Oakland Raiders: 5 keys to victory vs. Denver Broncos
By John Buhler
Generate pressure on Trevor Siemian in the pocket
The best way to slow down the Broncos offense will be the create havoc in the pocket for Denver quarterback Trevor Siemian. We know that while he’s not a franchise quarterback, the guy can play. He throws an accurate football, can move around a little bit and has a slightly better than average arm.
That being said, he can succumb to being a victim behind a bad Denver offensive line. This is problematic given the amount of great pass rushers he faces in the AFC West six times a year. Sunday is a terrific opportunity for the Raiders’ edge players of Bruce Irvin and Khalil Mack to have big games.
Irvin has struggled in pass rush this season, but has played well in stuffing the run. He’ll be going up against first-round rookie left tackle Garret Bolles out of Utah. Bolles has played well as a rookie, but look for Irvin to use his veteran pass rushing experience to his advantage.
Then there is the greatest mismatch in Oakland’s favor in this game. Mack could have a field day coming off the edge versus Denver. This is because former Raiders’ tackle Menelik Watson is playing on the right of the Denver offensive line. Mack will get pressure even against great right tackles. Watson has already surrendered six quarterback sacks this season.