Stud No. 3 – 2nd Half Pass Rush
For as uninspiring as the pass rush in the first half without DeMarcus Ware, it was equally as strong in the second half – ultimately leading to two plays that shifted the momentum in the Broncos’ favor.
On the Raiders’ first possession of the second half, Von Miller got to Derek Carr and quite literally stripped the ball right out of his hands. The ensuing possession for Denver resulted in a go-ahead field goal – a lead the Broncos would not surrender.
The real game-changing play, however, came as a result of more pressure by the defense. On a third-and-five on Denver’s 21 yard line, Wade Phillips brought the house against Derek Carr, forcing him into a pass that Chris Harris Jr. read perfectly, picked off and returned 74 yards for the touchdown that ultimately proved to be the game winner.
Shane Ray had a huge sack, as well, getting to Carr on a third-and-12 just inside Denver territory late in the game. The sack led to an eventual turnover on downs. Denver needed just a couple first downs to ice the game – that didn’t happen – but the sack was a huge play at the time.
When the final whistle blew, the Denver defense had registered four sacks on Carr – nearly matching the total of five that Oakland had allowed in their previous four games.
