DENVER — Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos didn’t simply wish to recover nearest an offseason transformation — they sought after to start out cranking out extra wins.

However they posted simply 16 issues in Sunday’s season-opening loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, dropping by means of one ranking (17-16), and Wilson used to be as soon as once more searching for the elusive “yet one more play games.’’ It used to be Denver’s 7th consecutive loss to Las Vegas.

“Felt like we had alternatives,’’ Wilson mentioned nearest the 2 groups mixed for simply 13 possessions general. “ … We unquestionably performed the kind of soccer we wish to play games, we simply must create yet one more play games.’’

Wilson did display advanced potency and timeliness together with his throws in his regular-season debut below educator Sean Payton’s offense. He used to be 17-of-19 passing earlier than halftime for 125 yards and two touchdowns. He controlled to paintings the trim and intermediate routes successfully, however he used to be sacked more than one instances for the sixteenth consecutive recreation — the longest lively streak within the NFL.

He finished passes to 8 other avid gamers within the first part, and his two landing passes earlier than halftime supposed he had already completed one thing within the opener he did in handiest 3 video games closing season. A unmistakable alternate used to be in Wilson’s motion out of doors of the patch the place he used to be 8-of-11 for 79 yards, in keeping with ESPN Stats & Knowledge. Each landing throws got here when he used to be out of doors of the patch and below duress. That 73% final touch fee used to be his perfect in any recreation since Presen 13 in 2020.

“We began off sizzling, however sadly, we weren’t in a position to get the activity completed,’’ mentioned broad receiver Courtland Sutton. “On the finish of the past, the ethical victories, I’m roughly simply pushing the ones to the aspect. It’s extra of simply getting the activity completed, and we weren’t in a position to get that completed.”

With wide receiver Jerry Jeudy out due to a hamstring injury and Tim Patrick having been lost for the season early in training camp, they had two receivers in the game, Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Phillip Dorsett, who were elevated from the practice squad Saturday.

Wilson had his worst season as a pro in 2022 — a career-low 16 touchdown passes and a career-most 55 sacks — as the Broncos finished the season as the league’s lowest-scoring offense at 16.9 points per game. Along the way, the Broncos had seemingly mastered the art of the oh-so-close loss, with 11 games when they scored 16 or fewer points and seven of those ending in losses.

An improved Wilson may be a good place to start in Week 1, but there is still a long road ahead for this offense.

“Best thing we can do is make one more play,’’ Wilson said. “ … We’re excited about who we are and [the] biggest thing is to continue to push.’’

Payton has labored to tailor the offense extra to Wilson’s strengths life additionally looking to channel the top-5 offense Payton ran with the Brandnew Orleans Saints. In Sunday’s first part, Wilson used to be decisive, fast with the ball and the Broncos scored touchdowns on two in their 3 possessions within the first part.

However tight finish Greg Dulcich, one of the crucial avid gamers Payton had expressed optimism concerning the possible matchup issues for defenses, left the sport with a leg trauma early in the second one part. And with out Jeudy or Dulcich, the Broncos’ 3 possessions in the second one part led to a ignored 55-yard farmland function by means of Wil Lutz, a 24-yard farmland function by means of Lutz and the Broncos’ handiest three-and-out of the past of their closing ownership of the sport.

“General, our pace used to be worthy, I feel it may be higher,’’ Payton mentioned. “We had been a modest sporadic in the second one part. When Greg is going out, that roughly adjustments some team of workers groupings. I wasn’t as happy with it in the second one part.’’

And finally, Wilson used to be exited with a usual consequence.

“Greg is unquestionably a warning,’’ Wilson mentioned. “ … He’s this kind of playmaker, there’s such a lot he can do … However I nonetheless suppose we must have received that recreation.’’