Whether it was the goal or not, the Denver Broncos have become the most battle-tested team in the NFL. Outside of two games this year, Denver has played its opponents close.

The players and fans alike needed a game with little worry. The Broncos’ win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday was exactly that. Las Vegas made a late run, but Denver was never really in danger.

After playing almost exclusively in one-score games for the first 13 games of the season and before facing four good teams over the final stretch of the season, it was important to Denver to win an easy one in convincing fashion.

Today’s Hottest Take: Run Game Needed Easy Matchup

The Broncos didn’t struggle much in their 24-17 win over the Raiders, but the run game needed to have a big day. Since J.K. Dobbins’ season-ending injury, rookie RJ Harvey has struggled to find his footing in the backfield. In the two games before Sunday, Harvey combined for 65 yards on 24 carries — less than three yards per carry.

This weekend was a different story, though. His 75 rushing yards weren’t jaw-dropping, but his 4.4 yards per carry on 17 carries were promising. That, paired with his six catches for 25, showed the vision for Harvey.

Washington and Kansas City aren’t stout interiors, but they’re respectable units. The Raiders, though, were a perfect get-right opponent for the Denver rushing attack.

Harvey often is best in space, as his vision lacks real consistency, but coach Sean Payton and the offense have put him in plenty of different spots to see where he is best used, and with him taking the lead back duties, he needs to be a more well-rounded back.

Against the Raiders, he found plenty of success on outside runs. Harvey had just a couple of runs in between the guards and was highly efficient on the day. While Las Vegas doesn’t have a great run defense, they knew the Broncos were going to run the ball a lot, especially down the stretch, but Harvey was still efficient.

Harvey ran 13 times against a stacked box and produced 60 yards — the second-most by a Broncos rusher in the Next Gen Stats era — and a touchdown on those looks. He had 10 successful runs against a stacked box — the most in an NFL game since Derrick Henry in Week 8 of 2022.

The competition from opposing defensive lines will continue to ramp up, but it was important for Harvey to find some success before the games get too important.

What You Need To Know: Denver Now Leads the Conference With an Important Tie-Breaker

Despite having the same record, 11-2, as the New England Patriots, Denver now sits atop the AFC. If the Broncos do their part down the stretch, they have the chance to earn home-field advantage through the AFC championship and a bye week for the first round.

The Broncos swept the Raiders, whom New England lost to to start the season, giving the Broncos the edge among common opponents. The rest of the schedule looks to be fairly challenging, though.

Denver will face the Jacksonville Jaguars, Green Bay Packers and Los Angeles Chargers, all of which are nine-win teams. The only opponent against a team with a losing record happens to be the Kansas City Chiefs.

Denver is also fortunate that it has the fan base that it does. The fans took over Allegiant Stadium on Sunday, and with all but the Chiefs game being played at home, Payton and his team likely view themselves as the favorites in each of those matchups.

Before You Go: The Wide Receiver Room May Need Some Shuffling

Going into this past offseason, one of the rumblings was that Denver needed more targets on the outside. Instead of making a big move, though, Denver spent a third-round pick on Pat Bryant and banked on internal development at wide receiver.

For the most part, that plan has been effective enough. Courtland Sutton still is a great player, Troy Franklin is much improved, Marvin Mims Sr. is a solid playmaker and Bryant has become a reliable target.

Yet a seemingly inconsequential move has changed the DNA of the room. As other Broncos fans may have done, I sighed when Denver brought Lil’Jordan Humphrey back after his release from the New York Giants.

Humphrey is a solid player and a good run blocker, which is the reason Payton loves him so much, but his presence takes away valuable reps from more explosive receivers that need to be a part of the offense. Last week, Humphrey had 28 reps, according to Pro Football Focus. Franklin was on the field for 19, and Mims got 20 on offense. Sure, the game script didn’t demand pass-catchers; it favored Humphrey’s run blocking.

Though that can’t continue going forward in more pass-heavy games. At this point, Bryant is viewed as the WR2, behind Sutton and Franklin is on the field the third-most.

While Sutton and Bryant are great players, Payton can’t let run plays keep Franklin off the field. Sutton and Bryant don’t have the same explosiveness that Franklin exhibits, and when the offense is looking for a spark, Franklin is a frequent source.