Las Vegas Raiders: 3 Denver Broncos players to Worry About in Week 16
By Alex Perl
Las Vegas Raiders: 3 Denver Broncos players to Worry About in Week 16
1. Javonte Williams & Melvin Gordon
Yeah I know, we are cheating here a bit by inserting two names into this column at once — but this potent one-two combo at running back should be the main focus of the Raiders defense.
Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon are the true definition of a split backfield. Gordon at 174 rushing attempts only outpaces Williams by four at 170. Javonte has the edge in rushing yards at 815, but Gordon isn’t too far behind at 769, with Gordon also being the bigger red zone threat of the two with seven touchdowns to Williams at three.
The passing game tends to favor Williams more than Gordon, but both backs are capable in this facet of the game as well. This one-two combo will be the focal point of the Broncos offense, as backup quarterback Drew Lock will be the likely starter with Teddy Bridgewater in concussion protocol. This is a daunting task to conquer, as the two backs give the Broncos a top-10 team in rushing yards.
The Raiders must stack the box and keep their eyes on these two at all times, it is hard to take down one of these talented backs, but for the Raiders to succeed they have to take down both if they want to continue their chances (albeit narrow) at a playoff berth.