Final Score: DEN 12 LV 37 [W] (6-3)
The Raiders may have moved out of my home state, but the one thing that'll never change is a satisfying win over the Denver Donkeys. And today was a beauty. The title says it all with how this game went down as the Raiders blow out the Broncos 12-37. The Raiders keep it rolling with three straight wins against teams we expected them to beat.
From the scoreboard alone, it looked like the Raiders played a complete 60 minute-game. But, that wasn't the case especially in the first half. Even if the Broncos' defense is missing some pieces (notably Von Miller), they have been decent for the most part. What was frustrating though was that the Raiders were able to drive over this Denver defense with ease on the first drive that capped off with a Josh Jacobs 11-yard TD run. After that, the offense came up empty in their possessions. There was a lot of points left out there on the field.
The big positive was the defense. They came to play out there today and pretty much made Drew Lock's life miserable today. They started sluggish with a couple of missed tackles and giving up some 3rd and long plays. But, the turnovers gave this defense some juice. Jeff Heath especially stood out picking off Drew Lock twice. Probably the critical one was the one he made in the end zone in the final seconds to keep this game a 6-10 score in favor of the Raiders. Denver never saw a lead this game and the drive that ended with Jeff Heath's 2nd pick was the closest the Broncos would get to taking a lead.
In the 2nd half, the defense made the job of the Raiders' offense a lot easier even though the offense did improve after sputtering in the 1st half sans the opening drive. Carl Nassib had a pick in Denver's own territory, that resulted in another field goal. Broncos had a catch and fumble deep into their own territory yet again, which capped off in a Devontae Booker TD. Nick Kwiatkoski capped off the defense's spectacular performance in the turnover category with a sick 1-handed interception.
We can't say anything else about the running game. They have been terrific these last three games. Today, Josh Jacobs, Devontae Booker combined for 193 total yards on the ground. Derek Carr's 10 rushing yards put the rushing total to 200+ yards. What's impressive is that this is behind a makeshift offensive line. No Kolton Miller. No Richie Incognito. No Trent Brown. Yes like I said, Vic Fangio and Denver D is missing some key pieces. But, the Raiders' ground game gashed them today. Especially, this was a revenge game for Devontae Booker against his former team and he hangs 81 rushing yards and 2 TDs on 16 carries. Josh Jacobs lead the rushing attack as usual with 112 rushing yards and 2 TDs on 22 carries.
So, where do the Raiders stand in the playoff picture? They currently hold the 2nd wild card spot in the AFC. If you've been living under a rock, the NFL expanded the Wild Card teams this season to three teams and the Raiders are well within the hunt. They hold the tiebreaker over Cleveland after their win two weeks ago. They get Indy and the Miami Dolphins later in the schedule. The Colts currently lead the AFC South and Miami currently has the final Wild Card spot. Those games will be critical in the foreseeable future and those teams aren't a slouch either. But, it's not too early to talk playoff scenarios and the Raiders are well within the race. They could also be well within the AFC West race if they take care of business against the Chiefs next week in primetime. It's not going to be easy, but a 2-0 season sweep against the defending champs would be monumental for this team. The last time the Raiders swept the AFC West, it was 10 years ago. And I remember that 2010 season very well. I still think they should've gotten those two wins in Arizona and Jacksonville to break the tie for the AFC West crown. It certainly is possible they can do it again 10 years later and they have the chance to do it right this time. I'll see you guys next week.
Because I forgot to mock the Chargers last week...
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