DENVER, CO. – The third week in a row Denver Broncos won a professional football game and improved to 3-2 on the season after the win Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. The 34-18 victory over the Raiders was Denver's first division game of the season.

The Broncos added extra excitement in their Orange Crush 1977 Throwback Threads as they officially ended the Silver and Black's eight-game winning streak. Sunday's victory in the Mile High City was the first home win for the Broncos this season and the first win against the Raiders since moving to Las Vegas.

The last time the Broncos beat the Raiders before Sunday was in 2019, in the team's last appearance representing the city of Oakland, California. The Raiders fell to 2-3 after Sunday's loss, while the momentous Broncos look ahead to their Week 6 home game against another AFC West foe: the Indictment in Los Angeles.

But before we look ahead to the Bolts, let's break down my three biggest takeaways from a historic Broncos win to start the month of October.

If there was any doubt that Patrick Surtain II was the best cornerback in the NFL, those questions were put to rest after a career day against the Raiders. Trailing 10-7 midway through the second quarter, Surtain found Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew in the end zone and returned him 100 yards to the house for a pick-six that put him in the franchise record books. It is officially the second-longest pick-six in Broncos history.

It was Denver's first touchdown of the day. The interception came on a 1st-and-goal throw that changed the entire dynamic of the game, especially for the Broncos' offense, which then took off en route to the team's third win of the season.

Surtain later made another pass and ended the day as the hero on the field with two tackles. It was his second career game with two interceptions.

Even Surtin's cornerback partner at his side, Riley Moss, got in on the action, grabbing his first career interception and three tackles and then sealing the day for Minshew, who was fired shortly after the turnover by Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce Bank was set.

A Broncos pass rush that posted 12 sacks in the previous two games increased the total as Zach Allen, Jonathon Cooper and Nik Bonitto were credited with a sack against Minshew and Aiden O'Connell. Aside from Minshew's 57-yard pass to Raiders rookie tight end Brock Bowers for the first score of the day, Denver's defense remained stingy and vigilant throughout the game.

Vance Joseph’s run defense also held up. The Raiders' offense totaled 115 rushing yards, but it wasn't until late in the fourth quarter that Ameer Abdullah scored a three-yard score on the ground, only the visiting team's second touchdown of the game.

It's one thing for a defense to be dominant in consecutive games, but seeing the Broncos continue to improve suggests this unit could be something very special. The defense stepped up when it mattered most and forced the Broncos to victory.

The Broncos' ownership group deserves credit for extending Surtain last September, a move that is already paying dividends for the defense. Take a bow, Broncos. You demoralized the Raiders here.

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Surtain wasn't the only Bronco to make franchise history with Sunday's win over the Raiders. Team captain Bo Nix became the first rookie quarterback in franchise history to win three consecutive starts for Denver.

Nix arrived at Empower Field at Mile High wearing a John Elway No. 7 Broncos throwback jersey, foreshadowing a historic and successful day for the 24-year-old, who made his second career home start and his first win in Denver achieved at all.

The No. 12 overall pick in the NFL Draft finished a career day by completing 19 of 27 passes for 208 yards and two passing touchdowns. Nix also set a franchise record by completing passes to 11 different receivers, involving everyone from receivers and tight ends to running backs and fullbacks.

Denver's third straight win coincided with the third straight game in which Nix didn't turn the ball over, supporting Sean Payton's claim that the rookie doesn't make the same mistakes twice.

Nix learned to keep moving to combat a ferocious Raiders pass rush led by Maxx Crosby that resulted in three sacks on the Broncos' rookie QB. Although he didn't rack up many rushing yards, Nix was able to score his third rushing touchdown of the season on a one-yard dive.

Although Nix was far from perfect, he and his teammates beat the hated Raiders, ending that dismal streak and bringing back some pride and excitement throughout Broncos Country for the rest of the season.

Television cameras captured a heated exchange between Payton and Nix. The greenhorn quarterback's passion and frustration with his play-caller and head coach was on display for all to see on the broadcast. The scene occurred shortly after Broncos rookie wideout Troy Franklin dropped a wide-open, deep touchdown pass from Nix.

To the naked eye it may have looked like Nix disrespected his coach, but I would insist that the conversation took place in the heat of the moment and that fans should be excited about the consequences that ensued.

I've been saying for months that Nix is ​​modeled after Payton. The former Oregon star is unapologetically himself, doesn't seem to care what the media thinks and is addicted to the Xs and Os of professional football. Sometimes this type of competitive personality can mislead people and be interpreted as rude or mean.

But we see both men bending, which is exactly the kind of delicate balance franchises dream of when recruiting a quarterback or hiring a head coach. Payton has taken the cuffs off Nix at times, allowing him to maneuver on the run, rush for first downs and score touchdowns on the ground. In the meantime, Nix is ​​committed to improving his pocket presence and footwork under pressure and remains patient as the offense progresses.

Even after Nix's one-yard rushing score, the cameras showed a much calmer and collected conversation between coach and quarterback in which teaching and learning took place. This isn't the same as Payton yelling at Russell Wilson in an embarrassing loss to him Detroit Lions Last season.

No, the side game between Nix and Payton against the Raiders shows a budding relationship that builds trust and accountability on a weekly basis. The Broncos offense may be struggling right now, but this big win against the Raiders gave this football team a significant boost.

It seems like this quarterback and head coach will stop at nothing to get on the same page, win football games and bring the Broncos football team back to prominence.

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