Offense — B
Twenty second-half points helped them raise their grade, which was an ‘F’ in the first half. … The Broncos gained 385 yards, were 8 of 18 on third down and scored on all four of their second-half possessions. … Quarterback had a bad first-half interception, but rebounded to throw for 222 yards and rush for 16 yards, including a touchdown. … Should the Broncos make the starting running back? All he did was gain 107 yards on 14 carries, including a 53-yard dash. … Three receivers caught at least four passes. … Fill-in right tackle held his own after replacing Jared Veldheer (concussion).
Defense — B
One sack and no takeaways, but most of the other statistics were solid for the Broncos. … Oakland averaged only 3.4 yards per carry. … The Raiders exposed the Broncos’ coverage issues by targeting receivers not covered by . … The Raiders went 3 of 10 on third down. … Nose tackle was a dominant force against the run (five tackles). … Two penalties proved costly — linebacker ’ holding penalty negated a turnover and cornerback Adam Jones’ holding came on third-and-2.
Special teams — A
’s blocked point-after attempt proved vital because it meant a win in regulation for the Broncos instead of a field goal to force overtime. … hit field goals of 39 yards and, with six seconds remaining, 36 yards. … McManus was 5 for 5 on kickoff touchbacks. … Punter Marquette King averaged a solid 44.3 yards net.
Coaching — B
The Broncos’ coaching staff rebounded from a poor first half. … Offensive coordinator started taking more shots downfield that loosened up the Raiders’ defense for running plays. The offensive staff also trusted receiver in the final minute and he produced a 26-yard catch. … Coach Vance Joseph went 1 of 2 on challenges and managed his timeouts well down the stretch. … Defensive coordinator called a third-down pressure that forced to throw quickly and short of the first-down marker.
Game Balls
Phillip Lindsay: Officially a rookie sensation, Lindsay carried 14 times for 107 yards, including a 53-yard gain that represented the lone first-half offensive highlight.
Domata Peko: The big man in the middle had five tackles and was a big reason why Oakland averaged only 3.4 yards per carry and didn’t have a rush of longer than 11 yards.
Tim Patrick: He jumped too soon to collect a Case Keenum pass last week against Seattle, but he had his bearings in the final minute when he turned a catch into a 26-yard gain to set up Brandon McManus’ winning field goal on Sunday.
Journalism doesn’t grow on trees. Please support The Denver Post.
.
