4 Key stats in Denver Broncos win over Las Vegas Raiders in Week 5
By Jordan Lopez
The Denver Broncos earned a massive win over their divisional rival, the Las Vegas Raiders, 34-18. The streak is officially over as the Broncos beat the Raiders for the first time since 2019.
It was also the first time Denver has beaten the Raiders by more than one point since 2017, which equates to the last 13 matchups between these divisional rivals. Despite that fun fact and interesting stat, many more key statistics told the story of the Broncos winning and getting their first victory at home in the Mile High this year.
Here are four key statistics from the Denver Broncos win over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 5:
Javonte Williams turning back the clock and becoming the RB we all know and love?
Javonte Williams is looking a lot more like himself as of late and it showed in the win against the Raiders in Week 5.
Ever since the major injury occurred a couple years back, Williams has been struggling. After back-to-back performances, it looks like he is finding his groove and returning to the running back Broncos Country all knows and loves.
Williams forced 13 missed tackles in Weeks 1-4 combined. In this Week 5 game against the Raiders, he forced nine missed tackles, nearly as much as his total in just one game.
"The Raiders defense struggled getting the Broncos ball carriers to the ground, missing 16 tackles for 63 yards lost, while converting the first tackle opportunity only 41.5% of the time."
- NFL Pro
Not including the Monday Night Football game, Williams ranked third in Rush EPA (+4.3) and had the best rushing success rate among running backs at 61.5% in Week 5.
Bo Nix and the offense finally utilizing Play-Action
It is known that the best offenses throughout the years have always utilized play action at a high rate to keep the defense honest and more. Sean Payton dialed up more play-action calls for Bo Nix against the Raiders and had tremendous success with it.
He was tied for the best passer rating in Week 5 (with Caleb Williams), utilizing play action and completing 83% of his passes for 88 yards and a touchdown.
Play action helps Nix in several ways, but it is at its best when paired with an effective run game. It can alleviate the pressure on the quarterback and help the receivers get more open with the linebackers coming down on the fake.
Denver's wide receivers need all the help they need to get open and create separation and utilizing play action can be a huge help for them and the offense moving the ball.
The Denver Broncos had one of the best offenses in Week 5 when Under Center
Bo Nix being Under Center more will be something to monitor going forward, as this offense is at its best when doing so.
Just like play-action, offenses that are under center more times than not are some of the best offenses in the league. It creates so many opportunities for the offense to do things and keep the defense guessing.
Not only did they have two total touchdowns when doing so, but they ranked in the top seven in most metrics regarding how efficient and effective the Broncos offense was in Week 5. It's refreshing to see Sean Payton adapt a bit and adjust the offense to what the offense does best and help his rookie quarterback be successful.
Riley Moss has solidified himself as a trustworthy CB in the NFL with his best game yet in his young career
Riley Moss has been a tremendous asset to this Denver defense and has solidified his CB2 spot across from Pat Surtain II with his performances this season. Moss recorded his first career INT in his young career against the Raiders and it was impressive to say the least.
As stated above, Moss and his stats against Las Vegas was incredible but he has been having a great season as well.
Having the best cornerback in the league on your defense will naturally gain more attention to the opposite corner and get more action every week. Moss has been handling those duties and actions awesome.
Through five games, Moss has seen 34 targets and allowed 19 receptions for 191 yards. He's allowed only one touchdown (incredible catch by Chris Godwin) and just recorded his first interception. Moss has a 69.6 passer rating allowed when targeted and a coverage EPA of -6.2.
What's even more impressive is Moss leading the team in least amount of separation allowed at 2.0 yards. Surtain is at 2.3 yards (which is still unbelievably good).