3 winners (and 2 losers) for Denver Broncos in Week 12 win over Raiders
The Denver Broncos have won their second game in a row and beat the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 12. Let's get into winners and losers. In a game that felt like a trap game, the Denver Broncos were able to get out of Las Vegas with a huge divisional win, and swept the Raiders for the first time since the 2014 NFL Season, when rookie QB Bo Nix was a teenager.
Denver now moves to 7-5 on the season and are beginning to separate themselves in the AFC playoff picture. While a win is a win, there are still both winners and losers emerging from this game. Let's look at three big winners and two losers for the Broncos in Week 12.
3 winners (and 2 losers) for Denver Broncos in Week 12 win over Raiders
Winner: Courtland Sutton
Eight receptions for 97 yards and two touchdowns is what Bo Nix and Courtland Sutton were able to do in Week 12. For now the fifth game in a row, Sutton has had at least six receptions for 70 yards. He's now got 744 yards on the season with five games still left to play, so he is very likely hitting the 1,000-yard mark for the second time in his NFL career.
Sutton was nails for Nix and the Broncos in the second half and had several massive, massive catches outside his two touchdown receptions. Nix and Sutton's chemistry is growing by the week.
Winner: Devaughn Vele
Six receptions for 80 yards in Week 12, Broncos rookie WR Devaughn Vele looks anything but a rookie, and he was all over the place for the team in the first half. Vele actually turns 27 years old in December, so this is one of the oldest rookie players the NFL will see. All of that experience is clearly paying off in the NFL.
Vele does just about everything at a good level and is turning into a very good weapon for Bo Nix. Vele has caught 78% of his targets, so when Bo Nix throws the ball his way, good things usually happen. If the opposition is able to take Courtland Sutton away, Devaughn Vele can emerge. He was a huge winner in Week 12.
Loser: Javonte Williams
Javonte Williams rushed for -2 yards on eight attempts. Yes, you read that right. Williams is just turning into a totally irrelevant player for the Broncos offense, and I am not sure what was going on with him in Week 12. It feels like he is always running into guys when he does not need to, and it has become increasingly likely that Denver does not bring him back in 2025.
Williams was horrific in Week 12. I mean, my gosh. Negative yards? That is inexcusable for one of the iffier run defenses in the NFL.
Loser: Mike McGlinchey
Mike McGlinchey had a rough first half with multiple holding penalties and a false start. It was not one of his good games, and if nothing else, McGlinchey has always been an accountable player, and this is who he is. Overall, he is an above-average right tackle, but he does have this lulls where he looks unplayable.
Let's not hammer him too much, though, as he has largely been very good for the Denver Broncos this season. This was just a bad game from the veteran tackle. He wasn't making life that easy for Bo Nix in Week 12, but the OL was able to prevent Maxx Crosby from notching a sack against Bo Nix.
Winner: Bo Nix
The most obvious winner from Week 12, Bo Nix is cooking with gas and is clearly the favorite to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Nix has played extremely well not only for a rookie QB, but in general. He's been one of the most efficient passers in the NFL since Week 3 and is getting better and better.
Nix helped lead two touchdown drives in Week 12, and Denver put up 29 points overall. It was not a pretty game by any means, but Bo Nix did what he needed to do in this tough divisional game. He threw for nearly 300 yards and had another two touchdown passes, so he's got eight TD passes over his last three games. And he's got zero interceptions during that stretch.
The Denver Broncos have gone 7-3 over their last 10 games and are still in a prime playoff spot.