Denver Broncos – Oakland Raiders. It’s a rivalry for the ages.
Currently, the Broncos are in “Beastmode” over their AFC West division, leading with a perfect 4-0 record. The Raiders are in second at 2-2, and a win today would be massive for them.
But, we don’t think they’ll win. We’re pretty sure the Broncos will go into the “Black Hole” and come out victorious once again.
Here are our predictions:
Josh Dover: Remember when Raider week meant something? Yeah me neither. The Raiders have been the laughing stock of the NFL for a handful of years now, and yes “black hole,” we are laughing at you not with you. Well, the tide is turning in Oakland with a young quarterback and wide receiver in Derek Carr and Amari Cooper. On the defensive side of the ball Khalil Mack has made an impact on this early season and as long as Aldon Smith can get DUI’s and change teams without any punishment he’ll be a force to deal with.
With all that said, the Raiders do have a puncher’s chance in this game but that’s it. Look for the Broncos to rush for over 100 yards for the second straight week and look for two, yeah that’s right two touchdowns, from the tight ends.
Broncos win 27-17.
Adam Kinney: The Broncos-Raiders rivalry certainly isn’t what it used to be, but it is still a division game nonetheless, and those always tend to be closer.
The 2015 Raiders may be resurgent but they are still a step away from relevancy. Derek Carr has only been sacked five times through the first four weeks of the season, look for that number to increase with the Broncos rushing him all day. Peyton Manning and the Broncos offense continue their fourth quarter success and pull away late.
Broncos 34 – Raiders 24
Ian St. Clair: The return of Derek Wolfe serves as a spark and the Broncos defense thoroughly dominates and manhandles their rivals in Oakland. Constant pressure, hits on the quarterback and sacks will be the theme. After a shaky performance against the Vikings, the Denver secondary returns to the “No Fly Zone.” Meanwhile, the Broncos offense puts forth its best offensive performance of the season (which isn’t saying much) to lead them to their NFL-record 14th straight divisional road win.
Rich Kurtzman: Oakland? Really? The Raiders will be run over by the Broncos, literally and figuratively today. We saw Ronnie Hillman get it going last week, he’ll continue that success and even work to be more consistent. C.J. Anderson will get it going, too; Broncos run for a season high 150 yards and two scores. Oakland is decent at stopping the run, 11th best in the league, but the Broncos will gain confidence and momentum as they run well today.
Defensively, look for three interceptions, one by each strong cornerback — Chris Harris, Aqib Talib and Bradley Roby — but the Raiders find a way to score 13.Broncos win 38-13
What do you think, fans?