The Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson gives his scouting report for Thursday night’s game between the Broncos (7-2) and Raiders (2-6) at Empower Field at Mile High:

Offense

After a 44-34 win over Dallas, Denver’s inconsistent offense returned in last Sunday’s 18-15 win at Houston. But the Cowboys have a woeful defense while the Texans have the NFL’s best. The Broncos did overcome a 15-7 fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Texans. Bo Nix completed just 18 of 37 passes for 173 yards but threw two TD passes. Denver will look to get the running game going again after J.K. Dobbins had a pedestrian 61 yards at Houston. Raiders quarterback Geno Smith has been erratic, throwing 11 touchdowns against 11 interceptions. He has tight end Brock Bowers, who missed time earlier in the season with a knee injury but had 12 catches for 127 yards and three TDs in Sunday’s 30-29 overtime loss to Jacksonville. Rookie running back Ashton Jeanty has been OK but not spectacular, rushing for 487 yards while averaging 3.9 per carry.

Advantage: Broncos

Defense

The Broncos are No. 3 in the NFL in total defense and No. 4 in scoring defense. They will be without star cornerback Pat Surtain (pectoral) for the second straight game, but Kris Abrams-Draine and others have made up well for his absence. Linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who missed seven of the first eight games, is getting into a groove. He had a sack at Houston, making him the 16th player to have a sack stat for Denver. Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby has five sacks and can, at times, be a one-man wrecking crew. He has 15.5 sacks in 12 career games against the Broncos. In his first Raiders season, former Pro Bowl linebacker Devin White has provided a solid veteran presence. Safety Isaiah Pola-Mao has a team-high two interceptions.

Advantage: Broncos

Coaching

Two Super Bowl-winning coaches meet. The Broncos’ Sean Payton won a Lombardi Trophy in the 2009 season with New Orleans and the Raiders’ Pete Carroll hoisted one in the 2013 season with Seattle, defeating the Broncos 43-8. Carroll also led the Seahawks to the Super Bowl the next season, falling 28-24 to New England. When Carroll, 74, was hired earlier this year, it made Payton, 61, the youngest coach in the AFC West, also trailing Kansas City’s Andy Reid, 67, and the Los Angeles Chargers’ Jim Harbaugh, 61. “I thanked him when he took the job,’’ Payton quipped. With the Broncos on a six-game winning streak, Payton has plenty more to smile about than Carroll, whose Raiders have lost six of their last seven. Carroll, who went 6-10 in his first season with the New York Jets in 1994, is in jeopardy of having the worst record in his 19 NFL coaching years.

Advantage: Broncos

Intangibles

The Broncos have won nine straight games at home, the NFL’s longest active winning streak. Denver will be without solid wide receiver and All-Pro returner Marvin Mims Jr. for the second straight game due to a concussion. After a 20-13 win at New England in the opener, the Raiders have lost three straight road games, having been outscored 112-30. After losing eight straight games to the Raiders from 2020-23, the Broncos swept the series 2-0 last season against their AFC West rival. With the Raiders having traded disgruntled Jakobi Meyers to Jacksonville on Tuesday for fourth- and sixth-round draft picks, they are weakened at wide receiver. But Tre Tucker has had some good moments, catching 32 passes for 427 yards and four TDs. The Broncos have to make sure they don’t take the Raiders lightly and aren’t looking ahead to the Nov. 16 AFC West showdown against Kansas City.

Advantage: Broncos