Raiders vs. Broncos Predictions

The Raiders and the Broncos both come into this game at 2-4 and the loser will have a steep hill to climb to get back to respectability. The Raiders are coming off a loss at San Francisco 17-9 and the Broncos are coming off a loss to the Jets 24-20. Let's take a look at the matchups and make a prediction on the game.

Raiders offense vs. Broncos defense

The Raiders offense continues to struggle when Gradkowski is not the quarterback. Campbell last week was utterly miserable, posting the lowest QB rating for a Raiders quarterback since 1975. The running game also suffered last week with the absence of McFadden. Bush was not able to break any long runs and only managed 47 yards on 20 carries. They have yet to name a starting QB, but it should either be Campbell or Kyle Boller. They have both been receiving reps in practice. The Broncos defensively rank near the middle of the pack giving up 337 yards/game but they are near the bottom in rush defense, allowing 127 yards/game. This is an area the Raiders can exploit if McFadden can go this week. Still, the Raiders will suffer without a QB and the threat of a passing game.

Advantage: Broncos

Raiders defense vs. Broncos offense

The Raiders have dropped in the rankings defensively almost every week since week 3. They do a good job of containing the opposition, then they'll allow a huge gain and suddenly yards start coming in chunks. Last week it was because the defense got wore down because the offense couldn't sustain drives. If the Raiders have a strength on defense, it would be stopping the pass. The Broncos are third in passing offense and last in rushing offense. This means the Raiders have a chance at stopping them, if they can hold down their passing game. They weren't able to do it against the Chargers in week 5, so we'll have to just wait and see. If the Broncos are successful passing the ball like the Chargers were, they'll have to rely on turnovers to be able to win.

Advantage: Broncos

Special Teams

The Raiders continue to excel in the punting game and kicking game as Lechler is first in Gross Average and Net Average and Janikowski is first in field goals made. The return game could be better with speed all over. The Broncos are in the top ten in kickoff returns and punt returns, so it should be interesting to watch who gets the better of whom. The Broncos are also in the bottom 10 in both kickoff return average allowed and punt average return allowed. So both teams should have good returns.

Advantage: Raiders

Prediction: Broncos 20, Raiders 17