The Broncos are 5-0 because they have the No. 1 defense in the NFL, a unit that sparked and sealed another win Sunday in Oakland.
The Broncos held off the Raiders, 16-10, despite not scoring an offensive touchdown. The Broncos are using the defense that’s leading the league in sacks and among the best at forcing turnovers to do the heavy lifting.
Peyton Manning has thrown five interceptions in the last three weeks. He’s thrown an interception in each of the first five games of a season for the first time since 1999.
In a turn of events that can’t be blamed solely on the team’s coaching change or the offensive line struggles, the Broncos’ offense ranks near the bottom of the NFL in yards per game, rushing and third-down conversions.
“We want to play better offensively,” Manning said, per the Broncos official website. “It’s about helping the Denver Broncos get a win. But there’s no question, offensively, we certainly want to play better. We’re going to stay committed to it, and everybody wants to try to do a better job and that certainly starts with me. I want to do a better job and do a better job playing quarterback to help our team get into the end zone more.”
Asked about the struggles of the offense after the game, wide receiver Demaryius Thomas offered an interesting thought.
“Unfortunately, we’re getting used to it,” Thomas said.
The Broncos were 0-for-3 in the red zone in Oakland and are 1-of-6 in the last two weeks.
“I think we’re doing some good things. We’re moving the ball,” Manning said. “It would be one thing if we weren’t getting down there at all. So we’re able to get the ball down there. We’ve got to find a way. Like I said, I think a couple close plays here or there and probably we’d have some touchdowns.”