Ups and downs from the season finale, a sloppy Broncos victory that was nearly gift-wrapped to the Raiders.
Up: Hand of God. In shades of Denver’s last-second win over Pittsburgh last season, when Shelby Harris intercepted a pass by at the goal line, the Broncos defensive lineman saved Denver from an embarrassing last-second defeat by batting down Raiders QB Derek Carr’s pass on a two-point conversion with seven seconds to go.
Down: Late invasion. A big thumbs down to the degenerate who stormed the field during a replay review with 36 seconds to go. Outside of being incredibly stupid — that man will likely never enter Empower Field again — it also resulted in a security guard getting carted off the field with an injury.
Up: Atta-boy Attaochu. The Raiders were threatening to make it a one-score game with just under 10 minutes left when Broncos LB Jeremy Attaochu flew in off the edge and dropped QB Derek Carr for a six-yard loss.
Down: Stunning reversal. Broncos tight end Noah Fant was one yard from a first down when he opted against driving his 6-foot-4, 249-pound frame through two Raiders, and instead ran backwards in a failed attempt to reverse field. The resulting 4-yard setback preceded a failed third-down conversion.
Up: Hands Hamilton. The 2019 season began with as the Week 1 goat after he dropped a sure-fire TD pass in Oakland’s end zone. It ended with the second-year wide receiver hauling in five balls for 65 yards with nary a drop. Call that progress.
Down: Hands team. Josh Watson had a golden opportunity to recover a muffed punt early in the third quarter on coverage, but the Broncos rookie saw the ball slip through his hands and carom out of bounds. A missed opportunity for the former CSU Ram looking to make a lasting impression.
Up: Mutton busting. A proposal: The annual mutton busting halftime show should be extended to all halftimes in perpetuity. Aside from watching little tykes get tossed — the longest ride was 15 yards — there’s no better entertainment than seeing a pair of shepherds go sideline to sideline while herding wayward sheep.
Down: Chest pound. On the other end of the spectrum, this might be the strangest pregame tradition in apountry — inspired by a scene involving Matthew McConaughey’s star turn in “Wolf of Wall Street.” Why is this still a thing? Does anyone realize that character was a depraved drug addict?
Up: Magnum P.I. ‘s reputation as a pass interference master was further cemented in the first half. The Broncos wideout drew not one, but two flags against Raiders defensive backs, the last of which set up Drew Lock‘s 1-yard TD pass to Andrew Beck on the goal line.
Down: Flag problems. While the flags worked out for Sutton, the 19 penalties assessed in Sunday’s home finale produced a muddled, disjointed pace that inspired more than a few yawns among the fans. Aren’t those things supposed to go away at this point in the season?
Up: Iron Mike. Credit Highlands Ranch product Mke Purcell for Oakland’s inability to run the ball in the first half. The Broncos defensive tackle blew up a pair of runs and was critical in providing a surge up front on Denver’s fourth-down stuff of Alec Ingold at the goal line.
Down: Bold strategy, Chucky. Raiders coach Jon Gruden opted to decline a first-down holding flag following a Broncos run for no gain on their first offensive play of the second quarter. One snap later, Lock found Courtland Sutton for a 19-yard gain, and a field goal soon followed.
