In a division with Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert, the Broncos were an afterthought in the AFC West. From the ever-revolving quarterback carousel to the revolving door of head coaches, it took much longer to find the magical leadership combination that is Sean Payton and Bo Nix.

For the first time in a while, it seems likely that two of the wild card berths this season will come from the AFC West. Between Harbaugh brothers, Andy Reid and Sean Payton, you’d be hard-pressed to find a division with more talent or expectations in the NFL. At quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Bo Nix appear poised to dominate the West for the next fifteen years.

Then there are the Raiders.

The delinquent brother from AFC West still sits on the porch smoking cigarettes and muttering to himself about how great the early eighties were. What’s worse than having Gardner Minshew as your starting quarterback? That he’s going to have a broken collarbone. Raiders coach Antonio Brown enters Week 13 on a seven-game losing streak. Are you firing him? Do you keep it? Does it matter?

It looks like Denver has shaken off the stench of the past decade. The Chiefs continue to excel. The Chargers have found a coach and are developing an identity. Things in the AFC West are getting interesting. Meanwhile, the Raiders continue to sit in the corner and pick their noses in full creepy makeup. This is one of the many reasons why the NFL is great.

The Raiders are coming back… just not this decade.

SHORT LINES

Bo Nix sets Broncos rookie TD record as Denver beats the Raiders 29-19
Bo Nix passed for 273 yards and had two touchdown passes to break the team’s rookie record, and the Denver Broncos finally prevailed in Las Vegas with a 29-19 victory over the reeling Raiders on Sunday.

Bo Nix leads Broncos to season win over Raiders | Reuters
Rookie quarterback Bo Nix completed 25 of 42 passes for 273 yards and two touchdowns as the Denver Broncos defeated the host Raiders 29-19 on Sunday in Las Vegas.

Bo Nix to Courtland Sutton touchdowns lift Broncos past Raiders | 9news.com
The Denver Broncos defeated the Las Vegas Raiders 29-19 at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday, November 24, 2024 for their fourth win in six games.

Broncos defense holds off Raiders, Nix throws for two touchdowns in Week 12 win | Analysis
Following the Denver Broncos’ 29-19 win over the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium, lead writer Aric DiLalla gives his insights on the defensive performance and more as the Broncos earn their first regular-season series win over the Raiders since 2014.

‘We never lost confidence on the sidelines’: Broncos show grit and mental toughness in comeback win over rival Raiders
“I told (the team) today, ‘Our team from a year ago is not going to win this game. But this team does,” Head Coach Sean Payton said after the 29-19 win.

‘They got us to the finish line’: Broncos defense commits two turnovers and delivers impressive performance to help fuel 29-19 win over Raiders
Sunday’s win made outside linebacker Nik Bonitto the first Broncos player since 2018 to record a double-digit sack season.

Raiders QB Gardner Minshew is out for the season after suffering a broken collarbone in a loss to the Broncos
Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew broke his collarbone in Sunday’s loss to the Broncos and will miss the rest of the season, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported

Brandon Allen downplays broken left finger – NBC Sports
Brandon Allen being who he is – the backup quarterback – no one noticed he had a broken finger on his non-throwing hand until he started Sunday’s game against the Packers.

Saquon Barkley runs for Eagles record 255 yards in win vs. Rams – ESPN
Philadelphia’s Saquon Barkley had a career night against the Rams, posting 302 scrimmage yards and a pair of rushing touchdowns, both of which were good for over 70 yards. Then the Eagles fans in LA showered him with chants of “MVP!”

Fred Warner: Sunday’s loss was embarrassing – NBC Sports
The 49ers fell short in Green Bay on Sunday as injuries left the team without quarterback Brock Purdy, left tackle Trent Williams, defenseman Nick Bosa and others, but linebacker Fred Warner didn’t use that as an excuse for the way the team played.

Jared Verse on Saquon Barkley: I’ve never seen a running back like this – NBC Sports
Rams rookie edge rusher Jared Verse hasn’t been in the NFL long, but he’s been around long enough to know when he sees something special on the field.

Sean McVay: Rams loss was humiliating, it’s how you respond – NBC Sports
Rams coach Sean McVay said after Sunday night’s 37-20 loss to the Eagles that all his team can do is bounce back.

NFL players, units that need to wake up quickly as the final stretch of the regular season approaches
As the NFL approaches the final regular season, Judy Battista identifies players and units that need to wake up quickly, including a slumping Commanders offense and a roster that can’t seem to stay healthy.

2024 NFL Season Week 12: Four things to watch in Ravens-Chargers Monday night on ESPN, NFL+
NFL.com’s Bobby Kownack lists four things to watch for when the Los Angeles Chargers host the Baltimore Ravens on Monday night.

Giants WR Malik Nabers frustrated with ‘soft’ effort after loss to Buccaneers
New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers expressed his frustrations after a loss that extended New York’s losing streak to six games, calling his team’s effort “soft.”

Eagles DE Brandon Graham says he’s out for the season after tearing his triceps, but has he played his final NFL snap? -CBSSports.com
Graham has said in the past that this would be his last NFL season

NFL Week 12 2024 Winners and Losers: Baker Mayfield, Bryce Young show up for NFC South; 49ers lose ugly – CBSSports.com
An overview of Sunday’s best and worst performances

Jets’ Aaron Rodgers played through multiple injuries this season and declined to get scans, according to CBSSports.com
Rodgers’ injuries could be worse than he knows

Former Giants QB Daniel Jones could sign to practice squad to maximize starting chances, report says – CBSSports.com
Jones will first be subject to waivers

2024 NFL Playoff Photo Standings: Seahawks Take Over Wild NFC West, Commanders Fall Quickly – CBSSports.com
A look at the playoff standings after most Week 12 games

Cowboys become the fourth team ever to have two players kick off TDs in one game: NBC Sports
With 2:49 left in the fourth quarter on Sunday, Cowboys returner KaVontae Turpin returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown.

Giants players call team ‘soft’, demand effort after loss – ESPN
Several Giants players said the team played “soft” in a 30-7 loss at home to the Buccaneers.

Mahomes looks for a quieter ending after another Chiefs walk-off – ESPN
Patrick Mahomes said he would “like to win a game (before) the very last game” after the Chiefs beat the Panthers with a field goal as time expired Sunday.

Source: Raiders lose QB Gardner Minshew to broken collarbone – ESPN
Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew suffered a season-ending broken collarbone against the Broncos on Sunday, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter, confirming an NFL Network report.

49ers ’embarrassed’ after 28-point loss, their worst against Packers – ESPN
The 49ers lost to the Packers by 28 points on Sunday, the franchise’s largest margin of defeat in 74 meetings with Green Bay. Linebacker Fred Warner said, “This is probably one of the worst I’ve been a part of.”

Eagles DE Brandon Graham, CB Darius Slay injured in win – ESPN
Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham will miss the rest of the season after tearing his left triceps Sunday night in Los Angeles. Philadelphia also saw cornerback Darius Slay leave early with a concussion.

Seahawks close wild week with victory, share first in NFC West – ESPN
The Seahawks overcame a power outage at their team’s headquarters this week and then overwhelmed Kyler Murray and the Cardinals on Sunday for a share of first place in the NFC West.

Bear kicker Cairo Santos accepts blame for ‘stinking’ with blocks – ESPN
Like the Packers last week, the Vikings said they saw an opportunity to block Bears kicker Cairo Santos, who said he took the blame for “the stink” on the field goal.

2024 NFL season, week 12: What we learned from Sunday’s games
Around The NFL breaks down what you need to know about all of Sunday’s action in Week 12 of the 2024 NFL season.