News » Five key match-ups for Raiders vs Broncos

We’re just one game into the season Donald Penn Jersey , but that season opener can either make a team feel on top of the world, or trying to claw their way up from the bottom. The Broncos are feeling the former and the Raiders the latter right now. Even though the Raiders lost to one of the best teams in the NFL and the Broncos beat one of the worst, a win is a win. And after this week either the Broncos will be undefeated and the Raiders winless, or both will be back to .500. These key match-ups could very well decide which scenario we will be looking at come Sunday night. Kolton Miller vs Von MillerThe Millers will play a major role in this game. The Raiders want Derek Carr to be aggressive and go deep. They even brought back Martavis Bryant to stretch the field. But in order to do that, Carr will need time to let Bryant and company get down the field. The rookie Miller keeping the elite Miller from destroying Carr from his blindside on the rush will be the key to allowing that to happen. And not getting Carr killed back there would be good too.Derek Carr vs GhostsLast week Carr looked good early on. The first drive was great. And they were ahead at the half. They couldn’t get anything going in the third quarter, but the game was still tied 13-13 nearing the end of the quarter. Then on third and 2, Carr was sacked by Michael Brockers. And the Rams would finish the game on a 20-0 run. When the Raiders got the ball back to begin the fouth quarter, they went three-and-out. On that third and five, Carr quickly looked for receivers, and unable to find anyone, turned and threw the ball away from a clean pocket. He was spooked and there was no one there. The same thing happened on the next third down, this time third and seven. Except this time he didn’t throw it away, he threw a bizarre lob pass right to linebacker Cory Littleton.When he got the ball back after that interception there was just 3:15 left in the game with the Raiders down 26-13. On the fourth play, he threw a pass in front of Jared Cook on a shallow cross and it was picked by Marcus Peters and returned for a touchdown. That is a monumental meltdown. And it was seemingly tied to simply getting sacked. There will be plenty of pressure in this game. The Broncos sacked Russell Wilson six times last week. Derek will probably be sacked a few times as well. But there will also undoubtedly be times where he will have a pocket from which to throw. He CAN NOT waste those windows of opportunity by hearing footsteps where there are none. The Rams don’t even have a strong outside pass rush. The Broncos absolutely do. Amari Cooper vs Chris Harris JrJon Gruden made it clear this week he wants Amari Cooper to see the ball come his way when he gets open. Derek Carr said he doesn’t want to force it into him. Something has to give. If AC/DC is to have a revival in Denver, Coop must break open on Harris. That will be no easy task. Harris is a three-time Pro Bowler and was an All Pro as recently as 2016. He defended more passes in the opener (2) than Coop had catches (1).Coop got open at least 5-6 times against the Rams’ All Pro cornerbacks. He can do it against Harris and company. If he doesn’t, the Raiders offense will sputter and die again.Rodney Hudson vs Domata Peko Even at 34 years of age Kelechi Osemele Jersey , Peko is one of the league’s better nose tackles. Getting Marshawn Lynch going in this game will depend on finding space up the gut where Peko makes his money. Hudson is known for his pass blocking, while his fellow interior linemen Kelechi Osemele and Gabe Jackson are more known for their run blocking. Games like this will give Hudson a chance to show he can also road grade. If he loses those battles inside, the Raiders will lose the ground advantage. They need that to keep from being put in third and long situations where the Broncos pass rushers can go to work. Melvin/Conley vs Sanders/ThomasDon’t be fooled by the numbers Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas put up last season. The QB situation in Denver was a travesty last season and their numbers took a hit because of it. Both are just a season removed from putting up over 1000 yards each and heading to the Pro Bowl. And now they have a quarterback in Case Keenum who can get them the ball.If you needed a sign to prove that, you got it last week when Sanders caught 10 passes on 11 targets for 135 yards and a touchdown. While Thomas caught 6 passes for 63 yards and a touchdown. The Seahawks don’t have the secondary they once did. The Raiders also have a rebuilt secondary. There were some good signs last week Gareon Conley and Rashaan Melvin were a step up from the duo of Sean Smith and David Amerson. But Conley and Melvin still gave up some big plays that cost the team late in the game. Brandin Cooks and Cooper Kupp are very good receivers, but not nearly as talented as Thomas and Sanders. Follow @LeviDamienJon Gruden says Browns ‘very easily could be 3-0’ On Sunday the Raiders will host the Cleveland Browns, and for the last few years that’s pretty much meant an automatic win. The Browns had, until last week, won only one game in the last two years. But these are not your older brother’s Browns, this is an entirely different animal, and Raiders head coach Jon Gruden is well aware of the challenge these Browns will pose.“Cleveland is a much-improved team. Very easily could be 3-0. Playing inspired football. Got a lot of young, emerging players,” said Gruden. “They’ve drafted good players at the top of the rounds and developed them. Really impressed with [Baker] Mayfield in the preseason. Impressed with Mayfield coming off the bench. They’ve added some veteran players, like Jarvis Landry. They have a very good, attacking style of defense under Gregg Williams. Second year in that system, so the men know what to do. Have a great, young corner from Ohio State. It’ll be a challenge. They’ve been patient. I think they’ve drafted well Cheap Reggie Nelson Jersey , developed players and added some really good free agents.”The Browns had far and away the most money to spend in free agency this offseason, and they went on a trading and spending spree under new GM Jon Dorsey. They acquired QB Tyrod Taylor, WR Jarvis Landry, FS Demarious Randall and many others. Over the last four years they’ve hit on many players in the draft including DE Myles Garrett, SS Jabrill Peppers, TE David Njoku, QB Baker Mayfield and CB Denzel Ward. Suddenly what was a laughingstock looks like an AFC playoff contender.But the Browns aren’t 3-0, they are 1-1-1. Kicking woes cost them the first two games, as did the fact that the Browns couldn’t capitalize on six Pittsburgh turnovers in Week 1. The Jets game looked like it might be a disappointment, but Baker Mayfield came in to save the day. It’s not a stretch to imagine that the team Oakland will be facing on Sunday, with Mayfield under center and kicker Greg Joseph on the squad, would have defeated both Pittsburgh and New Orleans, and Cleveland would be coming into this game unbeaten.The Browns are one of the hottest commodities in football right now. Their Thursday night game against the Jets was the highest rated Thursday NFL game since 2015. They are for real, and nobody is overlooking them now. Least of all Jon Gruden.