This week, the Oakland Raiders face their biggest test. The Silver and Black host the Denver Broncos in primetime. Winning this game means everything to the Raiders. Derek Carr and the new age Raiders are 1-3 against Denver, and winning this game on Sunday night would make a huge statement for the Raiders in the AFC West.
Oakland Raiders Week Nine Keys to Victory
Protect The Ball
Last year, the Raiders should’ve swept the Broncos. They won at Denver, but a costly interception cost them the game in their first match-up. The Broncos have more takeaways than any other team in the National Football League with sixteen. Their offense is 27th in the NFL, averaging only 326 yards and 24 points a game.
You might think that the Broncos would have the best turnover ratio because of all their takeaways. However, you would be wrong. The Broncos are also one of the worst teams in the league at giving the ball away. The young Trevor Siemian will make mistakes at some point in the game. The Raiders need to let Siemian lose the game for Denver, and avoid their own turnovers.
No Stupid Penalties
Against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Raiders had 23 penalties for 200 yards. That’s bad. That’s historically bad. They can’t do that every week and expect to win many games. The Raiders were one of the most penalized teams in the league before the game, and adding a historically bad game won’t help those numbers.
The Raiders had 626 yards of offense, and they can’t be expected to do that every single week. Against a Broncos team that likes to get conservative and lock up the lead, the Raiders can’t do them any favors. The Raiders need to play a clean game of football to beat their rivals.
MAJOR KEY ALERT- Pressure Trevor Siemian
The biggest key to victory for the Oakland Raiders is to rush the passer. Khalil Mack, Bruce Irvin, Jihad Ward, and Shilique Calhon need to rough up the young Trevor Siemian. Sacks are great, but the real key is to force errant throws. If the Raiders can force Siemian to made bad decisions, they’ll come away with the win.
If the Raiders win this game, they’ll be 7-2 for the first time since November of 2001. The last time the Raiders were 7-2, Monsters Inc. was number one in the box office, and Family Affair by Mary J. Blige was at the top of the charts. As long as the Raiders follow these keys, they’ll be a shoo-in to get that elusive winning record, as well as a playoff berth.
