Broncos Pro Bowl rookie returner Marvin Mims Jr. aims for more of an impact from scrimmage in '24

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Rookie Marvin Mims Jr. is looking forward to attending the NFL's annual all-star festivities in Orlando, Florida, next month after becoming the first Denver Broncos returner selected as a Pro Bowl starter since Glyn Milburn in 1995.

“I don't want to 'fanboy,' but I want to fit in, act cool,” Mims said Friday.

What he's really eager to do, though, is carve himself a bigger role from scrimmage in 2024 and make himself more of a deep-threat option for whomever is under center for the Broncos after Jarrett Stidham supplanted Russell Wilson last week.

So, he'll look over his film once the season ends Sunday in Las Vegas and try to make that proverbial big leap into his second NFL season.

“Yeah, kind of just learn from this year, look back at everything, review it, go train in the offseason, kind of just build on myself,” Mims said. “Now I kind of know what to expect going into Year 2, not as blindsided as I was this year as a rookie.”

Mims flashed big-play ability throughout the season. He had two catches for 113 yards, including a 60-yard touchdown, against Washington in Week 2 and returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown a week later at Miami.

But his snaps on offense were sparse most of the season even as he continued to make a name for himself as a punt and kickoff returner.

The second-round draft pick out of Oklahoma had a 17.4-yard punt return average to go with a 26.3-yard average on kickoffs.

Mims, who missed last weekend's game against the Chargers with a tight hamstring, has 621 combined return yards, the most by a Broncos rookie since wide receiver Eddie Royal had 740 in 2008.

Mims knows he needs to run crisper routes to get more than the 32 targets he's gotten on offense this season.

“Obviously, he's got speed, so just his transition, which is not bad on his part by any stretch. but just working on the stop/start stuff,” offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said when asked what Mims can do to improve his route-running next season.

Sims has 21 catches for 316 yards and a touchdown this season.

He's the fifth Broncos rookie selected to the Pro Bowl and first since running back Phillip Lindsay in 2018. The others were linebackers Von Miller (2011) and Jim Fraser (1962) and fullback Donnie Stone (1961).

“Man, how cool for Marvin,” safety Justin Simmons said. “His rookie year to come in and be selected as a starter. Obviously, well-deserved.”

Simmons and cornerback Patrick Surtain II also were selected Pro Bowl starters.

NOTES: Surtain also won the Demaryius Thomas team MVP award as selected by the Denver chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America. He also won it last season. And free agent right tackle Mike McGlinchey won the Darrent Williams “Good Guy” award which honors the legacy of the young cornerback, who was killed on New Year's Day 2007.

Stidham in familiar situation in return to Las Vegas when the Broncos play the Raiders

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A benching of a high-profile quarterback with two games left?

Yeah, Jarrett Stidham has been here before.

A year ago, he stepped in for Derek Carr as the Las Vegas Raiders concluded their season. This season, he's doing it in place of Russell Wilson at the tail end of the Denver Broncos' season.

Now past meets present Sunday as Stidham returns to Las Vegas and the Broncos (8-8) to play the Raiders (7-9) in the season finale for both teams.

“I spent a year there and made a lot of relationships with a lot people,” Stidham said. “But I'm here now, so I'm looking forward to playing against those guys. I did it in practice, obviously, all last year.”

Stidham went 0-2 in both his Las Vegas starts, but gave the San Francisco 49ers fits with 365 yards and three touchdown passes in a 37-34 loss.

“I think for him that first start against a really good defense opened a lot of people’s eyes,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said. "I don’t know that anyone saw that coming.”

Stidham's other start last season was a 31-13 loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.

Stidham finally broke through Sunday with his first career victory, 16-9 over the Los Angeles Chargers.

“I went against Stid all year last year on the scout (team), so I know a couple of his tricks,” Raiders cornerback Nate Hobbs said. “I think he's a really good player. What he did last year against the 49ers and what he showed this year when he got his chance, he takes full advantage of every chance he gets to step on the field.”

SLUMP BUSTERS

The Broncos may have extended their playoff drought to eight years, but they ended some embarrassing skids within the AFC West.

Denver vanquished its 16-game losing skid to the Chiefs with a resounding Week 8 win over the Chiefs in Denver and beat the Chargers on the road for the first time since 2019. Now, they’re out to halt their seven-game losing streak to the Raiders with their first win in Las Vegas in four tries.

“I don’t even know that I was aware that we had lost that many games to Las Vegas/Oakland,” Payton said. “I think what would be important for us is to get to our ninth win.”

That would snap another ignominious streak for the Broncos, who haven’t posted a winning season since 2016.

ANOTHER GRAND FOR ADAMS

Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams has reached 1,000 yards receiving each of the past four seasons. But with Las Vegas out of the running for the playoffs, Adams didn't want to make too big a deal about it.

“If we were in a better position as a team, it’d be more enjoyable, but obviously it’s a good notch to be able to hit,” he said. "But 1,000 yards is not really my mark for what I consider necessarily a good season. Obviously, it’s good because in everybody else’s mind it means so much, but I also had two seasons of 997 and they acted like I didn’t have 1,000 yards that year.”

Adams came three yards about from 1,000 in 2016 and 2019. If he had reached it in 2019, his streak would be at six seasons.

CROSBY HONORED BY TEAMMATES

Defensive end Maxx Crosby won the Commitment to Excellence Award for the third year in a row, a Raiders team honor voted on by teammates.

Crosby has 13 1/2 sacks, 21 tackles for loss and 88 tackles, but perhaps more impressively, he seldom comes off the field even while playing with a lingering knee injury. He has played 95% of defensive snaps and in nine games didn't leave field while on defense.

“I can't speak highly enough of this guy,” Stidham said. “Being with him every day for a year, seeing how he works, I don't know if I've ever seen a player play that hard for that long every single time he's out on the field. So he's going to bring it. We have to be ready. He's one of the best in the league for a reason.”

Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II received the Demaryius Thomas Team MVP Award, which was voted on by the Denver chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America.

MUSICAL CHAIRS AT QB

Left tackle Garett Bolles is the longest-tenured offensive player in Denver and he came close this week but couldn’t quite name all 13 quarterbacks for whom he has blocked for during his seven seasons.

He slipped on the very last one, saying Case Keenum again instead of Stidham.

“You know, it’s a tough situation, that things happen around here. I think it was my 13th quarterback that I blocked for,” Bolles said. “So, it’s frustrating for me, especially. But at the same time, that’s who Coach wanted, and I’ve gotta do my job.”

DENVER (8-8) at LAS VEGAS (7-9)

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EST, Fox.

OPENING LINE: Raiders by 2 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

AGAINST THE SPREAD: Broncos 6-9-1, Raiders 9-6-1.

SERIES RECORD: Raiders lead Broncos 71-53-2.

LAST MEETING: Raiders beat Broncos 17-16 on Sept. 10 in Denver.

LAST WEEK: Broncos beat Chargers 16-9, Raiders lost to Colts 23-20.

BRONCOS OFFENSE: OVERALL (26), RUSH (17), PASS (26), SCORING (T-17).

BRONCOS DEFENSE: OVERALL (30), RUSH (31), PASS (T-22), SCORING (T-25).

RAIDERS OFFENSE: OVERALL (29), RUSH (30), PASS (23), SCORING (27).

RAIDERS DEFENSE: OVERALL (15), RUSH (22), PASS (10), SCORING (8).

TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Broncos plus-6; Raiders minus-3.

BRONCOS PLAYER TO WATCH: QB Jarrett Stidham gets his second start since Russell Wilson was benched despite having thrown 26 touchdown passes, which was sixth best in the NFL. Stidham wasn't much of an upgrade over Wilson in his season debut last week against the Chargers, but drew praise from coach Sean Payton for his poise and for not having any turnovers. Stidham started the final two games for Las Vegas last season after Derek Carr was benched.

RAIDERS PLAYER TO WATCH: DE Maxx Crosby. He has gone three games without a sack, keeping him at 13 1/2 for the season, seventh highest in the NFL. Crosby has been dealing with a lingering knee injury and he constantly faces double teams, so his drop-off in production isn't a shock. But even when Crosby doesn't get to the quarterback, he still makes a major impact by creating opportunities for his teammates to make plays.

KEY MATCHUP: Raiders WR Davante Adams vs. Broncos CB Pat Surtain II. They've had some memorable matchups, including in this season's opener when Surtain helped hold Adams to six catches for 66 yards. But it also was Adams who faked out Surtain on an over route last season in Denver to catch a wide-open 35-yard touchdown pass in overtime.

KEY INJURIES: Broncos OLB Baron Browning and WR Courtland Sutton are both recovering from concussions that sidelined them last week, but were full participants in Thursday's practice. RT Mike McGlinchey (ribs) got hurt against the Chargers and S Delarrin Turner-Yell was placed on IR this week with a torn ACL he suffered last week. ... Las Vegas RB Josh Jacobs (quadriceps), TE Michael Mayer (toe) and T Thayer Munford (knee/illness) were held out of Thursday's practice. Jacobs has missed the past three games and Mayer the past two. Munford was injured Sunday at Indianapolis.

SERIES NOTES: Las Vegas has won the past seven meetings — its longest active streak against any team — and nine of 10 games. ... The Raiders are 3-0 against Denver in Las Vegas. ... The Broncos' most recent victory in the series was a 16-15 win on Dec. 29, 2019, in Denver. ... Three of the past four meetings were decided by one possession.

STATS AND STUFF: The Broncos' playoff drought is at eight years. They haven't been back to the postseason since winning Super Bowl 50. But they have a chance for their first winning season since 2016 when they went 9-7. However, a victory could be bad for their QB plans in 2024 as it could drop them from 14th in the NFL draft order to 18th. A loss and some luck could move them up to 11th. ... Jarrett Stidham is the 14th quarterback to start for Denver since Hall of Famer Peyton Manning retired in 2016. ... ILB Alex Singleton has a career-high 162 tackles eight shy of LB Michael Brooks' 1992 total for most tackles by a Broncos player in a single season. Singleton is one of just three NFL players with a dozen games with double-digit tackles in a single season, joining LB Zach Thomas (2005) and LB Foyesade Oluokun (2021). ... The Raiders have missed the playoffs in 19 of the past 21 seasons. ... Crosby's 88 tackles ties a career high, and he is the second defensive lineman since 2000 to have 85 or more in back-to-back seasons. Miami's Christian Wilkins is the other player, accomplishing that feat in 2021-22. Crosby also is two tackles from becoming the third defensive lineman since 2000 to get 90 in a season. ... Las Vegas has committed 31 penalties since Antonio Pierce became the interim coach in Week 9, tied for the lowest total over that time. ... Adams is two receptions from his fourth consecutive 100-catch season. Only Buffalo's Stefon Diggs has done that over the past four seasons. Antonio Brown, who had six consecutive seasons with Pittsburgh from 2013-18, holds the NFL record.

FANTASY TIP: Raiders defense. Las Vegas is in the top 10 in scoring and passing defense, and the Broncos offense is among the league's worst. Jarrett Stidham, who last season played for the Raiders, get his second straight start at quarterback. He picked up his first career victory in Sunday's 16-9 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.