Chris Humphreys- USA TODAY Sports
The Oakland Raiders don’t deserve to be playing in primetime, but that’s exactly what’s happening on Thursday night. They play host to the AFC West champions, the Denver Broncos, in what is sure to be an ugly game for the Silver and Black. We go through the formalities and break this matchup down by the positions to see who’s got the edge.
Quarterback: Any time Peyton Manning is involved there’s a good chance he’s the best quarterback in the game. Carson Palmer has been good, but not amazing this season. Advantage: Denver
Running Back: The Raiders don’t have a starting running back and the Broncos have two. Oakland can’t get any production out of the backfield, but Denver gets some good thing from its backfield. Advantage: Denver
Wide Receiver and Tight End: All the Oakland receivers not named Brandon Myers have done is underperform. Meanwhile, Manning has a plethora of targets to choose from. Advantage: Denver
Offensive Line: One team can run the ball and protect the quarterback. The other team is the Raiders. Advantage: Denver
Defensive Line: Is there any team out there that can inject some life into this Oakland front four? Denver’s defensive line has been solid this season. Advantage: Denver
Linebackers: The Broncos have Von Miller and Wesley Woodyard, while the Raiders have Philip Wheeler and Miles Burris. One of these pairs has been great this season, the other has been average at best. Advantage: Denver
Secondary: I’m not going to insult Denver’s secondary by comparing it to Oakland’s. Heck, it may be an insult to put the two of them in the same sentence. Advantage: Denver
Specialists: There is no doubt Sebastian Janikowski is one of the premier kickers in this league and although Matt Prater is good in the clutch, he’s missed five kicks this season. Advantage: Oakland
Coach: It’s entirely possible Dennis Allen has lost this team, so how is he a good coach? On the other sideline John Fox is quietly having an excellent season. Advantage: Denver
Oakland’s goal for this week should be to keep the game respectable
