Broncos vs. Raiders: Breaking Down Denver's Game Plan

The Denver Broncos will get a chance to get back on the winning track in Week 10 as they travel to take on the Oakland Raiders. It’s the second game in their current three-game road trip, and they’re hoping for a better outcome than they had last week.

The Broncos suffered their worst loss of the season in Week 9 at the hands of the New England Patriots. In the cold conditions of Gillette Stadium, the Patriots beat the Broncos, 43-21. The game was a huge contest for both teams, and that outcome may impact which team has home-field advantage in the playoffs.

Broncos head coach John Fox believes in his team’s ability to bounce back after the humiliating loss.

“I think this team will respond very well. Just look over the last three years, just look at it and you can see it. But we’ll find out. That’s behind us and we’ve made those corrections and moved on. We’re all about Oakland.”

The Raiders have yet to win a game this season, and they fired their head coach (and former Broncos defensive coordinator) Dennis Allen after Week 4. They’re a team without much talent, but they may have found a quality player in rookie quarterback Derek Carr. His older brother, David, was the No. 1 overall pick by the Houston Texans in the 2002 NFL draft.

Peyton Manning commented on what it’s like having a brother who plays quarterback in the NFL and if Derek would be able to glean information from David:

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It’s hard to say. You’d probably have to ask Eli that. You still have to be out there playing, facing the line of action. I do think playing is the best way to learn. I can remember Eli saying he certainly learned a lot more in the 10 that he was playing than in the six that he didn’t play [as a rookie]. You have to be in there to see just how fast these defenses are and what you can do and what you can’t do...That’s how I feel and that was the best way for me to learn going in there and playing, making some mistakes, and trying not to repeat them.

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The Raiders selected Carr in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft, but he was initially playing behind free-agent addition Matt Schaub at the start of training camp. That quickly changed as Carr impressed the team quickly and began the season as the starter. He’s struggled at times, but the experience he is gaining is a valuable teaching tool.

With Denver looking to rebound from a bad loss and playing a struggling Raider team, let’s take a look at how the Broncos will attack Oakland on both sides of the ball.

When the Broncos Run the Ball

Steven Senne/Associated Press

The Broncos have had great success most weeks with Ronnie Hillman as their starting running back. He’s had over 100 all-purpose yards in three of his four starts, but he’s coming off his worst performance (as a starter) of the year from the game against the Patriots.

Hillman ran the ball only 10 times for a meager 16 yards. He did score a rushing touchdown on a one-yard dash to the corner in the first quarter. Hillman didn’t do much as a runner, but as a receiver out of the backfield he caught seven passes for 47 yards with one receiving touchdown.

He should have a much easier day against the Raiders.

Hillman replaced Montee Ball as the team’s starter after the latter suffered a groin injury in the game against the Arizona Cardinals. Ball has been missing time ever since, but this week he was a limited participant in practice. He knows that when he returns to the lineup, it will likely be in a different role.

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#Broncos Montee Ball "I most definitely have to work for what was taken from me. He (Hillman) did a great job of taking that job from me"

— Cecil Lammey (@cecillammey) November 6, 2014"

There’s no word on whether or not Ball will participate in the game against the Raiders. That means Juwan Thompson should serve as the primary backup behind Hillman. This also makes C.J. Anderson the team’s third-string back behind Thompson.

The Raiders' rush defense is currently ranked 27th in the NFL, and they allow an average of 132.5 yards rushing per game.

On Sunday, the Broncos ground game should get back on track.

When the Broncos Pass the Ball

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In the blowout loss to the Patriots, Manning threw for over 400 yards passing with two passing touchdowns and two interceptions. Broncos fans should expect his yardage to be about the same against the Raiders, but his touchdowns could go up and his interceptions go down.

Manning has been doing a fantastic job of getting free-agent addition Emmanuel Sanders involved in the offense. When he came to Denver, Sanders had never had a 100-yard game during his four-year career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Broncos are getting ready to play their ninth game of the year, and Sanders already has five 100-yard days under his belt for Denver.

In addition to Sanders, the Raiders defense is going to have to contend with Denver star receiver Demaryius Thomas. After a slow start to begin the season, Thomas is back to dominating on Sundays. He’s got a streak of five straight 100-yard receiving games going right now, and he’s scored five receiving touchdowns during that time.

Wes Welker suffered a back injury against the Patriots, but he’s been participating in practice this week. He should be available for the game against the Raiders. Welker’s numbers are down this year, and there are rumblings that we might see a bit more of rookie receiver Cody Latimer in the final half of the season.

Tight end Julius Thomas leads the NFL with 10 receiving touchdowns in 2014. Thomas knows how tough divisional opponents can be.

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That’s a divisional opponent. You have seen throughout this season how tough those division games are. We know each other well; we play against each other so much. Those games always come down to who’s going to make those couple of big plays to put the tide in their favor...We know it’s going to be tough to win out there in Oakland.

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The Raiders pass defense is ranked 10th in the NFL, allowing an average of 227.6 yards passing per game. It has allowed 12 touchdown passes this year while snaring only three interceptions. The Oakland defense is also next to last in the league with eight sacks.

Simply put, if the Raiders don’t get pressure on Manning—it’s going to be a long day for their defense.

When the Raiders Run the Ball

USA TODAY Sports

The best player on the Raiders offense is arguably running back Darren McFadden. He’s always been a speedy player with the ability to run away from defenders in the open field, but injuries have plagued him throughout his pro career. McFadden currently ranks 27th in the league with 358 yards rushing on 98 carries (3.65 yards per carry).

McFadden is a decent receiver out of the backfield, and most of his production against the Broncos could come as a pass-catcher. On the season, he has 25 catches for 161 yards and one receiving touchdown.

He’s the feature back, but the Raiders did add veteran Maurice Jones-Drew in free agency earlier this year. Jones-Drew is no longer the player he used to be, and he has to be considered an average to below-average backup behind McFadden.

Jones-Drew has only 95 yards rushing on 26 carries (2.08 yards per carry) in 2014. He also has contributed only seven receptions for 41 yards as a receiver. He’s not a threat, and Jones-Drew should get touches only when McFadden needs a breather.

The Broncos defense is number one in the NFL against the rush. It allows an average of only 71.6 yards rushing per game. This statistic is not a production of opponents abandoning balance to keep up with Manning and the Broncos. Denver’s rush defense is legit, and it will be tough for the Raiders to move the ball on the ground.

When the Raiders Pass the Ball

USA TODAY Sports

The Raiders turned to rookie quarterback Derek Carr to lead the way in 2014. He was known to struggle against a pass rush in college at Fresno State, but Carr has done a good job under duress in his first season as a pro.

Carr has a completion percentage of 60.7 when under pressure. This is a better mark than guys like Nick Foles (59.8) and Cam Newton (57.4). The rookie is under fire a lot, as he’s getting blitzed on 34 percent of his dropbacks in 2014 (league average is 29.9).

One of his favorite targets this year is free-agent addition James Jones. The veteran has been targeted 60 times so far this year, and he’s hauled in 39 catches for 443 yards and three touchdowns. Most of his production this year has come at garbage time, and Jones may put up some numbers late in what should be a big Denver win.

Besides Jones, the Raiders have a couple of wideouts to keep an eye on.

Andre Holmes is a big-play target. His downfield speed helps him get on top of the defense in a hurry, and he does a good job of tracking deep passes over his shoulder. Holmes has 25 catches for 400 yards and a team-leading four receiving touchdowns.

Tight end Mychal Rivera is also producing for the Raiders. He’s third on the team with 41 targets so far in 2014. He has 28 catches for 222 yards and two touchdowns in 2014. In Week 9 against the Seattle Seahawks, Rivera had eight catches for 38 yards and two touchdowns. The Broncos have historically struggled to cover tight ends, so Rivera might be in line for a bigger game than some think.

The Denver pass defense is currently 20th in the NFL, and it allows an average of 254 yards passing per game. The Broncos have allowed 16 passing touchdowns and have eight interceptions in 2014.

Denver’s pass-rushers like Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware could make Sunday a long day for Carr. Denver has 24 sacks as a team in 2014, a mark which is good for seventh-best in the NFL.

However, the Raiders are tied with the Broncos for the fewest sacks (eight) allowed in 2014. Even though Carr has been getting blitzed often, the offensive line has done a good job of keeping him upright.

Summary 

The Broncos have a bad taste after getting hammered by the Patriots. What’s the perfect cure? Playing the Raiders should get the Broncos back on track.

Manning feels this isn’t the only week that will be a ‘gut check’ for the Broncos:

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I think every week is to tell you the truth. It’s a long football season and every single week has its own challenges. Anytime you’re coming off a loss, your job is to study the next opponent and also study what you have to do to get better as a team. I think every week is gut-check time in my opinion.

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The Broncos are entering the easiest part of their schedule.

At the halfway point in the season, they are 6-2. Finishing the final eight games with a similar result would give them a 12-4 finish.

That’s certainly a respectable mark, but it might not be enough to land the number-one seed in the AFC. Denver needs to do everything in its power to ensure they have the best record possible at the end of the year.

It all starts with this game against the Raiders.

All quotes and injury/practice observations obtained firsthand. Record/statistical information provided via email from the Denver Broncos unless otherwise noted. Contract and salary-cap information provided by Spotrac.com. Transaction history provided by ProSportsTransactions.com.