Good, Bad, and Ugly from Raiders vs Broncos, Week One

The NFL season is here, and the Las Vegas Raiders started things off with a 17-16 victory over the Denver Broncos. This is a massive victory for Las Vegas after the 6-11 record last season and missing the postseason. In fact, the Raiders now sit atop the AFC West as the only team with a win! Here is the good, bad, and ugly from all the action against the Broncos.

The Good: The Las Vegas Raiders only allowed three points in the second half


[caption id="attachment_37931" align="alignnone" width="819"]Las Vegas Raiders, Source Facebook[/caption]

The Las Vegas Raiders battled the Denver Broncos in week one and actually came away with the victory. The biggest contributing factor in this had to be the defense, which only allowed three points in the second half. They also came away with two sacks and forced two punts.

Nate Hobbs led the way with eight tackles and four assisted tackles, while Jakorian Bennett racked up eight. Now, the Broncos might not be the best team in the league or even the AFC West, but this is a good first test for the defense. 

The Bad: Joshua Jacobs underwhelms against the Denver Broncos


[caption id="attachment_37642" align="alignnone" width="1024"]Las Vegas Raiders Source. YouTube[/caption]

While many things went right for the Las Vegas Raiders in week one of the season, Joshua Jacobs' performance isn’t one of them. The defending NFL leading rusher only took 19 carries for 48 yards and 2.5 yards a carry on Sunday. He also contributed in the air with two catches for 23 yards, but that didn’t make much of an impact.

Jacobs fought tooth and nail for a better contract with the Raiders during the offseason and was eventually rewarded with a $12 million, one-year deal. Despite this added incentive to perform, Jacobs didn’t follow through on his part of the bargain in week one, making him a huge question mark moving forward.

Related: 5 Las Vegas Raiders with the most to prove in 2023

The Ugly: Jakobi Meyers' injury and lack of targets for Jimmy Garoppolo


[caption id="attachment_37932" align="alignnone" width="1024"]Las Vegas Raiders Source. YouTube[/caption]

Jakobi Meyers put on a clinic on Sunday against the Broncos after catching eight throws for 81 yards and two touchdowns. He was also arguably the most significant producer on the offense, and that’s why his concussion injury is very concerning. What’s more concerning is the lack of chemistry Jimmy Garoppolo has with other receivers.

Meyers could be out for a bit while he recovers, and that’s going to put a focus on the rest of the WR depth chart. Davantae Adams seems like the best fit after bringing down six receptions for 66 yards and 11 yards a carry, but he can’t do it alone. Guys like Michael Mayer, Hunter Renfrow, and others will need to step up.

Final thoughts on week one victory 


[caption id="attachment_37933" align="alignnone" width="819"]Las Vegas, Source. Facebook[/caption]

The Las Vegas Raiders are 1-0 after surviving their first obstacle to reaching the playoffs. They now sit atop the AFC West and are the only team in that division with a victory. This is a best-case scenario after what the Raiders have been through during the offseason, and fans should be overjoyed.

There seem to be a few problems, however, that will need to be corrected moving forward. The first is Jimmy Garoppolo needs to spread the ball around more. The fact that Hunter Renfrow and Michael Mayer didn’t factor into the game was a big waste. 

Another problem is Joshua Jacobs's inability to get the run game going for Las Vegas. Not only does this put the workload on Garoppolo, but it also might be the end of Jacobs' time in Sin City. It is only week one, though, so anything could happen!

Next: 5 Las Vegas athletes that ruined their career