LAS VEGAS — Here’s a look at whose stock improved or declined after the Broncos’ 29-19 win over the Raiders on Sunday.
Stock Up
WR Devaughn Vele: The 26-year-old rookie had his best performance of the season. Vele had six catches for 80 yards while averaging 13.3 yards per catch. The seventh-round pick has played solid football over the last three weeks. He’s had 18 catches for 185 yards and a touchdown during that span. This season, Vele is second on the team in receiving yards (361) and has a passer rating of 111.5 when targeted, according to NFL’s Next Gen Stats.
CB Pat Surtain II: Denver’s star cornerback took on the challenge of defending Raiders rookie tight end Brock Bowers and handled it well. Surtain lined up against Bowers six times, allowing one catch for 9 yards on four targets. Bowers had a strong performance last week in a loss to the Dolphins, recording 13 catches for 126 yards and a touchdown. When Denver played Las Vegas at home in Week 5, Bowers had 97 yards on eight receptions. At Allegiant Stadium, Denver’s defense kept Bowers in check, limiting him to just 38 yards on four catches. Surtain played a key role in containing Las Vegas’ best offensive player.
Cornerback Pat Surtain II (2) of the Denver Broncos breaks up a pass intended for wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (16) of the Las Vegas Raiders during the second quarter at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
WR Marvin Mims Jr.: Denver’s second-year wide receiver is beginning to be more involved on offense. Mims has totaled five catches for 93 yards and a touchdown during the team’s two-game win streak. He had 44 yards on three receptions Sunday, including a 37-yard catch in the fourth, which helped set up quarterback Bo Nix’s 2-yard touchdown pass to wideout Courtland Sutton.
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DT Malcolm Roach: With Zach Allen sidelined due to a heel injury, the Broncos inserted Roach into the starting lineup, and he was effective. Roach had a sack and three pressures in the victory. Roach highlighted a strong day from Denver’s defensive line. Defensive end John Franklin-Myers had six pressures and defensive tackle D.J. Jones added four.
Stock Down
Special teams: Outside of kicker Wil Lutz going 5 for 5 on field goal attempts, Denver’s special teams had a shaky performance in Week 12. The Broncos gave up a 59-yard kick return to Raiders running back Dylan Laube. In the second quarter, Las Vegas perfectly executed a fake punt, allowing punter AJ Cole to throw a 34-yard pass to linebacker Divine Deablo.
RB Javonte Williams: The starting running back’s roller-coaster season continued. After Williams recorded 59 rushing yards and a touchdown in Week 11, he had eight carries for -2 yards against the Raiders. The Broncos had 63 yards on the ground — the fewest in a game this season. Running back Jaleel McLaughlin stood out among the three running backs, recording seven carries for 44 yards. But collectively, it wasn’t a good performance from Denver’s rushing attack. The Broncos have been held under 100 rushing yards in two of the last three games.
Run blocking: Denver’s run blocking deserves a fair amount of blame. The Raiders, who entered the game allowing 125.1 rushing yards per contest, recorded eight run stuffs — tackles that resulted in no gain or a loss of yards, according to Next Gen Stats. Part of the issue was Denver struggling to hold off defenders up front and create gaps for the running backs to take advantage of.
Penalties: The Broncos committed six penalties on Sunday. Four of their penalties came from the offensive line, including right tackle Mike McGlinchey, who had three. Meanwhile, outside linebacker Nik Bonitto jumped offsides and cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian was flagged for defensive pass interference in the fourth.
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