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DENVER -- Brandon McManus kicked a 36-yard field goal with six seconds remaining, completing a fourth-quarter rally from a nine-point deficit as the Denver Broncos edged the Oakland Raiders 20-19 Sunday. Case Keenum threw for 222 yards, completing 19-of-35 passes, and ran for a key touchdown in the fourth quarter. Rookie running back Phillip Lindsay led the Broncos' running attack with 107 yards.
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In keeping the Raiders (0-2) winless, the Broncos overcame a sterling performance by quarterback Derek Carr, who completed 29-of-32 throws for 288 yards.
The game was played in steamy conditions. The kickoff temperature of 92 degrees marked the hottest home game in team history.
Down by nine going into the fourth quarter, the Broncos pulled within 19-17 with 5:58 to play on a one-yard touchdown run by Keenum. He dived into the end zone on a quarterback draw, spreading out the Raiders' defense just enough to squeeze through two goal-line defenders.
After forcing a Raiders punt, the Broncos took possession at their 20-yard line with 1:58 remaining. Denver got out of a second-and-20 hole from its 10 with a 21-yard completion from Keenum to Emmanuel Sanders.
Moments later, facing a second-and-10 at the Raiders' 44, Keenum hit Tim Patrick with a short pass on the left side and the wide receiver turned it into a 26-yard gain to the Oakland 18.
McManus came on to drill the winning field goal for the Broncos (2-0).
Denver's offense got on track in the third quarter, with Keenum guiding the Broncos on a 75-yard march that rookie running back Royce Freeman capped with a one-yard touchdown run, narrowing Oakland's lead to 12-7 with 9:06 remaining in the third quarter.
The Broncos' drive was aided by an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Raiders defensive end Bruce Irvin and came after replay review reversed the call of a four-yard touchdown catch by Patrick, who bobbled the ball slightly as he hit the ground.
The Raiders answered with a 75-yard drive of their own, rebuilding their lead to 19-7 when Carr connected on a 20-yard scoring pass to Seth Roberts with 5:25 remaining in the third quarter.
Denver fought back to within 19-10 on McManus' 39-yard field late in the third quarter. The Broncos settled for the field goal after their challenge of an incompletion in the end zone was rejected by replay review, which determined that rookie wide receiver Courtland Sutton had one of his feet out of bounds when he made the catch.
Lynch's short touchdown run and two Mike Nugent field goals put the Raiders up 12-0 at halftime. Linebacker Shaquil Barrett broke through the middle to block the extra point attempt that followed the only touchdown of the first half.
Nugent finished Oakland's initial possession with a 26-yard field goal and its first of the second quarter with a 46-yarder.
The Raiders' initial touchdown drive gained traction with a 20-yard completion from Carr to tight end Jared Cook and was extended on a third-down defensive holding penalty on cornerback Adam Jones, negating an incompletion. Another 20-yard completion to Cook got the Raiders within striking distance and Lynch carried twice from inside the 10, breaking into the end zone from one yard out on the second carry.
Denver's best early offensive sequence followed a 53-yard run by Lindsay, who found daylight on a draw play and advanced the ball to the Oakland 23. But three plays later, Keenum's pass intended for tight end Jake Butt was picked off by cornerback Rashaan Melvin near the goal line when Keenum tried to thread the ball between two defenders.
NOTES: The previous high temperature for a Broncos regular-season home game was 91 degrees on three different occasions, most recently on Sept. 19, 2010, against Seattle. ... Broncos lineman Jared Veldheer left the game in the first half with a head injury. He was later ruled out of the game with a concussion. ... A first-quarter sack and forced fumble of Raiders QB Derek Carr by Broncos LB Von Miller was negated by a defensive holding penalty by Denver LB Todd Davis. ... LB Shaquil Barrett's block of a PAT in the second quarter was the first by the Broncos since S Justin Simmons also blocked an extra point attempt against New Orleans on Nov. 13, 2016. ... Phillp Lindsay's 53-yard run was the longest rushing play by the Broncos since running back Justin Forsett had a 64-yard run in the 2016 season finale, also against Oakand.
