Week 7: Broncos vs. The Raiders Everyone Loves To Hate Preview

The time has finally come for the beloved Broncos to take on their most hated rival, the Chokeland Faiders. And as you can see from above, they already declared themselves losers for Sunday's match-up. ahaha, shocker! It will be an exciting showdown between two teams that go waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back... to a history that will never be forgotten and a rivalry that is one of the strongest in the league.


Offense:

Orton vs. ????. Yep, that's right, we have no clue (neither do the "coaches" for Oakland) who will be the QB opposite Denver's defense. We'll get to that funny fiasco later. As for Orton, what can I say. He's been real solid for us, despite our 4 losses. Up till the Jets game he had a 300-yard game streak going. I can see him getting back on track with that this Sunday. While the Raiders rank 8th in pass defense, that doesn't necessarily mean they will be able to control our WR threats.

As long as our young Oline can protect Orton in the pocket and give him all day long to throw the ball, we'll be able to get the show rolling early on and stay ahead of the game for once. Orton is the #2 league leader in passing yards, just 66 yards behind Crybaby Rivers in SD (gag!!!). I have full confidence in Orton in any game, but this game is the time to really take control of our own destiny. We are playing a rival team, a team that should never be underestimated but we are also playing a team that, well... sucks. (Thanks to good 'ol Al).

So now that funny little fiasco in Raider nation. The two quarterbacks for Oakland that have been taking turns taking snaps have been limited in practice this week, leaving them with one other QB option, Kyle Boller. However, neither Gradkowski or Campbell have been ruled out. No one is sure or even has a clue as to who will be their QB on Sunday. Glad to know we aren't the only team with crazy drama going on. On the other hand, they have the 10th ranked rushing offense in the league with RBs Darren McFadden and Michael Bush. McFadden has gotten the majority of the handoffs but both RBs have proven to be threats to any defense. Even scarier, Denver is the 25th ranked rush defense... we all know what that means. We have had a very tough time putting together our own run game on offense AND stopping the run. Denver has had a few shining moments but both aspects could be a lot better.

While its kind of comical to see Oakland not have a QB they are really confident in ready to play Sunday, they have a run game that can make up for all that. Our defense is going to have to be extra prepared for whoever they put behind center and be prepared for the two RBs ready to cause trouble. Denver will be seeing Moreno back for a second week since returning from his hammy injury and we need him to be at his best. We could be seeing a lot of him too, considering Oakland is 30th in stopping the run. Just for the record, when they played Tennessee, Houston & SF, they let their top RBs run for over 100 yards. This is our golden opportunity to get our running game back on track to where it should be. I would love nothing more than to see Moreno have a 100 yard game (and a win). ;)

With that said, I think this is also our golden chance to have a balanced offense for once. Something this team needs SO bad. I love our passing stats and so on but we need balance more than anything. Our WRs will have good games on Sunday... Brandon Lloyd will be the prime target for Orton as he has been, but he will also be well covered (probably by Asomugha). I do hope though that Thomas will be able to get a few reps... he's someone that can make those unbelievable, jaw-dropping catches even when he is well-covered.

Another area to look at is the inclusion of Tim Tebow in our run game. Last week he had 6 carries for 36 yards and 1 touchdown. Not exactly the stats you expect to see from a QB but I'd rather see him on the field doing anything rather than warming up a bench just for the fun of it. He has started to be included in the overall plan for this team and all I can say is "its about time!". He's a big guy, (with big guns, lol), with the obvious build of a QB and when he put in a game to get some rush yards, he's a tough one to take down. We just need to be careful using him too much, but that shouldn't be a problem seeing as how in the game against the Jets it was the first time we saw him on the field since week 1. We need to look to Moreno to get our run game on track. He had a good game last week... keep it up man!

Both teams are oddly matched... Denver's offense excels at passing but has yet to establish any kind of decent run game and they will be up against the league's 3rd to worst rush defense but the league's 8th ranked pass defense. Look for Denver to start establishing a run game worth talking about. Oakland's offense is just the opposite. They have a strong run game but one of the bottom 10 pass offenses but they will be facing a defense that's not very strong in stopping the run or passing game. But like I always say, anything is possible. It will be an awesome, wild showdown between bitter rivals. Ahh, the joys of football!


Defense:

Denver's defense showed their best performance in last Sunday's match against the Jets since their win in Tennessee nearly 3 weeks ago. After that game they were run over by the bulldozer that is the Baltimore Ravens offense. From there they have picked up their game quite a bit, given the circumstances they faced like having to play without 5 major key defensive players including our very own Weapon X. And for the second straight day (Wed & Thurs), all five of those players missed practice. Denver's ailing defense will have to depend on the back ups again this week in hopes of stopping Oakland's run game and their overall offensive push.

In addition to all that, Denver has 2 more big defensive guys that are listed as questionable for Sunday's game - Champ Bailey & Kevin Vickerson. Without Champ, our defense could be in serious trouble and no doubt they will be tested dearly. Oakland doesn't have near as good of a pass offense as Denver has established but with Champ possibly out, they will test the waters to see what they can muster up and to test our CBs on their best receivers. There will be no room for mistakes like the PI call on Hill last week. We simply cannot afford those mistakes and calls. Denver has no choice but to play smart football this weekend and to get a win out of this game. Against this particular rival, I expect Denver to be at their very best. Remind Oakland of who's house they are playing in and let them know that aren't welcome to come in THE Mile High City and walk out with a win.

Oakland's defense has one bright spot and that is their pass defense (8th in the league). Other than that, they have struggled to stop their opponents from putting up points, putting up big yardage and stopping the run. Our offense needs to take advantage of their weaknesses and show 'em who's boss. Depending on how the game goes it could easily be a close one the whole way or just as easily be a blow out. I prefer for Denver to blow them out of the water. haha Cream those turds!! lol

One thing I really want to see from our defense is more pressure on the QB, whoever that may be. We have to stop giving opposing QBs enough time to do their jobs. So far D.J. Williams leads the team with 2.5 sacks. While that's better than nothing, we have put more pressure on the Oline to get to the QB. Another Oakland player to watch out for is rookie LB Rolando McClain. He hasn't had any INTs or sacks yet, but we can't give him that chance. Denver's Oline will need to be extra prepared for anything as will our defense.

Special Teams:

With WR Eddie Royal possibly missing the game as well, Denver should and possibly will look to rookie DB Syd'Quan "Squid" Thompson to take on punt returns. He got his first regular season NFL action against the Jets and came right out and showed why he will be a key player for us in the future with his first NFL interception. We will be seeing double duty from him since we have become short-handed on defense but I hope to see him excel with punt return duties as well. We saw him in pre-season take punts and he has what it takes to get our special teams back to a respective spot in the NFL. I hope to see a big game from him on defense and ST. It also wouldn't hurt to have him take a few kick returns too. Let the kid do his thing.


Injuries:

The never-ending injury bug just can't seem to leave Denver alone. Getting on my last nerve. The injuries we have that are of big concern are still the five guys we had to play without on defense and again all 5 will be out for the week 7 match-up: Dawkins (knee), Ayers (foot), Woodyard (hammy), Goodman (quadricep) & McBath (ankle). From there the list has grown a bit with Royal (groin), Bailey (ribs) & Vickerson (groin) all listed as questionable. Our defense has a lot on their plate to deal with. Good riddens!

Good news is, Oakland's injury report is longer than ours! ha The 4 guys out for them are: DT Henderson (foot), LB Howard (knee), WR Schilens (knee) & LB Goethel (back). The six questionable players are: TE Myers (concussion), RB Bennett (hammy), S Branch (back), QB Campbell (knee), QB Gradkowski (right shoulder) & RB McFadden (hammy). This will be a weird, weird game. Shaking my head over here. lol

Here is the Bronco-Raider Preview video and trivia questions.

Broncos-Raiders Preview

Trivia Questions: And just for fun, you all should just take wild guesses first before you go look up the answers on Google or wherever. I want to see how close your guesses are to the real answers.

1. How many times did John Elway pass for 3,000 or more yards in his Broncos' career?

2. How many times did Clinton Portis rush for 100 or more yards in his firs two NFL seasons ('02-'03)?

3. What player holds the the Broncos' all-time record with 65 career touchdowns?




Just thought I'd give you all a good laugh. We already know it, but you know the Faiders are pathetic when they have to advertise like this to get a decent GM. LOL, the idiocy that is the Raiders. Too comical.