Denver Broncos vs. Oakland Raiders: Complete Week 10 Preview for Denver
The Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders are two teams going in completely different directions.
The Raiders (0-8) sit at the bottom of the AFC West. But despite their record, the rivalry between these two teams is one of the most intense in the league.
The rivalry has favored Denver (6-2) over the last five meetings, as the Broncos have outscored Oakland 172-78 in those games.
Oakland interim head coach Tony Sparano is 0-4 since replacing the fired Dennis Allen, but the team has been more competitive during his tenure. The Broncos represent one of its toughest challenges so far.
"Double-checked it. #Raiders last home win vs. Denver came in then-Broncos QB Tim Tebow's first career start in 2010.
— Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) November 6, 2014"
With Peyton Manning as the team's quarterback, the Broncos have only lost back-to-back games once—Week 2 and 3 of the 2012 season.
Read on for more on this game, including an injury report for Denver and key matchups to look for.
Week 9 Recap
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The Broncos came out flat in Week 9, losing at Foxborough for the third year in a row during the regular season. The New England Patriots cruised to a 43-21 victory.
Manning threw two interceptions, and Tom Brady carved up the Denver defense, passing for 333 yards and four touchdowns.
The loss knocks the Broncos out of the top spot in the AFC and leaves them with a very real possibility of having to return to New England in the postseason.
The Broncos also watched middle linebacker Nate Irving get carted off the field late in the game with a knee injury that will cause him to miss some time.
It was a bad day all around for the Broncos. On top of what Brady did, the Broncos allowed an 84-yard punt return for a touchdown, and Brandon McManus missed a 41-yard field goal.
Brady improved to 11-5 in his career against Manning.
News and Notes
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Montee Ball Returns With a Slimmer Figure
Not only did Montee Ball return to practice this week, but he also lost about 12 pounds since the last time we saw him take the field.
Ball has not played since Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals and was largely ineffective up to that point. He was averaging just 3.1 yards per carry. In his absence, the Denver running game has turned the corner.
"Do not misinterpret what I said. Can't wait to compete for what is mine. #broncos
— Montee Ball (@ballrb28) November 6, 2014"
Still, the Broncos need Ball on the field as soon as he is ready. He still has plenty to offer the team.
Paul Cornick Held out of Practice
Nursing an injured shoulder, Paul Cornick did not participate in Thursday's practice with the Broncos.
Cornick was moved into the starting lineup a few weeks ago as the team looked to get more than it was getting out of Chris Clark. But that hasn't been the case.
Cornick has struggled at the right tackle spot since joining the starting lineup. Whether he is healthy to play on Sunday or not, it will be interesting to see what combination the Broncos choose to go with along their offensive line.
Injury Report
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| Montee Ball | Running Back | Groin | Questionable |
| Virgil Green | Tight End | Calf | Questionable |
| Juwan Thompson | Running Back | Knee | Probable |
| Wes Welker | Wide Receiver | Back | Probable |
| Brandon McManus | Kicker | Groin | Probable |
| Steven Johnson | Linebacker | Ankle | Probable |
| Nate Irving | Linebacker | Knee | Questionable |
| Quinton Carter | Safety | Hamstring | Questionable |
All injury statuses courtesy of CBS Sports.
The Broncos will likely be without the services of Irving, and Steven Johnson should fill in for him. Johnson doesn't defend the run as well as Irving, but he offers an upgrade in pass coverage.
Both Corey Nelson and Lamin Barrow should figure into the game plan as well.
Wes Welker took a big blow to the lower back in the game against New England. On the play, he made a catch but had the ball pop out after he was hit. Brandon Browner snatched the ball out of midair, marking the second interception thrown by Manning.
Ball returned to practice this week for the first time since suffering a groin injury in Week 5. However, even he concedes that the starting job belongs to Ronnie Hillman at this point.
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X-Factor Players and Key Matchups to Watch
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Denver Pass Rush vs. Derek Carr
Derek Carr has taken more snaps at quarterback than any rookie in the NFL this season. Though he has gained invaluable experience, he still has quite a bit to learn.
The Broncos feature two of the league's best pass rushers in Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware. Because of that, Carr will have to be as alert as he has been all season.
Even if the pass rush doesn't get to Carr for a sack, it could force the rookie to make errant throws and costly mistakes. This could be the area that has the biggest impact on the game.
If the Broncos rattle Carr and start knocking him down and hurrying throws, this game will be over quickly.
Chris Harris vs. Andre Holmes
Assuming that Aqib Talib will draw veteran wide receiver James Jones, a matchup between Chris Harris and Andre Holmes could be very interesting.
Holmes is one of the league's unknown offensive weapons, but he is loaded with potential. He has caught 25 passes for 400 yards and four touchdowns on the season.
Carr and Holmes have begun to establish a connection. And if the Raiders are going to pull the upset, Carr will have to look his way often for some big plays down the field.
It will be up to Harris to shut that down.
Paul Cornick vs. Justin Tuck
As mentioned earlier, Cornick was held out of practice on Thursday. If he can't play, Clark would be inserted back into the starting lineup, or the Broncos could choose to mix things up by perhaps moving Orlando Franklin back to right tackle.
But if the Broncos choose to stick with Cornick at that spot, this matchup has disaster written all over it.
Justin Tuck is off to a slow start in his first year in Oakland, but he has 62.5 career sacks. A matchup against the inexperienced Cornick would make his eyes light up.
If Cornick gets the start, expect to see Denver double-team Tuck with Franklin sliding over to assist Cornick.
X-Factor Player: Brandon McManus
McManus has struggled in Denver, and many fans have to be wondering why the organization chose to cut ties with Matt Prater.
If McManus keeps missing field goals, there could soon be an open audition in Denver. But against Oakland, McManus will get things moving on the right track.
There should be plenty of scoring opportunities, so McManus will get his chance. He needs to take advantage of it.
Last week against New England, John Fox had to pull McManus off the field rather than attempt a 52-yard field goal. That had to be disheartening for fans who saw Prater routinely boot field goals of over 50 yards.
McManus will quiet some of his doubters on Sunday, at least for a little while.
Prediction
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Despite the Raiders being winless, this is an important game for Denver. It needs to gain some momentum following an ugly loss to New England.
Against the Raiders, the Broncos have the chance to get everything right.
This is the NFL, and the Broncos certainly shouldn't look past the Raiders. But Oakland couldn't have gotten the Broncos at a worse time.
Looking to re-establish themselves as the top contender in the AFC, the Broncos will take full advantage of a far inferior team.
The Raiders are just playing for pride at this point. And against their bitter division rival, they'll come out swinging. But after the Broncos shake off the funk they were in last week, they should have no trouble marching up and down the field against the Raiders.
Prediction: Broncos 34, Raiders 13
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