Oakland Raiders v. Denver Broncos Game Day Open Thread
By Kevin Saito
The Oakland Raiders are wrapping up the 2016 regular season with a tilt in Denver that carries big implications for playoff positioning – come talk about the game here!
It’s been quite a while since the Oakland Raiders played a truly meaningful game this late in the season. But today’s battle with hated archrival Denver is one that has big implications for Oakland’s playoff schedule. Win today, and they’ll wrap up the AFC’s second seed, a first round bye, and a home playoff game. Lose today, and they’ll be on the road for a wild card game next week.
The stakes are high – higher than they have been in almost a decade and a half. But the question in minds of many is – will they be ready and able to beat this Broncos team?
It’s a question that has already been settled in the minds of many “experts” out there. The Raiders can’t win with Matt McGloin under center. Oakland is done. Season is over. It was a nice run through the regular season, but it is all for naught since this team can’t win without Derek Carr taking the snaps.
There is no getting around the fact that McGloin isn’t Carr. There’s a reason McGloin has been Carr’s backup for three seasons now. Plain and simple, Carr is the better quarterback of the two.
BUT – and there is a big but here – just because McGloin isn’t necessarily Carr’s equal doesn’t mean that he’s trash, either. It’s a notion that “experts” out there like John Middlekauff continue to pound through social media and other avenues. They believe that with McGloin under center, the Raiders may as well just pack it up and go home for the offseason.
Losing Carr hurts, there is no question. And yeah, there may – and likely will – be a dropoff in play at the quarterback position. But McGloin isn’t anywhere nearly as bad as some folks out there proclaim him to be. He also doesn’t have to do this alone – and he won’t.
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Whereas Carr took a lot of the pressure on himself to do anything and everything – and to great effect – McGloin isn’t going to have to do that. He can – and will – rely on a powerful running game led by the three headed beast that is Latavius Murray, Jalen Richard, and DeAndre Washington.
This is a ground attack, remember, that gashed Denver’s sixth ranked defense for 218 yards back in week nine. This is also a ground attack that has been averaging well over 150 yards a game for the last month of the regular season.
Playing smashmouth, ball and clock control offense will help the Raiders immeasurably. And if Denver happens to gear up to stop the run by loading the box – and you know they will – McGloin has the ability to throw to Amari Cooper, Michael Crabtree, Seth Roberts, and Clive Walford down the field.
We’ll also very likely see Andre Holmes and Johnny Holton get a few more snaps since McGloin already has some chemistry built up by virtue of all of them taking most of the second team reps together.
With Denver likely gearing up to stop the run, McGloin is going to get some opportunities and he has the ability — despite what many say — to maximize them.
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More than that though, the Raiders defense has come on strong. Since a week six meltdown against Kansas City in which they were dominated by Alex Smith and the Chiefs offense, this unit has been coming together. This unit has been playing some good, solid, tough defense. Even better, they’re forcing a lot of turnovers – their 29 takeaways are second in the league, and their plus 18 in turnover differential leads the league.
They’ve also played teams a lot tougher. Yes, they do sometimes give up a big play – much to the consternation of fans everywhere. But since their week six drubbing, this Raiders defense has given up an average of just over 330 yards a game – which would put them inside the top ten in the category. They’ve also given up an average of just 22 points per game over that span.
It’s not ideal, of course. You never want to roll into the playoffs with your star quarterback’s understudy taking all the snaps. But this is not an ideal world and you rarely, if ever, get everything you want. You have to make the most of what you have right in front of you though.
And for the Raiders, they still have a lot of quality things right in front of them. One of the best running games in the league. One of the best receiving corps in the league. And a defense that has been emerging as a better unit than anybody seems willing to give them credit for.
It’s a big game with a lot on the line. How do you see this all playing out? Can McGloin get it done? Can he be effective in this offense? Or will he be the unmitigated disaster many seem to believe he’ll be? Will he make this Raiders team a one and done playoff unit?
We want to hear your thoughts and opinions. It’s time to sound off. This is your place to talk about the game and all things Raiders football, so step up, speak out, and be heard!