Yoopya with Associated Press
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — A year after ending an ignominious losing streak against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Denver Broncos are out to extinguish another embarrassing skid Sunday when they host the Las Vegas Raiders.
Kansas City has owned the AFC West for eight years while the Raiders and Broncos have spent that time taking turns as the dregs of the division.
Yet, the Broncos (2-2) have lost eight straight times to the Raiders (2-2), a string of defeats that’s as perplexing as any one-sided series in the NFL given how evenly matched the teams have been the last several seasons.
Take away games against each other and the Raiders are 24-35 since 2020 and the Broncos are 25-33.
It’s one thing to lose to the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes 16 times in a row as Denver did before an emphatic 24-9 win over Kansas City last season.
It’s quite another to get schooled year in and year out by the likes of Aiden O’Connell, Jimmy Garoppolo and Derek Carr, who won his last six starts against the Broncos after starting out 5-6 against them.
The Broncos’ last win in storied AFC West rivalry came on Dec. 29, 2019, when Shelby Harris’ knockdown of Carr’s 2-point pass to an open Hunter Renfrow with 7 seconds left preserved Denver’s 16-15 victory on the final weekend of the regular season.
That put an emphatic end to the Raiders’ dim playoff hopes and ended Oakland’s run as an NFL city. The Raiders moved to Las Vegas the following year and have won all four home games against the Broncos since then and by an average score of 28-16 and all four games in Denver by an average of 26-19.
The Raiders are dealing with both injury (Maxx Crosby missed his first career game Sunday) and intrigue (Will Davante Adams get traded?).
The Raiders swear Adams’ situation won’t matter come kickoff and besides, high drama always seems to galvanize them when it comes to playing the Broncos.
Left tackle Garett Bolles, the longest-tenured Bronco, said Wednesday the losing streak to the Raiders isn’t something he’s even thinking about.
“We have a game Sunday at 2:05 on Fox at Mile High Stadium,” Bolles said. “That’s just our job. That’s what I have to focus on. I don’t really focus on the buzz … you don’t focus on what’s happened in the past or this or that. You just stay the course and get ready for four quarters. It’s going to be a battle. It always is with them.”
And for the last eight meetings, the Raiders have come out victorious.
Loss No. 8: 27-14 in Las Vegas on Jan. 7, 2024:
Jarrett Stidham made his second straight start in place of the benched Russell Wilson and got knocked down 16 times with five sacks. Stidham finished 1-1 and returned to backup duty this summer behind rookie Bo Nix.
Loss No. 7: 17-16 in Denver
on Sept. 10, 2023:
Garoppolo threw two touchdown passes to fellow newcomer Jakobi Meyers in their Las Vegas debut and the Raiders spoiled Sean Payton’s first game as Denver’s coach. Payton began his Denver tenure with a failed onside kick.
Loss No. 6: 22-16 (OT) in Denver on Nov. 20, 2022:
Carr hit Adams with a 35-yard TD pass on the third play of OT. The Raiders tied it on Daniel Carlson’s short field goal thanks to a crucial blunder by Wilson, whose throwaway pass instead of a slide on third down left the Raiders plenty of time.
Loss No. 5: 32-23 in Las Vegas on Oct. 2, 2022:
Josh Jacobs ran for a career-best 144 yards and two touchdowns and was the star in an emphatic sealing drive that gave Josh McDaniels his first win as a head coach since being fired by Denver in 2010.
Loss No. 4: 17-13 in Las Vegas
on Dec. 26, 2021:
Las Vegas won despite three turnovers when Jacobs rushed for 129 yards and the Raiders’ defense dominated. It was 9 for 10 in stopping Denver on third down and limited the Broncos to a mere 18 yards on the ground.
Loss No. 3: 34-24 in Denver
on Oct. 17, 2021:
Jon Gruden’s red-faced resignation didn’t unravel the Raiders as Carr threw for 341 yards and two TDs and Crosby making three sacks, giving longtime special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia a win in his debut as interim head coach.
Loss No. 2: 32-31 in Denver
on Jan. 3, 2021:
Gruden got his first win in Denver in eight tries when Darren Waller hauled in Carr’s 2-point conversion pass in the final minute and Crosby blocked Brandon McManus’ 63-yard field goal try in the closing seconds.
Loss No. 1: 37-12 in Las Vegas on Nov. 15, 2020:
Jacobs ran for 112 yards and two TDs and Jeff Heath intercepted two of Drew Lock’s passes. The Raiders came into the game last in the league with five takeaways and doubled that total in one afternoon.
Author:
ARNIE MELENDREZ STAPLETON | Arnie is an NFL writer based in Denver