DENVER -- With their 10-7 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday night, the Denver Broncos became the first team in the NFL to reach eight wins this season. And they were again paced by a defense that was at its quarterback-harassing, lockdown best.
But the vibes on the offense weren't nearly as good after scoring only 10 points and gaining 220 yards on one of the league's worst defenses. Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins was hardly in a celebratory mood postgame and voiced frustration that has permeated much of Denver's offensive personnel.
"Yeah, cool we're 8-2 ... [but] the defense is winning us the games and we're not helping them, we're not doing them any justice," Dobbins said. "I feel bad the way we play on offense and the way they play on defense because they're doing so great and we're doing so bad. It just sucks because they're just out there so many plays, playing their butts off. We can't keep doing this to them."
The Broncos defense sacked Raiders quarterback Geno Smith six times, moving their team total to 46 -- the most of any team through 10 games since 1990. Denver held the Raiders without a first down on seven consecutive possessions spanning two quarters and gave up only 188 yards.
But the Broncos' seventh consecutive win -- the first time they've accomplished that feat since the Super Bowl-winning season of 2015 -- was a down-to-the-wire slugfest because of the Broncos' feeble offense. Denver punted seven times and quarterback Bo Nix threw two interceptions -- the second of which set up a game-tying, 48-yard field goal attempt that Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson missed in the fourth quarter.
It's a pattern of inconsistency that has vexed the Broncos, who have scored 18 or fewer points in three of their past five games. And Nix, who completed 16 of 28 passes for 150 yards, a touchdown throw and the two interceptions, knows there must be improvement across the board.
"At some point we've got to start moving the ball and scoring some points," Nix said. "Between penalties and sluggish football, we're just not playing very good. It starts with me, I've got to be better ... we've got to find some juice."
The juice has been fleeting, especially in the first three quarters. The Broncos have trailed in every game this season and have had to come up with fourth-quarter comebacks in four of their eight wins. Thursday also marked the fourth time this season that the Broncos did not score in the first quarter.
Denver had four possessions Thursday that went for negative yardage, with three of those coming in the third quarter. Things were so ugly on offense in the second half that boos rained down on the unit from the sellout crowd when it left the field before a punt.
"I mean, they should [boo]," Dobbins said. "We're not very good at times, they should be mad because we have so much talent. We've got to figure it out ... and we will."
Thursday was the fourth time this season in which the Broncos had at least 10 accepted penalties called against them, finishing with 11 penalties for 78 yards. Eight of those infractions came on offense. The Broncos are the second-most penalized offense in the league, having been called for 52 penalties, including declined penalties.
"[The Raiders] did some things that were challenging [on defense] ... but too many penalties on offense that put us in a hole, and I've got to be better also," coach Sean Payton said.
Even when the Broncos scored points, it wasn't the result of offensive excellence. Denver lost 2 yards on three plays before Wil Lutz kicked a go-ahead 32-yard field with five seconds left in the third quarter, as a blocked punt by safety JL Skinner set the Broncos up at the Raiders' 12-yard line.
"We got to do better," Nix said. "At some point, 10 points isn't going to be enough."
But the Broncos' defensive players are telling their offensive teammates not to worry. They say they're ready for anything thrown their way, even as the Broncos stay on pace to break the NFL's all-time team sack record of 72, set by the Chicago Bears in 1984.
"Whatever we need to do, we do," Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton said. "Just continuing to give [the offense] the ball, give them every opportunity."
Added edge rusher Nik Bonitto, who had 1.5 sacks on Thursday: "We don't look [at] what the offense does, what the special teams does -- our job is to go out there and get stops. We have that mentality and we have the right guys who come in with that mentality."