Marvin Mims has become a game changer for the Broncos
Nov 25, 2024, 7:14 AM
The Denver Broncos beat the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 12 by a score of 29-19. It was the first time they won a game since the Raiders moved to Sin City years ago.
With five games left in their season, the team has a 7-5 record. The Broncos now have around a 70 percent chance to make the playoffs. Broncos head coach Sean Payton liked the way his team battled in a road playoff game.
“Look, gritty, good team win. Tough. Defensively, man, we battled, especially with some short fields. We met Tuesday as a staff. It wasn’t a matter of if, it was when they were going to run a fake punt. When you’re struggling as a team like this, we had it on the keys to victory, so credit them, they executed it.” Payton said.
Here are three observations from the Broncos win over the Raiders in Week 12.
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Devaughn Vele making plays
The Broncos are looking for more weapons for rookie quarterback Bo Nix. Well, they need to look no further than the guy who has shown strong chemistry with him since rookie minicamp months ago. That player is none other than rookie wide receiver Devaughn Vele.
Over the last three weeks, Vele has emerged as a favorite target for Nix. Opposite of Courtland Sutton, Vele is making plays regularly for the Broncos. He’s received 18 targets over the last three games, and Vele has gathered in 14 catches for 185 yards and one touchdown.
Against the Raiders, Vele helped move the chains with big plays. He caught six passes for 80 yards, and Vele continued to be a consistent target for Nix. It makes sense the Broncos added Vele in the seventh round because Payton has always had an affinity for larger receivers.
“They’re healthier, longer. They’re built for this game. That doesn’t mean we’re opposed to a smaller receiver. The smaller receivers have to walk on water, though. Then we’re excited about them.” Payton said.
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Marvin Mims changes the game
In his second pro season, Marvin Mims had to wait his turn to make plays on the offense. Mims is a dangerous return man, and he was a Pro Bowler last year because of it, but he wanted to do more on offense in 2024.
It took some time, but Payton has figured out how to use Mims in a “joker” role for his offense. That role is usually for running backs or tight ends, but Mims is a player who can line up in multiple positions. He is lining up in the backfield like a running back over the last few weeks, and Mims is attacking defenses as both a runner and a receiver.
In addition to Mims opening the door with his play, he’s also earning trust from Nix. When the chips are down, Payton can draw up a play to get Mims the ball in space. Even when Mims is in tight space, he’s got the speed to make defenders take bad angles to make the play. Nix knows how critical the emergence of Mims on offense has been to his team.
“Well, it’s huge. He has big play element to his game. When he’s on the field, they have to play like that. We’re not just putting him in there at back and throwing it to him. He’s getting carries now. He’s just playing well in what we’re doing. Whatever we ask him to do, he’s taking it and he’s running with it and he’s doing a great job. Whether we’re using him as just a motion guy to draw defense, getting him the ball, asking him to run a route, go deep, get a handoff, he’s doing it really well. Since we’ve been doing that, we added explosive plays to our offense. Defense is trying to find where everybody is at because we’re using so many personnels.” Nix said.
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Broncos never lose that edge
At halftime, the Broncos were down but they were not out. It was 13-9 at intermission, but the Broncos made the proper adjustments in the second half. They were not winning on third down in the first half, and their drives stalled because of it. In the second half, Denver was much better when they needed to move the chains.
Not only did they make adjustments that worked, but the Broncos also never lost that edge to win. They didn’t think “here we go again” when things went awry. Instead, they showed complete belief in each other and went out to make plays to win the game.
Nix is a big part of the team’s mindset. He is a confident player, and his teammates respond to the energy he brings on an every-down basis.
“Our defense played really well again from start to finish. They were put on the field a lot at the end of the game, had to make some key stops. They did. So it was a complete team win. Very resilient from our guys. But just never lost that edge. We never lost the faith on the sideline. Always kind of figured we were going to find a way to win. That’s what marks a good team.” Nix said.
