Raiders outlast Broncos to stay alive in AFC West

The Denver Broncos headed to Oakland on Sunday, taking on the hated Raiders in a huge AFC West matchup inside the Oakland Coliseum.

The Oakland Raiders played host to the Denver Broncos on Sunday, and these teams showed how much they hate each other early on. Three minutes into the game, a fight broke out between Raiders wideout Michael Crabtree and Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib, which was a run over from last year’s Week 17 matchup. The fight had major implications, as both Crabtree and Talib were both ejected, along with Raiders right guard Gabe Jackson, who made contact with an official.

After the skirmish, the Raiders picked up the first down on a 3rd-and-15, but the drive ended a couple plays later. Denver started Paxton Lynch against the Raiders, as he became the third player to start a game at quarterback for the Broncos this season. He looked pretty nervous early on, as Denver decided to keep him in safe situations in the passing game.

Both offenses looked terrible early, though the defenses tried to keep their teams in the game. A Carr sack fumble set the Broncos up for an early touchdown, but the Raiders defense was having none of that. On a second down from the 1-yard line, NaVorro Bowman picked off Lynch in the end zone on a play resembling hot potato, giving the Raiders the ball back, and setting them up for their best offensive drive of the game up until that point.

With a little under nine minutes left in the first half, Oakland finally found the end zone, as Carr hit Amari Cooper for a nine-yard touchdown. Later in the second, there was a scary moment on the field, as Cooper dropped his head and was seemingly knocked unconscious. Cooper was able to walk to the locker room under his own power, and a few minutes later, Marshawn Lynch would find the end zone to put the Raiders up 14-0.

In the second half, the Raiders got on the board again, as Carr hit running back Jalen Richard for a six-yard score, giving the Raiders a 21-0 lead. Denver finally got on the board in the fourth quarter, as Trevor Siemian replaced the injured Lynch. Siemian hit Cody Latimer on a 25-yard touchdown strike, breathing some life into  the Broncos offense. Oakland tried to put the game away later in the fourth, but Giorgio Tavecchio missed a 35-yard attempt that would have put them up 24-7.

Denver would capitalize on the missed field goal, driving the length of the field, and finding the end zone when Siemian connected with Bennie Fowler on a 22-yard score. With the score 21-14, the Raiders were facing a third-and-8, with the two minute warning pending, and the Broncos without a time out. Carr lofted a pass to Cordarrelle Patterson for a long gain, icing the victory for the Raiders.

Oakland moved to 5-6 with the win, and incredibly, are only one game out of first place in the AFC West. The West-leading Kansas City Chiefs have lost five of their last six games, with one of those being against the Raiders.

Highlights

Betting Odds

The Broncos came into this game as road underdogs, as they were getting 3.5 points from the Raiders. Oakland was able to cover in the game, beating the Broncos by a touchdown. The over/under was set at 40.5, and that was a solid number, as the teams failed to score more than thirty points in the game. All odds were available throughout the week on OddsShark.com.

Three Stars

1. Oakland Raiders defense

Outside of two second-half touchdown passes from Trevor Siemian, the Denver Broncos offense really struggled against a tough Raiders defense on Sunday. Oakland got after the quarterback with ease in this one, as they sacked both Lynch and Siemian a total of five times. The Silver and Black had six tackles for a loss, and finally notched their first team interception of the season.

2. Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders

The Raiders quarterback has struggled a bit this season, as the team changed offensive coordinators after a 12-4 2016 campaign last year. However, Carr got his team going in this one, doing most of his damage without his top two wideouts in Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree. Carr hit Cordarrelle Patterson on a 54-yard gainer on a third down late to ice the game, and keep the Raiders playoff hopes alive.

3. Trevor Siemian, Denver Broncos

Paxton Lynch got the start under center for the Broncos, but he only last two quarters. Lynch was injured in the second half, and Trevor Siemian took over for Denver at quarterback. Siemian proceeded to lead his team to two fourth quarter touchdowns, nearly coming back from a 21-0 deficit, but he never got the ball back to try to complete the comeback late in the fourth quarter. Expect him back as the starter next week against Miami.

Next: Aqib Talib, Michael Crabtree got ejected after brawling (Video)

Next Week

The Denver Broncos will stay away from Mile High for another week, as they head East to take on the Miami Dolphins in a Week 13 AFC matchup. The Oakland Raiders will stay home for the second week in a row, as the New York Giants come West to take on the Silver and Black on Sunday afternoon.