To be fair, Oakland did a reasonable job at that.
As expected, however, all hope of winning had dissipated just minutes after kick.
After Denver marched down the field hitting wide open receiver after wide open receiver, Peyton Manning found his tight end (once again, wide open) in the end zone for the game's first score.
Just minutes later, Carson Palmer and the Raiders offense took the field for their first three-and-out of the night.
After a dropped pass from the newly-returned Darren McFadden (which honestly might have gone for 30-plus yards), a busted screen play and a short pass to Darrius Heyward-Bey, the Oakland punt team took the field for the first time all night.
And so, just 5:09 into the game, it was already clear: Oakland didn't have a chance.
Denver advanced inside the Oakland 25 a total of seven times on Thursday night, coming away with two touchdowns and four field goals before taking a knee at the Oakland 13 to close out the game.
While the score showed just a 13-point spread, the game was hardly that close, as the Broncos moved the ball up and down the field every time they touched it, simply failing to punch it in on a regular basis.
The Raiders, on the other hand, did find some success in the passing game but seemed to do all they could to prevent Carson Palmer from getting into a consistent rhythm.
As the first half was coming to a close, Oakland took over the ball with 8:32 remaining in the half, trailing 13-0.
What came next was the game plan Oakland should have gone with all night: pass, pass, pass.
On the ensuing 14-play scoring drive, Oakland ran the ball just three t...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
