Oakland Raiders Schedule Release: 6 Games The Team Should Circle Now
By Kevin Saito
Jan 11, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) against the Indianapolis Colts in the 2014 AFC Divisional playoff football game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Colts defeated the Broncos 24-13. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Week #5 Denver Broncos
The surest path to the playoffs is by winning your division. And to win your division, you are going to have to win some division games – which isn’t something the Raiders have done well for a while now. Not only will you have to win some division games, you are also going to have to knock off the king of the AFC West – the Denver Broncos.
Beating the Broncos is almost as rare as winning on the East Coast for the Raiders. In two games in 2014, the Broncos outscored the Raiders 88-31, and swept the season series. What’s even more maddening than the lopsided point differential, is the fact that at one point in the November game in the Coliseum, the Raiders – behind an attacking and disruptive defense – dominated the Broncos in the first half, and got out to a ten point lead. It was a lead that proved to be short lived. Very short lived, as the Broncos cruised to a 41-17 victory.
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Denver hasn’t done much this offseason other than lose players via free agency. Peyton Manning certainly began to look his age last season, and there are some question marks around this Broncos’ team. But Denver still has Manning, and it still has Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. And anytime you have a trio who is potentially that explosive, they cannot be counted out.
Finding a way to beat Denver would be a very important first step for Oakland. Not only would it be an important division win, it would be a win over a team they’ve had precious little success against, and a team that is widely considered one of the better teams in the league, and the favorites to win the AFC West yet again in 2015.
Next: Week 9 Matchup