By Jeremy Kahn

photo credit: AP Khalil Mack starred in game in Denver on 12-13-15

If needed Khalil Mack needed a release party to show that he is a defensive stud for the Oakland a Raiders, then this was the game.

Mack picked up five sacks in the second half including one in the end zone for a safety as the a Raiders came back from a 12-0 halftime deficit to defeat the Denver Broncos 15-12 at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.

The five sacks are a NFL season high, and the most by a Raiders player since Howie Long in 1983.

Derek Carr went just 12 of 29 for 135 yards passing and two touchdowns, as the Raiders defeated the Broncos for the first time since September 12, 2011.

Things looked bleak for the Raiders in the first half, as they were held to a minus 12 yards of total offense, the worst total by a team in the NFL since November 1, 1992 when the San Diego Chargers held the Indianapolis Colts to minus five yards.

Carr and the Raiders came out of the locker room, and scored on their initial series of the second half, as Carr found Seth Roberts for an 11-yard touchdown pass. The Raiders then cut the lead down to three points, when Mack sacked Brock Osweiler and guard Max Garcia recovered the ball in the end zone.

The Raiders took the lead for good early in the fourth quarter, as long snapper Jon Condo recovered a muff fumble off of the hands of Emmanuel Sanders, but on the play Condo injured his shoulder. Mychal Rivera caught a 16-yard touchdown pass from Carr to give the Raiders a 15-12 lead, but the two-point conversion failed.

Brandon McManus missed a 49-yard field goal with 10:22 remaining in the game that would have tied the game. Sebastian Janikowski missed a 43-yard field goal that gave the Broncos another chance, but it was a former San Francisco 49ers player that helped them out in the end.

The Broncos began what looked like a game-winning drive, but a wide open former 49ers tight end Vernon Davis dropped a pass in his hands on fourth down.

Unfortunately, the Raiders were unable to close it out and the Broncos were given one more chance; however the defense came up big in the end and Osweiler threw an incomplete pass on fourth down, and the Raiders cemented their sixth victory of the season.