2023 Broncos' Season, Week 18

 


Week 18: Las Vegas Raiders 27, Denver Broncos 14
Season Record: 8-9 (5-4 Home)
Key Play: In the early part of the Fourth Quarter, with the Raiders leading 17-7, Aidan O'Connell found Jakobi Myers for a 33-yard touchdown strike to push the score to 24 to 7, putting the game out of reach.

Recap: It's fitting that the Broncos' season would end as it began, with a loss to the Raiders. The Broncos have now lost eight straight to the Raiders, having not beaten the team since they moved to Las Vegas. That's a period when the team has had four different coaches and often been viewed as a franchise that's a bit of a mess. What does that say about the Broncos? Nothing good. The team made some strides under Sean Payton. But they started poorly, rallied in the middle, and ended poorly, playing themselves out of the playoffs and even a winning season. Russell Wilson will be gone and it's unclear what all this off-season holds for the Broncos. But it's been eight years since the team was relevant and nearly a decade since the offense was worth watching. Both those things need to change, and the sooner the better. Is Payton the man to get it done? After one season, that's unclear. But the season is over, and it's time to look ahead. Let's hope it's a productive off-season where hope always springs eternal.

Game Balls:
* Javonte Williams. It wasn't always a great season, but Williams had a rushing touchdown and caught a team-high seven passes. I still believe in his talent.
* Brandon Johnson and Jerry Jeudy. This might have been one of Jeudy's best games, thought it was just three receptions for 79 yards and a touchdown. Johnson caught four passes for 88 yards, too. Both looked decent.
* Alex Singleton. Another great game for Singleton, with 13 tackles to set a new team record.

Lingering Questions:
* A Return to Relevance. The Broncos haven't been a factor in the AFC in years. Can that change? I hope so.

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