When the Silver and Black meet the Orange and Blue, the scoreboard rarely explains what really happened. A 10-7 grind and a 24-17 control game can look similar on paper, yet the individual stat lines behind them tell two very different stories. That is why the Las Vegas Raiders vs Denver Broncos match player stats deserve a closer read than a quick glance at the final score.
This guide breaks down the numbers that shaped the two most recent meetings, adds the freshest 2026 season figures for both rosters, and shows you how to separate meaningful production from empty yardage. By the end, you will know which players moved the needle, which stats were misleading, and what to watch when these teams share the field again.
Why This AFC West Rivalry Keeps Producing Unpredictable Player Numbers
Few division matchups swing as wildly from one meeting to the next. Las Vegas and Denver have traded punches for more than sixty years, and the individual performances rarely follow a script.
The 2025 season captured both extremes. The first meeting finished 10-7 in Denver, with neither team crossing 225 total yards. The rematch in Las Vegas finished 24-17, and Denver held the ball for just over 39 minutes. Same opponents, same rivalry, completely different stat profiles.
Division games also raise the emotional temperature, and you see it in penalty counts: both teams were flagged 11 times in the 2025 opener.
Latest Update: Where Both Teams Stand in 2026
The picture has shifted noticeably this season. Denver sits at 6-2 on a four-game winning streak and leads the AFC West. Las Vegas is 4-4 after a high-scoring win over the Jets, averaging 27.6 points per game, a figure that ranks well above Denver’s 21.5. The Raiders also lead the league in red-zone passing touchdowns with 15.
Denver’s formula looks different: a lower-volume offense paired with a defense that gives up just 20.6 points per game. Their next meeting arrives in Week 11 at Empower Field at Mile High, with the return game at Allegiant Stadium later in the schedule. Every number in this article should be treated as a snapshot, because the season-long totals will move after each game.
Quarterback Showdown: Passing Numbers That Shape Every Meeting
No position influences the Las Vegas Raiders vs Denver Broncos match player stats more than quarterback play. The passer sets the tempo, controls how many snaps each defense faces and usually determines whether a game stays tight in the fourth quarter.
The two 2025 meetings showed how fragile quarterback efficiency can be in this rivalry. Neither signal-caller found a rhythm in the opener, and the rematch produced plenty of completions but very little explosive yardage.
Raiders Quarterback Performance Under Pressure
Las Vegas has struggled to protect its passer against Denver. In the 2025 opener, Geno Smith was dragged down six times for 29 yards, finishing 16 of 26 for 143 yards with one interception. In the rematch, he and Kenny Pickett combined to take four more sacks while sharing the work: Smith threw for 116 yards and a touchdown to Brock Bowers, and Pickett added 97 yards and a touchdown to Shedrick Jackson in the fourth quarter.
The takeaway is consistent: Denver’s pressure keeps forcing short, hurried throws.
The 2026 version of the Raiders offense looks far more dangerous. Kirk Cousins has thrown for 2,124 yards, 19 touchdowns and only 5 interceptions, a pace that puts him among the league leaders in passing yardage. If that protection holds up against Denver’s front, the old pattern could finally break.
Broncos Quarterback Numbers in Divisional Games
Bo Nix’s two 2025 outings against Las Vegas are a case study in why completion percentage can mislead. In the opener he completed 16 of 28 passes for 150 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, yet Denver still won because Las Vegas could not generate points. In the rematch he connected on 31 of 38 attempts, an 82 percent clip, but gained only 212 yards and averaged just 5.6 yards per attempt without a passing touchdown.
Neither game was a showcase, yet both ended in Denver wins. This offense is built to avoid mistakes and let the defense finish the job.
In 2026, Nix has thrown for 1,493 yards, 9 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. That is far lower volume than Cousins, but the turnover count is small and Denver’s record speaks for itself.
Running Back Dominance: Rushing Yards and Touchdown Breakdown
The ground game is where this rivalry becomes personal. Both franchises lean on downhill running to shorten games and protect their quarterbacks, and the rushing lines in the Las Vegas Raiders vs Denver Broncos match player stats show how differently that plan can play out.
Key Rushing Numbers From Recent Meetings
The opener was a stalemate. Las Vegas ran 25 times for 74 yards (3.0 per carry), led by Ashton Jeanty’s 60 yards and a four-yard touchdown. Denver retaliated with 27 carries for 84 yards (3.1 per carry), led by J.K. Dobbins collecting 77 of them. Neither backfield broke free.
The rematch was lopsided. Denver ran 31 times for 152 yards, a 4.9-yard average, with RJ Harvey picking up 75 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. Las Vegas managed only 12 rushing attempts for 40 yards, and Jeanty was limited to 30 yards on 10 carries. The Raiders had just 3 rushing first downs compared with Denver’s 11, which explains why Denver won the possession battle so heavily.
Looking at 2026, the lead backs are close: Jeanty has 337 rushing yards for Las Vegas, while Dobbins has 306 yards and 3 rushing touchdowns for Denver. The difference is team context. Denver averages about 92.6 rushing yards per game compared with 77.3 for the Raiders, and Denver’s defense allows far fewer rushing yards (127.9 per game versus 146.4 for Las Vegas). Whoever wins the ground game in the upcoming meetings will probably control the clock.
Wide Receiver and Tight End Receiving Stats That Reveal the Real Story
Receiving numbers often show which offense actually controlled a game. In this rivalry, they also show how much each team relies on a handful of trusted targets.
Las Vegas has built its passing game around Brock Bowers, and Denver’s defensive staff clearly prepares for him as a priority. He caught four passes for 46 yards and a touchdown in the rematch in 2025. In the opener, Denver bottled him up with a single reception, albeit a 31-yarder. His 2026 line of 547 receiving yards and five touchdowns explains why game plans start with him.
Big-Play Receivers Who Tilted the Game
Explosive plays have been scarce but decisive. Pat Bryant’s 43-yard catch was the longest reception of the 2025 opener, while Tyler Lockett’s 26-yarder topped the rematch and Shedrick Jackson added a 25-yard touchdown. Tyler Lockett was Las Vegas’s steadiest option in the opener with five catches for 44 yards, and Jack Bech led the rematch with six receptions for 50 yards.
Denver has spread the ball around more. Courtland Sutton posted six catches for 62 yards in the rematch, and Troy Franklin scored the lone passing touchdown in the opener. This season, Jaylen Waddle leads Denver with 315 receiving yards, and the Raiders’ tight end room has delivered in the red zone, with Nate Adkins scoring three receiving touchdowns.
The pattern is clear: Las Vegas wins through targeted playmakers, while Denver depends on balanced distribution.
Defensive Player Stats: Sacks, Interceptions and Tackles
Defense is the quiet engine of this series, and the defensive lines in the Las Vegas Raiders vs Denver Broncos match player stats frequently dominate more than the offenses do. The opener produced at least seven combined sacks, and the rematch produced seven more.
Pass Rush Numbers That Collapsed the Pocket
Denver’s front is the headline. In the 2025 opener, Nik Bonitto posted five tackles, two tackles for loss and three quarterback hits, while Zach Allen added three more hits. Allen continues to be a disruptive force this season with a team-high four sacks.
Maxx Crosby remains Las Vegas’s most dangerous pass rusher. He has three sacks so far in 2026 and recorded two tackles for loss in the rematch. His totals are modest, but the pressure he creates opens lanes for teammates.
Devin White made 19 tackles for Las Vegas in the 2025 rematch, a volume that shows how often Denver’s ground game ran straight at him. This season, Alex Singleton leads Denver with 101 tackles, while Nakobe Dean has 80 for the Raiders.
Secondary Stats and Coverage Breakdown
Interceptions have been rare, but when they appear they swing games. The 2025 opener featured three picks, including two by Las Vegas cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly, who also broke up two passes. The rematch had no turnovers at all, a reminder that this series can be decided entirely by field position and discipline.
In the rematch, Darien Porter (two) and Pat Surtain II (one) broke up passes, and both secondaries kept explosive gains to a minimum.
Special Teams Stats That Often Fly Under the Radar
Special teams tend to be overlooked, but they influenced both 2025 meetings. In the rematch, Marvin Mims Jr. returned a punt 48 yards for a touchdown, the single biggest swing play of the game and the kind of score that no offensive stat sheet can explain.
Punting also mattered. AJ Cole averaged 47.7 yards on three punts in the rematch, with two landing inside the 20, and he pinned Denver repeatedly in the opener, where seven punts averaged 42.7 yards and three finished inside the 20. Denver’s Jeremy Crawshaw punted seven times for 41.9 in the opener, with a long of 54.
Field goals shaped the opener too. Wil Lutz converted a 32-yarder for Denver’s only points in the second half, while Daniel Carlson missed his only attempt for Las Vegas. In the rematch, Carlson connected from 46 yards, and Lutz kicked a 23-yarder. In a three-point game, that one missed kick mattered.
Player Stats Comparison for the Head-to-Head Las Vegas Raiders vs. Denver Broncos Game
The tables below place the most important numbers side by side. The first compares the two 2025 meetings, and the second shows how both teams are performing in 2026.
2025 Meetings: Game-by-Game Comparison
| Category | 2025 Opener (Denver 10, Las Vegas 7) | 2025 Rematch (Denver 24, Las Vegas 17) |
| Total yards (DEN / LV) | 220 / 188 | 356 / 229 |
| Rushing yards (DEN / LV) | 84 / 74 | 152 / 40 |
| Third-down conversion (DEN / LV) | 5 of 15 / 4 of 15 | 7 of 12 / 3 of 9 |
| Time of possession (DEN / LV) | 30:46 / 29:14 | 39:03 / 20:57 |
| Top Denver passer | Bo Nix: 150 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT | Bo Nix: 212 yds, 31 of 38 |
| Top Las Vegas passer | Geno Smith: 143 yds, 1 INT | Geno Smith: 116 yds, 1 TD |
| Top rusher (DEN / LV) | Dobbins 77 / Jeanty 60 | Harvey 75 / Jeanty 30 |
| Sacks taken (DEN / LV) | 1 / 6 | 3 / 4 |
2026 Season Snapshot: Raiders vs Broncos
| Category | Las Vegas Raiders | Denver Broncos |
| Record | 4-4 | 6-2 |
| Points per game | 27.6 | 21.5 |
| Passing yards per game | 265.1 | 180.4 |
| Rushing yards per game | 77.3 | 92.6 |
| Points allowed per game | 28.8 | 20.6 |
| Passing yards allowed per game | 235.5 | 227.4 |
| Rushing yards allowed per game | 146.4 | 127.9 |
| Quarterback | Kirk Cousins: 2,124 yds, 19 TD, 5 INT | Bo Nix: 1,493 yds, 9 TD, 3 INT |
| Leading rusher | Ashton Jeanty: 337 yds | J.K. Dobbins: 306 yds, 3 TD |
| Leading receiver | Brock Bowers: 547 yds, 5 TD | Jaylen Waddle: 315 yds |
| Defensive leader (tackles) | Nakobe Dean: 80 | Alex Singleton: 101 |
| Sack leader | Maxx Crosby: 3 | Zach Allen: 4 |
Recent Results in the Series
Denver has won the last four meetings: 24-17 and 10-7 in 2025, then 29-19 and 34-18 in 2024. The Raiders’ last victory came in Week 18 of the 2023 season, a 27-14 result in Las Vegas.
Las Vegas owns the superior passing attack and red-zone efficiency this season, while Denver holds the edge in defense, rushing and recent head-to-head results. That contrast is exactly why the Las Vegas Raiders vs Denver Broncos match player stats will be worth tracking when the next game arrives.
How to Read and Analyze Match Player Stats Like a Pro
Raw numbers are easy to misread. The rivalry itself provides a perfect example: Bo Nix completed 82 percent of his passes in the 2025 rematch and threw for 212 yards, yet he averaged only 5.6 yards per attempt and had no touchdown passes. Without context, the stat line looks efficient. In reality, Denver won because of its ground game and special teams.
Start with efficiency instead of volume. Yards per attempt, yards per carry and third-down conversion rate reveal far more than total yardage. Third downs alone explain a lot: Denver converted 58 percent in the rematch compared with 33 percent for Las Vegas.
Next, look at game situation. Garbage-time passing yards can inflate a quarterback’s totals, while a punt return touchdown can decide a game without a single offensive snap. Time of possession is another useful context point, since 39 minutes against 21 tells you which defense spent the afternoon exhausted.
Finally, compare opponent-adjusted numbers. Gaining 100 rushing yards against Denver’s front means something different than doing it against a defense ranked near the bottom. When you read any of the Las Vegas Raiders vs Denver Broncos match player stats, ask who the player was facing, when the production came and whether it actually changed the result.
The Final Word on This Rivalry’s Numbers
You see a winner on the scoreboard, but the player statistics show why. Across the last two meetings, Denver’s defensive pressure, steady rushing attack and special teams edge outweighed everything Las Vegas could generate through the air. In 2026, however, the Raiders arrive with a far more productive offense, a quarterback throwing for over 2,000 yards and a tight end who defenses must account for on every snap.
Elite passing production meets a defense-first team that keeps winning close games. Whoever forces their preferred style on the other will likely leave with the win.
Keep this page bookmarked and return after each meeting. The figures will change, new names will emerge, and the next chapter of Raiders vs Broncos football will add another layer to the numbers.
