | 15 |
| DEN | Adam Prentice | 2 | 22 | 11.0 | 0 | 18 |
| DEN | Jaleel McLaughlin | 4 | 22 | 5.5 | 0 | 11 |
| DEN | Tyler Badie | 4 | 16 | 4.0 | 0 | 7 |
| DEN | Bo Nix | 3 | 15 | 5.0 | 1 | 8 |
| DEN | Marvin Mims Jr. | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 0 | 2 |
| LV | Ashton Jeanty | 10 | 30 | 3.0 | 0 | 6 |
| LV | Kenny Pickett | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 0 | 6 |
| LV | Geno Smith | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 0 | 4 |
Receiving Stats
| Team | Player | REC | TGT | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEN | Courtland Sutton | 6 | 10 | 62 | 10.3 | 0 | 14 |
| DEN | RJ Harvey | 6 | 6 | 25 | 4.2 | 0 | 9 |
| DEN | Pat Bryant | 4 | 4 | 32 | 8.0 | 0 | 13 |
| DEN | Lil’Jordan Humphrey | 3 | 3 | 27 | 9.0 | 0 | 15 |
| DEN | Troy Franklin | 3 | 4 | 11 | 3.7 | 0 | 6 |
| DEN | Adam Trautman | 2 | 2 | 17 | 8.5 | 0 | 12 |
| DEN | Adam Prentice | 2 | 2 | 11 | 5.5 | 0 | 6 |
| DEN | Evan Engram | 2 | 2 | 8 | 4.0 | 0 | 6 |
| DEN | Jaleel McLaughlin | 1 | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 0 | 9 |
| DEN | Tyler Badie | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 0 | 5 |
| DEN | Marvin Mims Jr. | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 0 | 5 |
| LV | Jack Bech | 6 | 6 | 50 | 8.3 | 0 | 17 |
| LV | Brock Bowers | 4 | 5 | 46 | 11.5 | 1 | 15 |
| LV | Tyler Lockett | 3 | 4 | 41 | 13.7 | 0 | 26 |
| LV | Shedrick Jackson | 1 | 1 | 25 | 25.0 | 1 | 25 |
| LV | Tre Tucker | 2 | 5 | 24 | 12.0 | 0 | 13 |
| LV | Ian Thomas | 2 | 2 | 17 | 8.5 | 0 | 12 |
| LV | Ashton Jeanty | 2 | 4 | 8 | 4.0 | 0 | 4 |
| LV | Raheem Mostert | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 0 | 2 |
Defensive Stats — Denver Broncos
| Player | POS | TOT | SOLO | SACKS | TFL | PD | QB HTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Singleton | LB | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Talanoa Hufanga | S | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Riley Moss | CB | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dre Greenlaw | LB | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jahdae Barron | CB | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pat Surtain II | CB | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Nik Bonitto | ED | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Jonah Elliss | ED | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonathon Cooper | ED | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Malcolm Roach | DI | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| John Franklin-Myers | DI | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Justin Strnad | LB | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ja’Quan McMillian | CB | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brandon Jones | S | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Defensive Stats — Las Vegas Raiders
| Player | POS | TOT | SOLO | SACKS | TFL | PD | QB HTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devin White | LB | 19 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jeremy Chinn | S | 11 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Eric Stokes | CB | 9 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Darien Porter | CB | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Elandon Roberts | LB | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Isaiah Pola-Mao | S | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonah Laulu | DI | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lonnie Johnson Jr. | S | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Maxx Crosby | ED | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Thomas Booker IV | DI | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Adam Butler | DI | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Charles Snowden | ED | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tonka Hemingway | DI | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Jamal Adams | LB | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Special Teams
| Team | Player | Category | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|
| DEN | Marvin Mims Jr. | Punt Return | 1 ret, 48 yds, 1 TD |
| DEN | Marvin Mims Jr. | Kick Return | 2 ret, 39 yds, 19.5 avg |
| DEN | Wil Lutz | Kicking | 1/1 FG (long: 23 yds), 3/3 XP, 6 pts |
| DEN | Jeremy Crawshaw | Punting | 1 punt, 35 yds, 35.0 avg, 1 in-20 |
| LV | Raheem Mostert | Kick Return | 2 ret, 55 yds, 27.5 avg |
| LV | Dylan Laube | Kick Return | 1 ret, 29 yds |
| LV | Daniel Carlson | Kicking | 1/1 FG (long: 46 yds), 2/2 XP, 5 pts |
| LV | AJ Cole | Punting | 3 punts, 143 yds, 47.7 avg, long 58, 2 in-20 |
Full Team Stats
| Category | Denver | Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | 356 | 229 |
| Passing Yards | 204 | 189 |
| Rushing Yards | 152 | 40 |
| Total Plays | 72 | 48 |
| Yards per Play | 4.9 | 4.8 |
| 1st Downs | 27 | 16 |
| Passing 1st Downs | 14 | 12 |
| Rushing 1st Downs | 11 | 3 |
| Penalty 1st Downs | 2 | 0 |
| 3rd Down Efficiency | 7/12 (58%) | 3/9 (33%) |
| 4th Down Efficiency | 1/3 | 1/3 |
| Red Zone (Scored/Att) | 2/3 | 1/2 |
| Penalties | 8–50 yds | 3–25 yds |
| Turnovers | 0 | 0 |
| Sacks Allowed | 3 (8 yds lost) | 4 (24 yds lost) |
| Time of Possession | 39:03 | 20:57 |
Injury Report
| Team | Player | Position | Injury | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LV | Geno Smith | QB | Hand laceration + shoulder | Left game — Q3 |
| LV | Kyu Blu Kelly | CB | Knee | Left game — Q2 |
| LV | Ian Thomas | TE | Calf | Left game — Q4 |
| LV | Michael Mayer | TE | Ankle | Did not play |
| LV | Dont’e Thornton Jr. | WR | Concussion | Did not play |
| LV | Alex Bachman | WR | Thumb | Did not play |
| DEN | D.J. Jones | DT | Ankle | Did not play |
| DEN | Nate Adkins | TE | Knee | Did not play |
AFC West Picture After Week 14
Denver at 11-2 is tied with New England for the top seed in the AFC, holding the tiebreaker through a 6-0 record against common opponents. The Broncos’ 13-game record is the franchise’s best since 2013, and Kansas City’s nine-year grip on the AFC West is looking shakier by the week.
Las Vegas at 2-11 is in a different place entirely. Eleven consecutive divisional losses. Seven straight defeats overall. With Smith’s health now a question mark heading into the final stretch, the Raiders’ season has effectively been over for weeks.
Bo Nix, for his part, kept the perspective measured: “Ten in a row’s a long streak. You want to be appreciative of the wins no matter how they come. But at the same time, we’re always looking to get better.”
Week 15 matchups:
- Denver Broncos vs. Green Bay Packers (home)
- Las Vegas Raiders at Philadelphia Eagles (away)
Stats and game data sourced from ESPN, Associated Press, and Pro Football Reference. Game played December 7, 2025, at Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada.
