4 reasons the Oakland Raiders beat the Denver Broncos in Week 17

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 07: Darren Waller #83 of the Oakland Raiders reacts after he made a catch for a first down against the Los Angeles Chargers at RingCentral Coliseum on November 07, 2019 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 07: Darren Waller #83 of the Oakland Raiders reacts after he made a catch for a first down against the Los Angeles Chargers at RingCentral Coliseum on November 07, 2019 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 08: DeAndre Washington #33 of the Oakland Raiders celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the first quarter against the Tennessee Titans at RingCentral Coliseum on December 08, 2019 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 08: DeAndre Washington #33 of the Oakland Raiders celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the first quarter against the Tennessee Titans at RingCentral Coliseum on December 08, 2019 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

Raiders rushing offense

The Raiders’ biggest strength this season has been their run game, something that the Broncos have struggled to stop this season. Denver has allowed 112.4 rushing yards per game, ranking them in the bottom half of the league.

If Josh Jacobs plays Sunday, which he is expected to, he should have another big game against Denver. If not, Deandre Washington carried the load for the Raiders last week and did a phenomenal job against the Chargers. Washington carried the ball 23 times for 85 yards, finding the end zone once.

Whoever the Raiders put in the backfield on Sunday should have a huge game as long as they will be given enough touches to make a major impact on this game. Sunday’s win goes through pounding the rock, just like it did in Week 1, which should also open up some shots downfield for quarterback Derek Carr.

Schedule