The Denver Broncos actually looked like they were going to beat the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday afternoon. All they had to do was make a 35-yard field goal at the end of the game.
The result? The field goal was blocked, and while the Las Vegas Raiders certainly never like to see the Chiefs win, they can at least take solace in the fact that the Broncos failed to augment their positioning for a playoff spot.
Misery loves company, right?
And seriously: for as bad as the Raiders have been, they have actually made a playoff appearance more recently than Denver, as Las Vegas most recently qualified in 2021.
The last time the Broncos made the postseason? The 2015-16 campaign, when they won a Super Bowl with Peyton Manning under center.
To be fair, Denver does appear to be building something with Sean Payton. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix has shown flashes of brilliance (he looked pretty good against Kansas City), and the Broncos' defense is no joke. They held Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs to 16 points, after all.
Still, Denver fell to 5-5 with this defeat, dealing a rather serious—but certainly not fatal—hit to the club's playoff hopes.
The Raiders aren't going to the playoffs this season, so their biggest goal for the remainder of the year (other than improving for 2025, of course) will be playing the role of spoiler.
Here's the good news: Las Vegas will face the Broncos in a couple of weeks, as the AFC West rivals will face each other for the second time this season on Nov. 24 (the Raiders will take on the Miami Dolphins next week).
Denver won the first meeting in the Mile High City back in early October. It wasn't close, either, with the Broncos thumping the Raiders, 34-18.
So, can Las Vegas exact vengeance later this month and potentially deal a crushing blow to Denver's postseason aspirations?
The Broncos will be facing the Atlanta Falcons in Week 11, which could very well go down as a loss. That would put Denver at 5-6 heading into the clash in Vegas.
For the Raiders, halting the upstart Broncos' quest for a playoff berth would certainly be sweet.
Denver's eight-year postseason drought is the second-longest active streak in the NFL.
