Vance Joseph’s plan from the start was to pull Pat Surtain II’s weight with multiple Broncos. Easier said than done.
But Denver pulled it off last Sunday in Houston as cornerbacks won their man-to-man matchups effectively enough without the reigning defensive player of the year in uniform, and safeties Talanoa Hufanga and Brandon Jones cut off threats over the top.
The real Broncos smorgasbord, though, came Thursday night against the Raiders’ best offensive weapon.
Broncos 7, Raiders 7: Denver, Vegas each punt on opening drives of second half on TNF
Denver’s answer for tight end Brock Bowers, as Surtain missed a second straight game with a pectoral strain, was not cornerback Riley Moss. Nor nickel Ja’Quan McMillian. Nor rookie Jahdae Barron. It was all of the above, as defensive coordinator Joseph threw a rotation to try to contain Bowers after the Raiders tight end broke out for 12 catches and three touchdowns against the Jaguars last Sunday.
“The toughest job with him is getting him tackled,” Joseph said of Bowers. “You can kind of cover him with a safety or a defensive back body, but can you get him on the ground after he catches the ball?”
Barron tagged over onto Bowers on a third down on the Raiders’ first drive. McMillian took a couple of turns on him in the slot in the first quarter. Moss zipped over to shadow him on another alignment on the Raiders’ second drive. But Las Vegas took advantage of Joseph’s heavy emphasis on nickel formations early on, as running back Ashton Jeanty started to gash Denver on the ground with fewer defenders in the box. Jeanty had 30 yards and a Las Vegas touchdown in the first quarter, as the Broncos got punched in the mouth early on Thursday Night Football.
Bowers, too, wrangled his way away from Barron on a 31-yard grab in the second quarter. Overall, though, Joseph’s fleet bounced back enough to stifle the tight end for the rest of the half, as Bowers finished with just one catch on three targets.
Practice squad vet signs to active roster: With Denver holding an open spot on their 53-man roster and in need of continued punt-return help in Marvin Mims Jr.’s absence, the Broncos signed receiver Michael Bandy to their active roster Tuesday.
Bandy filled a key role last week in his first gameday activation since being signed by the Broncos in 2023, catching one 16-yard pass and returning four punts against the Texans. He had a near-costly muff of a punt in the second quarter, leading to a Houston field goal.
Bandy took an active-roster spot vacated by specialist J.T. Gray, who the Broncos cut with an injury designation earlier this week. Denver now has an open spot on its practice squad.
Actives/inactives: Denver elevated practice-squad tight end Marcedes Lewis for the second straight game, after Lewis played six snaps as a blocker last week in the Broncos’ win over Houston. The Broncos also activated cornerback Reese Taylor for the first time this season to add cornerback depth in Surtain’s continued absence.
Safety P.J. Locke was also active Thursday night after being listed as questionable with a neck injury.
Sean Payton dons throwback gear: In Week 8, head coach Payton curiously opted to dress out of turn with the Broncos’ throwback-jersey debut against the Cowboys. His reasoning? The provided navy-blue sweats didn’t match the Broncos’ shade of throwback baby blue.
“Make no mistake about it,” Payton said then. “I’m probably the biggest fan of the throwback sweats, colors.”
He proved it on Thursday night against the Raiders, donning grey sweats along with Denver’s blue-throwback hoodie — and a ridiculously bright-orange cap to match a ridiculously bright-orange pair of Jordans.
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