Oakland Raiders X-Factors against the Denver Broncos in Week 1
By Matt Holder
In order to beat the Denver Broncos on Monday night, the Oakland Raiders x-factors on offense and defense need to fulfill their roles. Divisional games are never easy to win and require strong performances from players outside of a team’s superstars.
In an AFC West matchup to open up the 2019 NFL season, the Oakland Raiders will play host to the Denver Broncos in the final Monday night matchup of the Week 1 slate. The Raiders come into the season with high hopes after winning only four games last season, and they should be much-improved thanks to all the talent Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden brought in this offseason.
The last time these two teams squared off, big plays by Dwayne and Erik Harris helped sway the game in the Raiders favor. In the first matchup of 2018, Broncos running back Phillip Lindsay had a breakout game to give his team the victory.
It’s expected that each team’s superstars will have good performances, but if the trend from last season holds, each team’s role players will be the biggest factor during the season opener.
Denver’s head coach Vic Fangio is considered a defensive guru and of course, Oakland’s head coach Jon Gruden is viewed in the same light, just on the other side of the ball. Both rosters are molded with their head coaches’ expertise in mind, so the game is set for some interesting matchups.
If the Raiders start the season 1-0, it will likely be a result of solid performances from these players.