The Denver Broncos should have blown the Raiders out, period. However, when you consider all the factors at play, it does make sense that it was a close game. The short week, it being a divisional opponent, the Raiders always playing Denver tough, and the Broncos being without both Patrick Surtain and Marvin Mims Jr all played a part here.
It was by no means a perfect game, and the blame goes all the way around, as the defense even had some regrettable moments in this one. But at the end of the day, the Broncos continue to do what good and great teams in this league do - find ways to win.
You simply cannot argue with the results. For a few days, at least, the Denver Broncos stand alone atop the NFL with a stellar 8-2 record. They are winners of seven games in a row and are just turning into a tough team to beat each week. Well, after the game, Sean Payton just dropped a bombshell and told us what we all needed to hear.
Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos will never apologize for winning
While Sean Payton takes much of the blame for how the Denver Broncos played in this one, he's also 100% right in saying that he just said:
Sean Payton was asked about his 8-2 record: "That's exactly right. No but"
— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) November 7, 2025
"We're never satisfied. If my answer were to you I'm satisfied, that would be silly"
Added they need to clean up penalties.
"That's exactly right. No but."
And those words could not be more true at the moment. It is easy for us, as fans, to take issues with how the team is playing in a given week. It's easy for us to sit on our couches and complain that a player 'sucks' or is having a bad game.
But the NFL is filled with so much parity from top to bottom, as we have seen a ton of upsets this year, and the Denver Broncos have begun to separate themselves from most in the AFC. No NFL team is ever going to apologize for winning, and there is no 'but' in any circumstance.
A win is a win, so while it might not feel great, and I can say that I definitely did not feel great watching that game, it still looks the same as the previous seven wins. The Broncos now move to 8-2 on the season and will have 10 days off before their Week 11 showdown against the Kansas City Chiefs, a game that could carry some league-altering ramifications.
Kansas City is coming off of their bye for that matchup.