Dominant defense keys Raiders’ victory over Broncos

Raiders interim coach Rich Bisaccia cycled through superlatives Sunday, searching for the perfect one to describe the defensive effort that powered a 17-13 victory over the Denver Broncos at Allegiant Stadium.

Outstanding. Phenomenal. Awesome.

“It was a relentless, competitive effort down in and down in and down in and down in,” Bisaccia said. “Can’t say enough about how excited we are about the way our defense played.”

The Raiders allowed 18 yards rushing on 16 attempts to the Broncos, who had averaged 123.8 yards in the previous 14 games on 4.5 yards per carry. The total equals the third worst in a game in Broncos history while doubling for the Raiders as their best effort against the run since Dec. 21, 2014, when they held the Buffalo Bills to 13 yards.

All without veteran defensive tackle and run stuffer Johnathan Hankins, who didn’t play because of a back injury.

“In our room, it’s the next man up mentality,” defensive end Maxx Crosby said after recording a sack and two tackles for loss. “That’s what we emphasize, our whole group, next man up. And just being able to have guys rotate in and be able to contribute in any way.”

Crosby made a point to credit defensive tackles Darius Philon, Solomon Thomas and Quinton Jefferson, who collectively combined to fill Hankins’ void. The depth across the defensive front allowed the Raiders to rotate players, ensuring they would remain spry throughout the game.

The defensive game plan called for the Raiders to crowd the tackle box and limit Denver running backs Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams, tasking a depleted secondary with covering standout wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton.

The gaping holes through which the Broncos were accustomed to running did not exist, and Gordon lost 4 yards on seven carries while Williams rushed for 12 yards and a touchdown on seven carries.

Backup quarterback Drew Lock rushed for the other 10 on two broken plays, but he could not punish the Raiders’ secondary sans Trayvon Mullen and Nate Hobbs, who played on special teams.

Lock completed 15 of 22 passes for 153 harmless yards and could not effectively push the ball down the field. The Broncos were 1 of 10 on third down and totaled 158 yards.

The Raiders hadn’t held an opponent to fewer than 200 yards since Dec. 15, 2012.

The effort helped the Raiders overcome three turnovers and another uninspiring offensive outing. They’ve scored 17 points or fewer in seven of their past eight games.

“We’ve tried to screw it up for (the defense) a few times, but they’ve done a great job of stopping the run,” wide receiver Hunter Renfrow said. “That’s where it starts. It starts from the inside out. It gives you a lot of confidence because you don’t have to be perfect, and you know the defense is going to have your back no matter what.”

Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.