Denver Broncos vs. Oakland Raiders: Oakland Grades, Notes and Quotes
The Oakland Raiders blinked first in a defensive slugfest with the AFC West-leading Denver Broncos.
The Raiders avoided a surgical carving from quarterback Peyton Manning, but Denver’s defense bailed the team out of another late-game grinder.
Neither offense came out of this contest with a glowing performance, but the better defense made more plays to seal the victory. Oakland’s young offense sputtered, and reliable kicker Sebastian Janikowski showed signs of wilting with some critical misses.
Experience played a major factor in the outcome. Quarterback Derek Carr reverted back into a skittish form of himself and tossed a costly pick-six in the face of pocket pressure, even without Broncos edge-rusher DeMarcus Ware.
Questionable play-calling slammed the door on the Raiders’ chances of mounting a comeback. Two short passes to running backs and a sack sent the Raiders out with a whimper instead of kicking and screaming until the end.
What stood out from this loss to the Broncos? How did the Raiders fare individually in this contest? What words are left to explain another victory that narrowly escaped Oakland's grasp?
Position Grades for Raiders
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| Position | Grade |
| Quarterback | B |
| Running backs | D |
| Wide Receivers | C |
| Tight Ends/H-Back | B+ |
| Offensive Line | C- |
| Defensive Line | C- |
| Linebackers | B |
| Defensive Backs | B |
| Special Teams | C- |
| Coaching | B- |
Quarterback: Carr threw the ball with confidence until he sensed the Broncos pass rush clamping down on him later in the game. He went 26-of-39 for 249 yards and a touchdown.
The Broncos sacked him three times in the second half, which made him uncomfortable under center. Later on, that frenetic behavior led to a pick-six that put Denver up 16-7.
Running back: Latavius Murray recorded 13 carries for 39 yards and caught three passes for 18 yards.
In the second half, he became a fixture on the sidelines. After his exit, backup Roy Helu registered three carries for six yards and three catches for 12 yards. Oakland didn’t have a highly productive rushing attack to lean on in the second half.
Wide Receivers: Both Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree provided some bright spots, but neither came through in critical moments. To compound their lack of production, Seth Roberts and Andre Holmes failed to record receptions in consecutive games.
Tight Ends/H-Back: Offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave included H-Back Marcel Reece and tight ends Clive Walford and Mychal Rivera in the game plan sparingly.
Reece provided a larger share of production as a receiver with seven catches for 49 yards and a touchdown. Walford and Rivera didn’t see enough action late to impact the outcome.
Offensive Line: The Raiders held the fort in the trenches during the first half, but it all fell apart in the second. The Broncos sacked Carr four times, and right tackle Austin Howard struggled to protect the strong side.
Defensive Line: Denver’s makeshift offensive line didn’t allow many hiccups in pass protection. They kept Khalil Mack at bay. Manning tripped over one of his offensive linemen, which registered as a half-sack for Mario Edwards Jr. and Aldon Smith.
On a positive note, the front line held the Broncos ground attack under 50 rushing yards.
Linebackers: Malcolm Smith rocked Manning to the core with a sack, and Broncos tight end Owen Daniels didn’t record a single catch.
After getting toasted by tight ends from week to week, the linebackers can celebrate a slight victory. Neiron Ball played extensively as added support on passing downs.
Defensive Backs: The defensive backs stood their ground behind safety Charles Woodson’s incredible play. He's officially mastered the art of the swooping interception with closing speed and impeccable timing.
As a unit, the secondary stifled Denver's wide receivers without much help from the pass rush.
Special Teams: The Raiders provided solid kick and punt return coverage. Punter Marquette King pinned the Broncos offense deep in their own territory, which forced Manning to drive the length of the field.
However, Denver blocked one field goal. Janikowski also missed a 40-yard kick that could’ve impacted the play-calling late in the game.
Coaching: Head coach Jack Del Rio and defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. coached a winning hand, but their solid game plan couldn’t overcome Musgrave’s faulty play-calling.
Musgrave opted for a conservative approach when closing in on the red zone, which put the field-goal unit in position to score three instead of pushing for a touchdown. Unfortunately, the Raiders scored zero points on both sustained drives.
On 4th-and-19, the offense set up a short pass to Reece slightly beyond the line of scrimmage instead of taking a shot to any of the receivers headed for the first down. Del Rio had no comment on that call.
Raiders Defense Kept Broncos Offense Out of the End Zone
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For the second time this season, the Broncos didn’t score an offensive touchdown. The Raiders defense, specifically the defensive backs, didn’t allow Manning to establish an effective short passing attack.
Broncos wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders worked plenty of comeback routes and picked up yards after the catch for 111 receiving yards.
Oakland held wide receiver Demaryius Thomas to 55 receiving yards. The ground attack accumulated a mere 43 rushing yards. Norton’s defense put on a suffocating performance against a team that outscored the Raiders 88-31 in 2014.
The Raiders defense took the field as a liability in the first four games. On Sunday, the offense failed to provide scoring support for a defense that pitched a shutout.
Woodson's Two Interceptions
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In a personal victory, Woodson finally intercepted Manning after 18 years in the league together.
In an NFL.com interview, Woodson joked about getting his hands on one of Manning’s balls. He managed to get his hands on two of the quarterback’s balls—once in the end zone before halftime.
The Raiders safety continues to play at a high level. It’s easy to forget about his hurt shoulder, which intermittently forces him off the field for a play or two. To Woodson’s credit, he returns and delivers on turnovers to get the defense off the field in critical moments.
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Sebastian Janikowski Struggles
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On a historic day for Janikowski, who’s played the most games in silver and black, he also cost the Raiders six points.
Denver blocked one field goal in the first quarter, and Janikowski missed another at the beginning of the fourth quarter.
The game concluded with a 16-10 outcome. One must wonder how two successful field goals might have affected the play-calling in a tied situation.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle's Vic Tafur, Del Rio summed it up best when he said, “He’s had many great days. Today wasn’t one of them.”
Janikowski’s accuracy may be something to watch as the season progresses. Hopefully it’s just a blip on a bad day and not a downward spiral for the most consistent Raider of all time.
What Happened to Latavius Murray?
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Murray’s absence late in the game became a mystery. The starting running back looked eager to play with his helmet on and scowled with his helmet off.
According to Del Rio, Murray could’ve finished the game, but the coaches decided to go with Helu for a majority of the second half.
For consecutive weeks, the Raiders' starting running back watched from the sidelines instead of fulfilling the role of a workhorse back.
The Raiders head coach denied the idea that he benched Murray in Week 4. On Sunday, he said, “[Murray] was a little banged [up], but he was available.”
Del Rio didn’t go into detail on Murray’s situation. However he decides to spin it, a starting player who’s available to play but stands on the sidelines sounds like a benching.
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Week 5 statistics and play-by-play analysis provided by NFL.com.
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