It’s rivalry week for the Las Vegas Raiders. They will head into Mile High Stadium to do battle with the Denver Broncos. They’ve owned this rivalry. Since 1960, the all-time record is 73-54-2 in favor of Las Vegas. In addition, the Raiders have won eight straight games dating back to 2020.
In fact, the Broncos have never defeated the Las Vegas Raiders since their relocation. There have been many memorable memories against the Broncos. From playoff wins to primetime thrillers, this rivalry has had it all. The one constant is the animosity between both teams.
Honorable Mention: 24-0 Comeback in 1988
On the September 26, 1988 edition of Monday Night Football, the Broncos took a 24-0 lead into halftime. Al Michaels was doing play-by-play commentary and was practically laughing at the downfall of the then-Los Angeles Raiders. In one of the biggest comebacks in Monday Night Football history, the Raiders stormed back to an eventual 30-27 victory.
What makes this game fun for Las Vegas Raiders fans is that the Head Coach at the time was Mike Shanahan. Shanahan ironically coached the team to a sweep of the Broncos in the 1988 season It also marked the debut of quarterback Jay Schroeder, who later quarterbacked the team to the playoffs in 1990 and 1991. The hero of the game was fullback Steve Smith with several touchdown receptions.
Honorable Mention: Khalil Mack’s Record Performance
In 2015, the Denver Broncos ended up on top of the football world. But for one afternoon in Denver, it was the Las Vegas Raiders who were triumphant. The Raiders 15-12 win in Denver snapped the Broncos’ longest winning streak in the series at eight games. In a game dominated by defense, it was Khalil Mack who ruled the day.
Mack finished with a team-record 5 sacks of Brock Osweiler that day, plus a safety and a forced fumble. Quarterback Derek Carr threw an eventual game-winning touchdown to Seth Roberts to finish off a comeback against the eventual Super Bowl Champions. It reversed the tide of the rivalry back in favor of the Raiders. While both teams split games for several years after, it ended the Broncos’ reign over them.
Honorable Mention: Russell’s Final Touchdown
For some inexplicable reason, Jamarcus Russell performed well on the road against both the Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos. In 2008 he had his finest performance in a 31-10 blasting of Broncos in their final matchup against Mike Shanahan. While that win was spectacular, his performance in the 2009 matchup will forever be remembered.
Coming off the bench to relieve an injured Charlie Frye and J.P. Losman, Russell completed only five passes of 11 passes on the day. However, he led a comeback drive that culminated with his final career touchdown pass to Chaz Schilens. The touchdown pass helped the Raiders win 20-19 in a stunner that helped eventually knock Josh McDaniel’s Broncos out of the playoffs.
3. 2010 Mile High Meltdown
In 2010, the Las Vegas Raiders went undefeated against the AFC West, plus added a win against former division rival Seattle. The most impressive win of the season had to be the 59-14 thrashing of the Broncos in Denver. It was a game so devastating that it led to the firing of McDaniels by the Broncos two weeks later. It remains the most lopsided win in the history of the rivalry.
It was a game that was never close. The then-Oakland Raiders went up 38-0 before Denver scored in the second quarter. Darren McFadden had three touchdowns to go with 165 yards on the day. It set the team record for points in a game until 2023, Las Vegas Raiders broke it against the Chargers with 63.
2. 1997 Kaufman Sets a Record
In 1997, the Broncos were the best team in football. To further prove that point, they would go on to win their first Super Bowl that season over the Green Bay Packers. They also swept the Raiders in 1995 and 1996 for the first time since 1986-1987, as Shanahan had come to Denver in 1995 and turned the tide of the rivalry. Shanahan’s arrival only added to the intensity of the rivalry.
In the only memorable win of the Joe Bugel/Jeff George era, the undefeated Broncos fell 28-25 in Oakland. Fan favorite Napolean Kaufman rushed for 227 yards on the day, including an 83-yard touchdown run. Despite leading the league in passing that season, George only threw for 96 yards on the day but had two touchdowns. In a 4-12 season, this was the only remarkable win of the year.
1. 1993 Wild Card Beatdown
In week 18 of the 1993 season, the Las Vegas Raiders came back from 17-0 and 27-14 to beat the Broncos 30-27. That win propelled them into an immediate rematch with the Broncos in the Wild Card round in Los Angeles. Al Davis fueled the rivalry further when he said the Broncos “are scared to death of us.” The Wild Card showdown was a 42-24 beatdown that John Elway still sees in his nightmares.
At one point, inactive Raider cornerback James Trapp ran onto the field during a fight and beat up Denver’s Frank Robinson despite not being in uniform. The Las Vegas Raiders went 13-2 from 1988-1994 against the Broncos with many memorable wins. None of those wins were more memorable than their sole playoff win over the Broncos.
Conclusion
Over the years, both teams have had epic victories and have team players added to the lore of their rivalry. While the series has had ups and downs for the Las Vegas Raiders, they’re currently riding high with an eight-game winning streak. Their battle will take center stage once again for this year’s premiere team rivalries.
October 5th is going to be an extremely intense game. The Broncos are going to be wearing their throwback 1977 uniforms, in addition to hosting Alumni Week. They’re hoping to reverse the tide of the rivalry once again by conjuring up some of the old “Orange Crush” magic from 1977. It’ll be up to Antonio Pierce’s squad to prevent any of that from happening.
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