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5 Oakland Raiders to watch vs. Denver Broncos in Week 12

By John Buhler

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO - NOVEMBER 19: Bruce Irvin No. 51 of the Oakland Raiders chases down Rex Burkhead No. 34 of the New England Patriots during the first half at Estadio Azteca on November 19, 2017 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
MEXICO CITY, MEXICO - NOVEMBER 19: Bruce Irvin No. 51 of the Oakland Raiders chases down Rex Burkhead No. 34 of the New England Patriots during the first half at Estadio Azteca on November 19, 2017 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images) /
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OAKLAND, CA – OCTOBER 08: Marshawn Lynch No. 24 of the Oakland Raiders shakes hands with Donald Penn No. 72 after scoring in the third quarter against the Baltimore Ravens during their NFL game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on October 8, 2017 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA – OCTOBER 08: Marshawn Lynch No. 24 of the Oakland Raiders shakes hands with Donald Penn No. 72 after scoring in the third quarter against the Baltimore Ravens during their NFL game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on October 8, 2017 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

28. . Left Tackle. Utah State Aggies. Donald Penn. 3. player

This has not been a hallmark year for the Oakland Raiders’ offensive line. While it has been respectable on the left side, the right side has been plagued by injuries. It’s hard to count on right guard Gabe Jackson and right tackle Marshall Newhouse going forward. They just need to get healthy in the offseason.

That being said, left tackle Donald Penn has played well for the Raiders out on the edge. Since he will not be matched up against Von Miller on Sunday, Penn has a great chance at a great game versus the Broncos. Look for him to keep defensive end Shane Ray in check and give his quarterback Derek Carr a chance to make some nice throws from the pocket.

Let’s also factor in Penn as a run blocker. It would be very advantageous for Raiders offensive coordinator Todd Downing to either run off-tackle or a few sweeps to the strong side of the defense. Basically, run the ball away from Miller and at Ray.

With the right side of the Raiders’ offensive line on the mend, look for Penn and left guard Kelechi Osemele to have to carry the weight for the Silver and Black up front. Since Denver will want to use its once-formidable pass rush, let the best pass blocker on the Raiders’ front-five in Penn shine.

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