• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Broncos clinch No. 2 seed with win over Raiders

Dec 29, 2014 - 3:18 AM Denver, CO (SportsNetwork.com) - Denver scored on three of its first four drives, and C.J. Anderson finished with three touchdowns as the Broncos beat the Oakland Raiders 47-14 to clinch a first-round bye in the postseason.

Anderson ran for 87 yards on 13 carries to help Denver (12-4) out-gain Oakland 451-199.

Peyton Manning completed 21-of-37 passes for 273 yards but did not throw any touchdowns for just the second time in his Broncos career. Demaryius Thomas caught eight passes for 115 yards.

"I feel good about this team," said Broncos coach John Fox. "I'll feel better, I think, after a week's rest with a bye week and getting some guys healthy."

The Raiders (3-13) only received one touchdown from their offense, a 1-yard pass from Derek Carr to Jamize Olawale. Their other score came on a fumble return by Keith McGill.

Oakland secured its third consecutive losing season.

Carr threw for 158 yards and an interception on 18-of-36 passing. He also lost a fumble in the setback.

Latavius Murray led Oakland in rushing and receiving with 37 yards on the ground and 60 through the air on four catches.

The Broncos scored 10 points on their first two possessions with a Connor Barth field goal and Anderson's first touchdown of the game.

On their third possession, Manning's screen pass to Emmanuel Sanders was batted behind the line of scrimmage by Justin Tuck, causing a fumble. McGill picked up the ball at the 18-yard line and ran into the end zone. Replay confirmed the on-field ruling of a backward pass and Oakland's touchdown that cut Denver's lead to 10-7.

The Broncos offense got back to work immediately and moved ahead 17-7. Manning hit Sanders for 31 yards on 3rd-and-2 and Anderson finished the drive with his second score of the day, this time from a yard out.

"We just ran into a better team," said Raiders safety Charles Woodson. "That's the bottom line. Today, Denver is a better team than we are."

The Raiders finally moved the chains for the first time in the game on their fifth possession when Mychal Rivera caught a 14-yard pass on 3rd-and-7.

Denver finished the first half with a 56-yard drive capped off by Barth's 36- yard field goal to give the Broncos a 20-7 lead at the break. Their defense limited the Raiders to 45 yards of offense and one first down.

After halftime, Denver picked up where it left off with a 76-yard kick return by Omar Bolden. Two plays later, Anderson rushed for a 25-yard touchdown where he ran through several would-be tacklers.

The Raiders offense finally generated a big play on the ensuing drive. Carr found Murray on a short crossing pattern that turned into a 46-yard catch-and- run, and then finished the 10-play, 80-yard drive with a 1-yard pass to Olawale in the back of the end zone.

On the next drive, Thomas dropped a pass in the end zone, and the Broncos had to settle for a 35-yard field goal from Barth to make it a 30-14 game.

In the fourth quarter, Lerentee McCray forced a fumble while sacking Carr. Tony Carter recovered the fumble and returned it for a touchdown to add to Denver's huge lead. Brock Osweiler relieved Manning on the Broncos' last possession of the game and threw his first career touchdown to Virgil Green, who also broke through for his first NFL score.

Game Notes

Denver has won seven straight against Oakland ... The Broncos finished 8-0 at home for the sixth time in team history ... The Raiders finished winless on the road and have lost 10 straight away from home ... Thomas' 1,619 receiving yards this season set a Denver single-season record ... Broncos guard Orlando Franklin left the game with a concussion ... The Raiders have not finished above .500 in 12 seasons ... Oakland's Darren McFadden appeared in all 16 games for the first time in his career.