DENVER — With a spark from the defense, Denver's offense found its rhythm.
After notching two field goals in the first half of Sunday's win over the Raiders, the Broncos got things rolling in the second half, putting together three touchdown scoring drives that led to a 34-18 win.
But for quarterback Bo Nix, the success began long before he connected with running back Jaleel McLaughlin for Denver's first offensive touchdown of the day. Early in the second quarter, cornerback Pat Surtain II recorded a 100-yard pick six that jump-started 34 unanswered points by Denver and — for Nix — ultimately changed the trajectory of the game.
"That was probably the play of the game," Nix said after Sunday's win. "A big momentum shifter."
Denver took the momentum and ran with it, entering halftime with a 13-10 lead and never looking back. The team has consistently stressed the importance of playing complementary football, and in Sunday's win, it was easy to see why.
Wide receiver Courtland Sutton noted that "all three units worked very well together," while Nix said having "short fields" played a significant role in allowing the offense to find success.
In the second half, Denver's touchdown drives began at the 50, Denver's 42-yard line and Las Vegas' 42-yard line, respectively. The Broncos also began drives at the Las Vegas 44-yard line 14-yard line after halftime.
"Another two interceptions in the second half set us up in great field position," Nix said. "We just took what we had, and we made the most of our opportunity there. When you get turnovers like that, it's important you score touchdowns, and we did that today."
The Broncos were 3-of-4 in the red zone, and McLaughlin's leaping individual effort helped the Broncos snag a two-score lead in the third quarter that helped put the game out of reach.
Nix, who threw for 206 yards and two touchdowns, recorded his first game with multiple touchdown passes while also adding a 1-yard rushing touchdown. The Broncos continued to find some success on the ground across the board, with running back Javonte Williams leading the team in rushing yards for the second consecutive game. He also added 50 yards through the air for 111 scrimmage yards.
"I think Javonte ran hard," Head Coach Sean Payton said. "… There was a little bit more stress on that room relative to the two backs knowing they were going to get a bigger workload as opposed to three total. I was really proud with how he played. I have not seen the film, but I think we blocked [for] him pretty good."
Williams, who also led the team in receiving yards in Sunday's win, noted that the success of the run game in Weeks 3 and 4 "carried over" and has continued to build confidence amongst his unit. He also credited his increasing comfortability, as well as the play of the offensive line, with allowing him to have his second consecutive strong performance.
"The O-line did a great job coming out [in] the second half," Williams said. "Bo did a great job, [we had] receivers blocking on the perimeter and me and [McLaughlin] made the most of our carries."
Despite a slow start in the first half, Payton said that the team "came up with some big plays" when the team needed them, allowing Denver to get the job done in an important divisional matchup. And for Sutton, getting the job done was a team effort that the Broncos will look to continue to build upon moving forward.
"All three units are working very well together," Sutton said. "If we can sustain that, we'll see continued success."
