Last Week: Colts 25, Raiders 20
Colts interim coach Jeff Saturday had never coached above the high school level, and quarterback Matt Ryan had been benched two weeks earlier, but both were plenty good enough to add to the Raiders’ misery. Indianapolis was more dominant than the score indicates, considering it gained 7 yards per play to Las Vegas’ 4.8. Ryan looked revitalized against the Raiders’ defense, completing 21 of 28 passes for 222 yards and making a career-long 39-yard run on what turned out to be the game-winning drive. The Raiders had a chance to take the lead in the final minute with the ball at the 16-yard line, but Colts defenders knocked away two straight passes from Carr in the end zone.
This Week: Raiders (2-7) at Broncos (3-6)
When: Sunday, November 20, 1:05 p.m.
Where: Empower Field at Mile High
TV & Radio: Fox (Channel 5) & 920 AM/92.3 FM
Betting line: Broncos -2.5, over/under 41.5
Matchup: The high point of the Raiders’ season came in a 32-23 Week 4 victory against the Broncos, when Josh Jacobs ran for 144 yards and scored two touchdowns. That gave the Raiders a fifth consecutive victory against their AFC West rivals; the Broncos have yet to defeat them since the franchise moved to Las Vegas. Both the Broncos and Raiders were expected to be playoff contenders to help make the AFC West one of the toughest divisions in NFL history, but they’ve fallen far short of that bar. Denver has one of the NFL’s best defenses—ranking fifth by Football Outsiders’ DVOA ratings—but its offense has been nonexistent, with veteran quarterback Russell Wilson struggling to maintain the standard he established during a long tenure with the Seahawks.
Raider to Watch: Wide receiver Davante Adams
Adams had nine catches for 101 yards in the first meeting against the Broncos but lavished high praise on second-year cornerback Patrick Surtain II afterwards. When Surtain lines up against Adams, it’s must-watch TV; it’s not every week that a game presents that caliber of a one-on-one matchup. Many have called Adams the best receiver in football over the past few years, while Surtain has entered the same conversation at cornerback this season. With Waller and Renfrow on injured reserve, the bulk of the Raiders’ passing game falls on Adams’ shoulders—and it’s a challenge he welcomes.
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