Nathaniel Hackett offers bleak preview of Broncos-Raiders
By Rylie Smith
Denver Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett spoke on the upcoming game against the Las Vegas Raiders, but he didn’t offer much insight.
Denver Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett kept it simple when previewing the upcoming game against the Las Vegas Raiders, unclear on who may pull off the win.
It is certainly a tough question to answer as the Broncos and Raiders are third and fourth, respectively, in the division. If the Raiders win, the two teams will be tied for third and Las Vegas will have a stronger chance of passing Denver in the standings.
The Raiders have already beaten the Broncos once this season, but the Broncos will have the advantage of playing at home. Neither team is noticeably explosive or necessarily a threat to make the playoffs, so it’s truly hard to tell what the outcome will be.
Broncos vs Raiders is truly a tossup that could go either way
On one hand, Las Vegas has Josh Jacobs, who is tough to stop. So far this season, Jacobs has recorded 821 rushing yards, an average of 5.2 yards per rush and seven touchdowns. This could easily be his best season if he continues to play the way he has.
The Broncos, on the other hand, have a great defensive line, despite their struggles this season. Denver ranks second in overall defense with 290.4 yards per game and first in passing with 174.4 yards per game.
Denver’s offense, however, is a major point of concern. They sit dead last in points with 14.6 points per game, a spot that’s difficult to come up from. This is despite adding Russell Wilson this offseason. The Raiders have a bit of an advantage there as they rank 14th, much closer to average.
As Hackett stated, one team will end up winning, but it’s unclear which team will. For two teams who rank roughly the same in the standings, it could truly go either way.