Though any season that doesn’t end with a trip to the playoffs is often a major disappointment, there will still be plenty to watch for when the Denver Broncos face the Oakland Raiders in the season finale on Sunday.
First off, it’s the Raiders. Throw the records out the door — this is one of the league’s oldest and greatest rivalries. Should the Broncos hand the Raiders a defeat, it will get the offseason started on the right foot.
The 2019 season got off to a terrible start for the Broncos following a humbling defeat in the season opener against the Raiders on Monday Night Football. The team would like nothing more than to return the favor.
Here are some other things to keep track of.
1. Phillip Lindsay’s search for 1,000 yards
Lindsay has been terrific in his first two seasons with the Broncos and though 1,000 yards rushing isn’t what it used to be, it’s still the benchmark for NFL running backs.
With 42 yards against the Raiders, Lindsay would crack the 1,000-yard mark for the second season in a row. He would become the first undrafted player in NFL history to do that and the first Broncos running back to accomplish that feat since Clinton Portis did it back in 2002-03.
2. Justin Simmons playing every snap
How many NFL players have played 100 percent of the defensive snaps in each of the last two seasons? Not many.
Simmons has a chance to do that if he plays every snap against the Raiders on Sunday. He didn’t miss a snap last year and so far, hasn’t missed one this year.
Just another reason for the team to re-sign him to a new deal as soon as possible.
3. Making life difficult for Derek Carr
Carr has struggled at times this season, but he had one of his best games this year against the Broncos in Week 1.
Though he only threw one touchdown pass, he completed 22 of his 26 attempts and finished with a quarterback rating of 121.0. That is going to win games.
It seemed that every time the Raiders needed a play, Carr was able to make one to keep the chains moving and keep the Broncos’ defense on the field. In this game, the Broncos need to make things much more difficult for Carr.
4. Broncos playing spoiler
The Raiders don’t have a great chance to make the playoffs, but they are still alive. They can get into the playoffs if the following scenarios happen:
- Raiders beat the Broncos
- Ravens beat the Steelers
- Texans beat the Titans
- Colts beat the Jaguars
- One of these four teams also wins: Patriots, Bears, Lions or Chiefs
That seems like a lot, but it is possible. However, if the Broncos beat the Raiders, none of that other stuff will matter and the Raiders will join the Broncos in being home for the playoffs.
