Derek Carr, Raiders Defeat Broncos in 1st Game Since Jon Gruden's Resignation

The Las Vegas Raiders are back on track.

Las Vegas snapped a two-game losing streak with a 34-24 victory over the Denver Broncos in Sunday's AFC West showdown at Empower Field at Mile High. Derek Carr led the way for the Raiders, who improved to 4-2 and into a tie atop the division with the Los Angeles Chargers.

The win was all the more notable because it was interim head coach Rich Bisaccia's first game after Jon Gruden resigned when emails revealed he used racist, sexist and anti-gay language.

Teddy Bridgewater threw three touchdowns in the losing effort for the Broncos, who fell to 3-3 with their third straight loss.

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Notable Player Stats

• Derek Carr, QB, LV: 18-of-27 passing for 341 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs
• Kenyan Drake, RB, LV: 4 carries for 34 yards, 1 TD; 2 catches for 39 yards, 1 TD
• Henry Ruggs III, WR, LV: 3 catches for 97 yards, 1 TD
• Teddy Bridgewater, QB, DEN: 35-of-49 passing for 334 yards, 3 TDs, 3 INTs
• Courtland Sutton, WR, DEN: 8 catches for 94 yards, 1 TD
• Noah Fant, TE, DEN: 9 catches for 97 yards, 1 TD

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Derek Carr, Raiders Offense Rediscovers Impressive Form

From a football perspective, the biggest storyline coming into this game for the Raiders was how they would respond on the field after a week of headlines off it.

Carr appeared to eliminate all distractions and was dialed in from the start. He threw touchdown passes to Henry Ruggs III and Kenyan Drake to build a 17-7 halftime lead and had an initial connection with star tight end Darren Waller.

While Las Vegas' rushing attack left much to be desired as it was seizing that lead in the first half, Carr fit passes through tight windows and took what the defense gave him in front of a hostile crowd.

He also didn't have to do too much given how well Maxx Crosby and the Raiders defense played in the early going, which allowed him to make safer throws and avoid forcing the issue against his division rivals.

The rest of the backfield made their presence known as Las Vegas pulled further ahead in the second half. Josh Jacobs took a screen and darted through Denver defenders and into scoring position, while Drake found the end zone again with an 18-yard touchdown run.

The Carr-to-Ruggs connection wasn't done, as another deep ball set up a Jacobs touchdown and all but put the game away heading into the fourth. Even when Denver had some momentum after a fourth-quarter touchdown, Carr found Bryan Edwards for 51 yards before a field goal made it a three-score game once again.

Las Vegas' offense was facing some pressure after scoring a combined 23 points during the two-game losing streak, but it was explosive whenever the game was hanging in the balance Sunday and put the team back on a potential playoff track. 

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Broncos Continue Their Slide Down the Standings

It was easy to feel skeptical about the Broncos heading into this game.

After all, their 3-0 start featured wins over the New York Giants, Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets, which isn't exactly a list of the league's best teams. They also looked far less formidable while losing to the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers in the next two games.

Sunday didn't provide much argument against that skepticism.

While Bridgewater answered an early score by the Raiders with a touchdown pass to Tim Patrick in the first quarter, that was about the only positive development prior to halftime for the home team. He also threw an interception to Brandon Facyson, faced constant pressure from Crosby and didn't get much help from the rushing attack of Melvin Gordon III and Javonte Williams.

It was one step forward and two steps back for the Broncos in the second half, as Williams broke free for a 30-yard run that included an impressive hurdle only for the drive to stall for a field goal. What's more, Bridgewater lost a fumble on the next possession when Denver had an opportunity to close the gap to one score.

The theme of progress undermined by mistakes continued into the fourth quarter, as Bridgewater followed his touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton with an interception to Tre'von Moehrig. Even when Denver recovered an onside kick during a late comeback attempt, Bridgewater ended that possession with another interception.

Denver's outlook looks all the more concerning in a daunting AFC West following yet another poor performance.          

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What's Next?

Both teams are in action in Week 7 when the Raiders host the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday and the Broncos travel to face the Cleveland Browns on Thursday.