The Oakland Raiders (7-8) will face the Denver Broncos (6-9) on Sunday at 2:25 p.m. MT at Empower Field at Mile High on CBS in Week 17 of the 2019 NFL season. Here’s our quick preview of the game.
Broncos’ keys to victory: When these two teams played each in Week 1, Broncos QB Joe Flacco posted a QBR of 38.5 in a 24-16 loss. Denver has since turned the offense over to rookie QB Drew Lock and he has provided a spark on offense. Lock should be able to air it out against an Oakland secondary that ranks in the bottom-10 of the NFL this season. On defense, OLB Von Miller will look to reach double-digit sacks for the sixth-straight year. Miller needs three sacks on Sunday to keep that streak alive and he will be facing QB Derek Carr, who has been sacked 18 times in 10 career games against Denver. A motivated Miller could be trouble for Oakland’s offensive line.
Raiders’ keys to victory: When these teams met in September, RB Josh Jacobs totaled 113 yards from scrimmage and scored two touchdowns. Jacobs is still battling a shoulder injury and his status for Week 17 is up in the air. If Jacobs recovers in time for Sunday’s game, Oakland should look to establish the run and take the pressure off Carr. On defense, the Raiders should double-team Broncos WR Courtland Sutton, who racked up over 1,000 receiving yards this year while playing with three different QBs. If Oakland can take Sutton out of Denver’s game plan, Lock might struggle to move the ball.
Matchup to watch: Raiders TE Darren Waller vs. Broncos LB Alexander Johnson. Waller caught seven passes for 70 yards against Denver in Week 1. Since then, the Broncos have continued to struggle covering TEs and Waller has surpassed the 1,000-yard receiving mark. Johnson wasn’t a starter in Week 1, though, and he has emerged as Denver’s best coverage linebacker.
Who wins? The Broncos will be looking to even the series after losing in Oakland earlier this year and the Raiders need a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. Losing would result in a better draft position but the players won’t be taking that into consideration. Denver will have momentum coming off a 27-17 win over the Lions last week. Broncos, 31-24.
