It's virtually impossible for an NFL team to win a game today with only 10 points, but the Denver Broncos managed to do that this year. They have scored fewer than 20 points three times this year and have won all of those games.
It's clear that the defense is special, and the unit is good enough to appear in the Super Bowl this year. What we have to see from this team going forward is the offense to simply figure it out and take a step in the right direction.
And it's not just one thing holding this offense back. However, at the end of the day, an 8-2 record is what it is - no one should apologize for winning in the NFL. I am sure many players and coaches on the team feel like that game should have been a blowout, but perhaps the extended rest is what this club needs to get back on the right track for the final seven games.
The Denver Broncos' offense once again did not play well enough
We have this conversation every week about the Broncos on a more broad scale; the slow starts, miscues, self-inflicted wounds, and overall bad play is going to catch up with them at some point. Despite the seven-game win streak dating back to the end of September, Denver hasn't played all that well on offense in recent weeks.
And on Thursday Night Football in Week 10, Denver had their chance to get back on the right track on that side of the ball - the Las Vegas Raiders brought in one of the worst defenses in the NFL lacking key playmakers outside of Maxx Crosby, but the unit just could not get off the ground.
Whether it was an inaccurate Bo Nix, baffling play-calling, drops (again), or just an overall failure to execute, Denver was not good on TNF. It's a huge concern at this point, but I guess it's not the end of the world, as there were some factors that could have contributed to the slugfest.
The shortened week, Denver's bad primetime record against AFC West opponents, and things just setting up to be a trap game for the Broncos could have all contributed to the mess we saw. Heck, the absence of Marvin Mims Jr has been noticeable as well.
Simply put, the Broncos have to get situated on offense in the coming weeks, or they'll enter the 2025 playoffs at huge risk of going one-and-done.