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“Hell hath no fury like the Raiders versus Broncos.”- Monday Night Football 2001.
The Las Vegas Raiders open the 2023 season in enemy territory. It’ll be the Las Vegas Raiders versus the Broncos in Denver. The Raiders are entering the second season of the Josh McDaniels-Dave Ziegler regime and hope to open the season better than they did last season. They dropped from a 10-7 record in 2021 to a 6-11 record in 2022. Getting off on the right track will be paramount to their success. This is the first time we’ve seen the Raiders versus the Broncos in Week 1 since 2019 in Oakland, where the Raiders won an emotional battle 24-17 (this writer happened to be there).
Where the Rivalry Stands:
Raiders WR Davante Adams (17) – Gary A. Vasquez/USA Today
Currently, the Denver Broncos have never beaten the Las Vegas Raiders. Since relocating in 2020, the Raiders are 6-0 versus the Denver Broncos. The last time the Broncos beat the Raiders was in 2019 in Denver after a failed two-point conversion for Oakland. A lot has changed since then. Former Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels swept his former team last season, including an OT walkoff touchdown in Denver by Davante Adams.
This season, the Raiders approaching this season with new quarterback Jimmy Garrapolo after parting ways with long-time signal caller Derek Carr. They went 2-1 in the preseason, compared to 3-0 last season. The team has some shining bright spots to look out for in case starters such as Jimmy G go down, such as backup rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell. The depth has certainly improved from last season.
The Broncos come in with new head coach Sean Payton. The former Super Bowl-winning head coach came over in a trade with the New Orleans Saints in the offseason to replace former head coach Nathanial Hackett. The Broncos made a lot of moves in the offseason to boost their offensive line, signing players such as former 49ers right tackle Mike McGlinchey and former Ravens right guard Ben Powers. Quarterback Russell Wilson will be attempting to bring Broncos Country back to the postseason for the first time since 2015.
Matchups to Watch:
Davante Adams vs. Patrick Surtain II
Raiders WR Davante Adams (17) – Jack Dempsey/AP Photo
Last season, this was an epic showdown. In the first matchup between the Raiders and Broncos, the Raiders won the game, but Davante Adams had a relatively quiet game when matched up against Surtain with four catches for 46 yards. In the second matchup between the Raiders versus Broncos, Adams went off for two touchdowns, including the walk-off game-winning TD in overtime. He proclaimed to the world that Surtain despite being arguably the best cornerback in the game, simply “isn’t quite there yet.” Round 1 went to Surtain, but round 2 went to Adams. The world will be waiting to see who wins round 3 when the Raiders versus the Broncos happens on Sunday.
The Trenches
Raiders EDGE Maxx Crosby (98)- Hedi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal
Look no further than the line of scrimmage. The Broncos and Raiders both invested a lot of capital in different ways on their lines. The Raiders drafted edge rusher Tyree Wilson, defensive tackle Byron Young, and defensive tackle Nesta Jade Silvera. It is unknown to the veterans in front of them how much any of these rookies will play. Wilson was the Raiders’ first-round pick and played quite well in the Raiders’ third preseason game in Dallas.
The Broncos went into free agency and added Mike McGlinchey on a rich five-year, $87.5 million contract. They also signed Ben Powers to a four-year $52 million contract. Both guys were considered arguably the best free-agent offensive linemen on the market. The Raiders versus the Broncos matchups in prior years have featured the Broncos’ offensive and defensive lines not fairing well against the Raiders fronts. If the results from the Raiders versus the Broncos matchups are to change, it’ll likely have to start there.
The Raiders are returning Maxx Crosby, one of the best edge rushers in all of football. However, he needed help. Last season, Crosby was really the only guy on the Raiders who could generate pressures and sacks. Chandler Jones was paid handsomely by the Raiders in the 2022 offseason but didn’t factor into any game until week 15. On top of it, Jones has had some concerning issues this week. There’s hope in Raider Nation that the Raiders’ pass rush will be able to help cover for the deficiencies in the rest of the defense. But there’s also hope in Broncos Country that the improvements on the offensive line will bully the Raiders into submission.
Broncos WRs vs. Raiders Secondary
The Broncos receivers have been hit with the injury bug like crazy before the season started. Since paying receiver Tim Patrick $34 million for three years in November of 2021, he’s unfortunately gone on to miss the 2022 and now the 2023 season. Receiver KJ Hamler was found to have a heart condition and is taking a leave of absence from the team. Starting receiver Jerry Jeudy is set to miss several weeks with a hamstring injury. In their place will step rookie draft pick Marvin Mims Jr., whom Denver hopes can emerge alongside the reliable Cortland Sutton.
The Raiders secondary has been slightly revamped from last season. They added Marcus Epps from Philadelphia to replace Duron Harmon at safety. Veteran Pro Bowl cornerback Marcus Peters is looking to bounce back from a rough final season in Baltimore by becoming the newest Raider reclamation project. Nate Hobbs is back in the slot, and rookie draft pick Jaquorian Bennett is expected to factor into the secondary. Brandon Facyson is also back after spending the 2022 season with the Colts, as well as Amik Robertson, who managed to make the roster despite having another rough season in 2022.
The key battle here is seeing how the revamped Raiders secondary does against Russell Wilson and the group of receivers the Broncos have. The Raiders have not had a lockdown cornerback since Nnamdi Asmougha left the team in the 2011 offseason. Their secondaries have been notoriously bad for a long time. At the same time, the Broncos receiving core has been absolutely decimated by injuries before the season even started. Will the Raiders secondary step up to the challenge? Or will the Broncos run free in the Raiders secondary?
Prediction:
Raiders 31 – Broncos 21.
I think the Raiders will have to lean on their running game as well as Davante Adams. I don’t expect the defense to do a whole lot to stop the Broncos’ passing attack, as I don’t think the Raiders did enough to upgrade the defense in the offseason. However, I see Josh Jacobs as the x-factor here. In prior matchups featuring the Raiders versus the Broncos, Jacobs has always had huge games against the Broncos, and this one will be no different.
I have Adams going for over 100 yards and a touchdown as well. I think Denver is highly motivated to come into this one, and they want to start the Sean Payton era off the right way. However, a combination of injuries, as well as the intensity of the rivalry, might get to them. Jimmy G tends to play a very conservative style of quarterback and struggled last season in Denver, but I see him in this system handing the ball off to Jacobs or dishing it off quickly to Adams successfully in a 31-21 win at Mile High—another successful victory for the Raiders versus the Broncos.
