The Denver Broncos have officially swept their AFC West division rivals, the Las Vegas Raiders, for the first time since the 2014 season, with a 29-19 victory during their Week 12 matchup at Allegiant Stadium. Denver also defeated the Raiders at home in Week 5.
It was a weird game, especially in the first half, but Denver bounced back in the second half, responding with two touchdowns after being down 9-13 at halftime. Throughout the entire game, Las Vegas' defense generated pressure, leading to pass breakups in the line of scrimmage. A specific detail stands out, especially regarding their defensive star, Maxx Crosby.
Maxx Crosby did not have a sack against the Broncos after 10 straight games with one
Las Vegas star defender Maxx Crosby has been a threat in today's NFL, but against the Denver Broncos, he has been even more dominant. His 10-game streak with a sack against Denver came to an end on Sunday during their Week 12 matchup. During that streak, the star defender recorded 14.5 sacks, which on average is 1.45 sacks per game.
Maxx Crosby’s sack streak against the Broncos was snapped at 10 games today. He had 14.5 sacks during that run. Crosby had 3 tackles for losses — he was still a force — but no sacks. #9sports
— MikeKlis9NEWS (@mikeklis9news) November 25, 2024
While his sack streak against Denver is over, Crosby's impact on the Raiders' defense remains undeniable. He constantly generated pressure on Sunday with 3 tackles for loss. The Broncos offensive line has performed well throughout the season and only allowed one sack to this 2-9 Las Vegas team in Week 12. Not only was Crosby's sack streak ended, but Denver also got their second-consecutive win against an AFC West division rival that was tough to beat in the past few years, the first one ever at Allegiant Stadium.
Additionally, a Denver defender extended a streak he had. Specifically third-year edge rusher Nik Bonitto. He had a sack for the third consecutive game and became the first Bronco since Von Miller and Bradley Chubb in 2018 to have double-digit sacks. Bonitto got to the double-digit mark with five games left in the regular season, and had at least one sack in nine of the last ten games (he did not have one at Ravens).
With the Week 12 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on the road, the Broncos kept hold of their seventh seed. Specifically, they have a 7-5 win-loss record with two more wins than the Miami Dolphins (5-6), and Indianapolis Colts (5-7), the current eighth and ninth seeds. The Cincinnati Bengals, also in the Playoffs hunt, have a 4-7 record.
If the Broncos continue accumulating wins, they are in a clear position to make the Playoffs, leading their path. Meanwhile, Maxx Crosby's Raiders have a 2-9 record, currently on pace to get a top-five pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.