Both teams scored touchdowns on their opening drives that took up the entire first quarter.
LAS VEGAS — Out of the way, Patriots.
Marvin Mims Jr.’s 49-yard touchdown punt return in the second quarter has the Broncos leading the Las Vegas Raiders, 14-7 at halftime here Sunday before a largely orange jersey-clad crowd at Allegiant Stadium.
A win by the Broncos, who are currently 10-2, would give them the tiebreaker over the 11-2 New England Patriots in the heated battle for the No. 1 AFC playoff seed. The Broncos would hold the tiebreaking edge based on common opponents if they hang on to win here Sunday. Why? The Broncos would be 6-0 against the likes of the Raiders (twice), Jets, Giants, Titans and Bengals. The Patriots could do no better than 5-1 against these opponents as they lost to the Raiders in the season opener.
The Patriots are on bye and starting next week, New England and Denver will be in a four-game battle for the No. 1 playoff seed which carries the large, thick carrot of a first-round playoff bye plus home-field advantage throughout the postseason until the Super Bowl.
Not that the first-round bye is the be-all, end all. Only six AFC No. 1 seeds and four NFC No. 1 seeds have won the Super Bowl in the previous 28 seasons dating back to 1997.
Still, the No. 1 seed is there and the Broncos might as well take it. With the score tied, 7-7, a sack by Denver defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers on Raiders’ quarterback Geno Smith forced Vegas punter A.J. Cole to punt from his own end zone.
His punt was low and down the middle although the Raiders had Mims covered quickly. But Mims shed the tackle of the Raiders’ Decamerion Richardson and scooted left into a vast opening. Mims speed took him down the left side where he pointed to teammate JL Skinner to take out Cole. Skinner complied and Sims cut outside to the end zone. After two All Pro nods in his first two seasons, this was the first punt return for a touchdown in Mims’ career.
The first quarter was an exchange of superb offensive scripts drawn up by Broncos head coach and play-caller Sean Payton, and Raiders’ interim offensive coordinator Greg Olson.
The Broncos opened with a 14-play run-pass mix that took up nearly the first 9 minutes of game clock before quarterback Bo Nix scrambled in for an 8-yard touchdown. Nix was also 6 of 6 on the opening drive before throwing one away.
The series also featured to skills of rookie running back RJ Harvey, who rushed for 26 yards off his first two carries and a remarkable broken-tackle 3-yard reception that kept the drive alive. On third and 2, Harvey took a swing pass from Nix but was immediately clobbered by Raiders’ cornerback Darnay Holmes. Somehow, Harvey shook off Holmes, used his hand on the natural grass turf to keep his balance and gained the necessary 3 yards for the first down.
But the Raiders came right back to finish off the final 6 minutes, 6 seconds of the first quarter thanks to red-hot Smith, who completed 6 of 6 on the drive. Smith’s final pass was a 15-yard floater to an open tight end Brock Bowers for a touchdown.
It was 7-7 and the teams started over with the start of the second quarter. It was the Raiders’ first opening series since their opening win against the New England Patriots, speaking of the tiebreaker the Broncos hope to have against their top No. 1-playoff-seed rival.
It was the Broncos’ first opening drive touchdown since week 2 at Indianapolis.
Two drives, two touchdowns, all 15 minutes of the first quarter.
And then it was all Mims and the respective defenses in the second quarter.