LAS VEGAS — In a 100-yard effort, arguably RJ Harvey's most impressive play resulted in just a 3-yard gain.
On third-and-2 on the Broncos' opening drive, quarterback Bo Nix swung the ball out to Harvey in the flat — and immediately absorbed a hit from three-time Pro Bowler Jamal Adams.
The Broncos' rookie running back took the hit, shrugged Adams off without his knee touching the ground and raced for the first down.
"That was tremendous balance by RJ on that play," Head Coach Sean Payton said after the game.
The Broncos would go on to score their first opening-drive touchdown since Week 2 and did not trail en route to Sunday's 24-17 win over the Raiders.
Harvey played a significant role in the victory, as the rookie posted 100 scrimmage yards on 23 touches. Both totals represented career highs, and Harvey said the outing is a sign of what's still to come.
"Every week, it's just going to continue to get better," Harvey said. "My confidence is growing. It's going to be great things coming soon."
Harvey was particularly effective against loaded boxes, as he posted the most successful runs against stacked boxes since Derrick Henry in 2022, according to the NFL's NextGen Stats. Harvey carried the ball 17 times for 75 yards while rushing for 60 yards and a score against boxes of eight or more defenders. The second-round pick also caught six passes for 25 yards in the win.
"He did a little bit of everything for us today," tackle Mike McGlinchey said. "Blocked in protection well, he caught the ball well and he ran it well. RJ's coming into form, which is huge for us. We need all hands on deck as we move forward to really, really important football. RJ's taken a huge stop forward, and it's really helping our football team."
Quarterback Bo Nix said Harvey's performance in multiple areas stands out — and that was on display in Sunday's win as the rookie became the sixth rookie since 1990 with at least five rushing touchdowns and four receiving touchdowns.
Harvey's contributions also helped the Broncos post their first game with at least 100 rushing yards since Week 9 and their best overall rushing performance since Week 8. The 152 rushing yards led Denver to nearly double up Las Vegas' time of possession and record four drives of at least 10 plays and three scoring drives of at least eight-and-a-half minutes.
The rushing performance, notably, marked the first time since J.K. Dobbins' injury that Denver topped the 100-yard rushing mark.
"He's growing up quick because of the injury to J.K.," Payton said.
In Sunday's win, Harvey showed that development in a number of ways — including a ninth touchdown that gave him the most scrimmage touchdowns among rookies this season.
"He can do so many different things and do them well," Nix said. "I thought he ran the ball very hard today, was hard to tackle. He had a few plays to where he stayed on his feet after contact. He always does a good job out of the backfield. I'll always say that's one of his greatest traits. He's really starting to get it. He just understands things. He's really not having a whole lot of mental errors.
"He's just playing and just doing his job and doing it at a high level."
