Historically, the Raiders lead this series 59-43-2. But if Week 4’s 37-6 home victory by the Broncos is any indication of how this rivalry will shake out over the next few seasons, Denver could begin to close that gap in a hurry.
The Broncos have locked up the AFC West crown just 12 games into the season. While the division as a whole is down—with the Raiders, San Diego Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs combining for only nine wins themselves—Denver should still feel good about where it stands and could use a relatively easy close to the season to jockey for position within the AFC.
After Thursday night’s game in Oakland, Denver has a road game with the Baltimore Ravens before finishing up at home against the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs.
Carson Palmer is quietly having a strong season for the Raiders. His 3,532 passing yards and 20 touchdowns passes are both good for top-10 totals in the league.
How much of that success can be attributed to Oakland playing catch-up for most of the season is debatable, however.
The Raiders defense is largely to blame for the team's disappointing season. Allowing 387 total yards and a league-worst 31.3 points per game is hardly a recipe for success and could spell disaster when facing Peyton Manning and Co. in Round 2 on Thursday night.
Here is one bold prediction for each team, along with fantasy football "beast or bust" candidates in Thursday night's matchup.
Knowshon Moreno Has Career Day on the Ground (Fantasy Beast)
Whether due to injury or simply not producing since being taken 12th overall by the Broncos in the 2009 NFL draft, Knowshon Moreno’s career shows no semblance to how most thought it would look now...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
