Nothing about Sunday’s game was easy for the Denver Broncos, but a fourth quarter rally and 36-yard, game-winning field goal from Brandon McManus allowed Denver to defeat the rival Oakland Raiders, 20-19.
Trailing 12-0 at halftime, the Broncos were able to outscore the Raiders 20-7 in the second half and 10-0 in the fourth quarter.
The first of two crucial second half drives led by quarterback Case Keenum totaled just over seven minutes in length (7:08) and after 14 plays, ended with Keenum lunging into the end zone on 4th and goal from the 1-yard line. The rushing touchdown cut Oakland’s lead to two (19-17) and brought the Broncos within a single score with 5:58 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Following an eight-play drive from the Raiders that ran four minutes off the clock, the Broncos were able to get the ball back at Denver’s 20-yard line with 1:58 to go. Keenum proceeded to complete 4-of-9 pass attempts and drove all the way to Oakland’s 18-yard line to get the offense in field goal range.
The most important play on the drive came with 18 seconds left in the game. With the ball at the Oakland’s 44-yard line, Keenum connected with second-year wide receiver Tim Patrick for 26 yards. Patrick made two defenders miss on the play and was able to get out of bounds with 10 seconds on the clock.
With the game on the line, McManus came through for the home team and delivered on the game-winning, 36-yard field goal attempt.
Despite coming away with the victory on Sunday, Denver’s secondary was absolutely torched by Raiders QB Derek Carr. Carr finished 29-of-32 for 288 yards and one touchdown in a losing effort.
Carr was able to spread the football around to nine different pass catchers, and most importantly, Carr was able to consistently get the ball to his number one wide receiver, Amari Cooper (10 catches, 116 yards).
It was a defensive struggle as a whole Sunday but Shaq Barrett made the play of the game in the second quarter. The former Colorado State linebacker blocked an extra point, which proved to be crucial in the end.
On the other sideline, Keenum finished 19-of-35 for 222 yards and one interception. The veteran quarterback did not throw any touchdowns in the game, but he did a much better job of protecting the football this week and did not kill any chance of a comeback by giving up possessions.
On the ground, rookie running back Phillip Lindsay continued to play a large role in the offense. Lindsay led the Broncos with 14 carries and 106 rushing yards.
It will be intriguing to see how head coach Vance Joseph continues to use Lindsay this season, as the undrafted free agent has clearly won over the hearts of Broncos Country. More importantly, his explosiveness in the open field makes him a legitimate weapon in both phases of the offense. In Sunday’s victory, Lindsay exploded for a 53-yard run in the first quarter, showing he is equally as dangerous between the tackles as he is in the screen game.
The Broncos will travel to Baltimore (1-1) next Sunday for the first road game of 2018. The Ravens are coming off a Thursday night loss to the Bengals, so Baltimore will have plenty of time to scheme for the visiting Broncos.
