Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders: 3 things to watch
By Nick Ellis
Week 1 of the 2019 NFL season is officially here, and here are three things to keep an eye on during the Oakland Raiders opener against the Denver Broncos.
The Oakland Raiders head into Week 1 against the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football. All eyes should have been on Derek Carr and Antonio Brown, as the duo spent the offseason working out together, but the likelihood is the team will be without Brown on Monday night, after a scuffle with Mike Mayock on Wednesday.
The division rival Denver Broncos head into Oakland with a new quarterback in Joe Flacco, a strong running game behind Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman, and an always tough defense led by Von Miller. Their new head coach, Vic Fangio, is a defensive-minded genius, so the chess match between him and Jon Gruden should be a good one.
It is imperative to stack wins in what should be a very crowded AFC West this season. The Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers are two teams that many expect to go to the playoffs this season, but all teams start out with a clean slate, and getting a divisional opponent early is crucial.
Let’s take a look at three things to watch during the season opener.