The Denver Broncos (10-2) are set to go on the road to face the Las Vegas Raiders (2-10) in Week 14 of the 2025 NFL season. Here are five quick storylines we’ll be watching going into that AFC West showdown.

1. Broncos’ struggling run game: Since losing J.K. Dobbins to a foot injury, Denver’s offense has averaged 2.8 yards per carry and 3.8 yards per carry in their last two games. Broncos coach Sean Payton has insisted that it’s not a running back problem. Instead, he believes the offensive line and scheme are to blame. We’ll see if the OL and Payton’s offense can scheme up better results on the ground in Week 14 with RJ Harvey and Jaleel McLaughlin leading the way.

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2. Containing Brock Bowers: Denver’s defense limited Bowers to a single 31-yard catch when they hosted the Raiders in Week 10, but the second-year tight end has 17 receptions for 190 yards and two touchdowns in three games since then. Bowers is the most dynamic receiving threat in the Las Vegas offense, and defensive coordinator Vance Joseph will make containing him a priority this week.

3. Denver’s pass rush: Joseph’s unit leads the NFL with 51 sacks, and they got to Raiders quarterback Geno Smith six times in the November meeting. Protecting Smith is clearly a problem for Las Vegas as the QB has been sacked 19 times over the last three weeks, an average of more than six sacks per contest. On paper, this is a dream matchup for the Broncos’ pass rushers.

4. Bo Nix revenge game: Nix had his lowest passer rating (54.2) of the season against the Raiders in Week 10, completing just 57.1% of his passes for 150 yards with one touchdown, two interceptions and one sack in an ugly 10-7 win. He’s thrown for 616 yards in the two games since then, and he’ll aim to play a cleaner game in his rematch against the Las Vegas squad.

5. Broncos’ race for a top playoff seed: Denver and the New England Patriots (11-2) are currently the top contenders for the No. 1 seed in the AFC’s playoff race. If the Broncos beat the Raiders, they would secure an important tiebreaker edge over the Patriots. So, believe it or not, Sunday’s game against a 2-10 opponent could have huge playoff implications for Denver.

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Sunday’s game (2:05 p.m. MT) will be regionally televised on CBS (view the TV broadcast map).

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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Broncos vs. Raiders: 5 storylines to watch for in Week 14