AFC West 17 preview and predictions: Oakland Raiders to the playoffs?
By Alex Perl
Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos
There is something bittersweet about this being the last time making a prediction about the Raiders and calling them the ‘Oakland Raiders’, but that’s a topic for another time. With the Raiders traveling to Denver after a hard fought win over the Broncos in Week 1, things have definitely changed since the start of the season.
The Broncos are now led by a new quarterback in rookie Drew Lock, which is a familiar face to Raiders coach Jon Gruden, as he coached Lock in this past year’s Senior Bowl. Lock has been a pretty solid replacement for injured quarterback Joe Flacco, but the rookie should face an uphill battle vs a determined and eager Raiders team.
The Raiders will be looking to get back rookie sensation Josh Jacobs after missing Week 16 with injury, and will look to control the game in the same manner as Week 1. With a lot at stake and also a critical game for quarterback Derek Carr, I’m expecting the Raiders to win this one and although it may not be a blowout, it should be a convincing win to leave their playoff hopes up to the rest of the field.