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Oakland Raiders: The 5 Toughest Games On The Schedule

By Kevin Saito

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Jan 11, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) huddles with guard Orlando Franklin (74) and tackle Ryan Clady (78) and running back C.J. Anderson (22) and wide receiver Wes Welker (83) and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders (10) and wide receiver Demaryius Thomas (88) in third quarter of the 2014 AFC Divisional playoff football game against the Indianapolis Colts at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Week 5: Denver Broncos

The Raiders are a much improved squad this season. Despite what some may think – did somebody say Stephen A. Smith and Peter King? – that is not a matter of opinion. It’s actually a fact. The 2015 Raiders are better than the 2014 version. Hands down.

While some have suggested that the Raiders can make a strong push for a division title, and a long awaited return to the playoffs, to even have a shot of doing that, they’re going to have to knock off the reigning king – the Denver Broncos.

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    • Yes, all roads to the postseason will run through the Mile High City as they have since Peyton Manning arrived. In two games last season, the Raiders weren’t even close to being competitive – though they did hold a brief lead in the second game, only to have Manning and company run off five unanswered touchdowns to blow the game wide open.

    With Gary Kubiak taking over for John Fox – who, despite the lovely euphemism of a “mutual parting,” was actually fired following another playoff defeat last season – Denver is expected to go with a very run heavy offensive system. And it is a change of system and philosophy that Broncos receivers like Emmanuel Sanders is already lamenting.

    Though they’ll be leaning on C.J. Anderson and Montee Ball for the bulk of their offensive production, Manning is still Manning, and can absolutely light it up. And with potent weapons like Sanders and Demaryius Thomas at his disposal, Manning can take over a game if needed.

    Denver suffered a tremendous amount of losses on both sides of the ball with players like Rahim Moore, Orlando Franklin, Terrance Knighton, and Julius Thomas departing via free agency. But they still have a lot of talent on the roster, and are still a dangerous team.

    And though Oakland has most certainly narrowed the gap that exists between the two clubs, Denver is still the team to beat in the AFC West.

    Next: Week 9: Avenging The Immaculate Reception

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