In a pivotal AFC West matchup between the Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders, the Broncos did not put on their best performance in a 30-20 loss, putting them third in the division at 6-3.
The Broncos have a tendency to start slow and it cost them. According to the NFL, the Broncos have the worst point differential in the first quarter at negative 44. The offense started the game off with three consecutive three and outs and the defense got man handled up front against the run.
Raiders running back Latavius Murray ran for 114 yards and three touchdowns behind an offensive line that dominated the Broncos front from start to finish. The Raiders ran for 218 yards, the most given up by a Broncos defense since 2012. In the last two games, the Broncos have allowed two consecutive 100-yard rushers after not letting a rusher run for 100 yards in 22 straight games. Last week against the San Diego Chargers, the Broncos allowed running back Melvin Gordon to run for 111 yards and one touchdown.
To make matters worse for the Broncos, the Raiders dominated time of possession. The Raiders offense was on the field for majority of the game at about 41 minutes compared to the 18 minutes the Broncos had the ball.
After being voted captain by his teammates, Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian did not play like a captain should. Siemian threw for 283 yards and two touchdowns, but he also had an interception and a costly fumble. The offensive struggles are not all on Siemian. The offensive line did not help create a clean pocket for him to throw from.
According to Pro Football Focus, Siemian had a 110.6 QB rating without pressure versus a 53.4 QB rating with pressure. The issue with that is he was under pressure on 21 of his 39 drop backs.
Rookie running back Devontae Booker put up a lousily 22 yards rushing. Since being named starter due to C.J. Anderson’s knee injury, Booker has struggled to get going. Last week against the San Diego Chargers, Booker only ran for 54 yards. His playing time may be cut as running back Kapri Bibbs showed the coaches what he could do. Midway through the fourth quarter, Bibbs swerved his way through the Raiders defense on a 69-yard screen that went for a touchdown.
Even though the Broncos played horrible, they need to get healthy. Cornerback Aqib Talib has been out the past two weeks with a back injury. Defensive end Derek Wolfe may miss some time with a hairline facture in his elbow. The bye week is coming up after their road game next week versus the New Orleans Saints. If the team can get a win before the bye week, it can help build momentum for the final stretch of the season.
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