Raiders vs Broncos 2022 Week 4: Game preview and prediction
By Preston Seyl
Going into their Week 4 matchup with the Denver Broncos, the Las Vegas Raiders are the only team in the NFL that is sitting at 0-3 through three games. The playcalling from Josh McDaniels has been inconsistent, Derek Carr has looked lost at times, and the defense was atrocious against Tennessee in the first half last weekend.
The Broncos sit at 2-1, and their offense hasn’t looked good to start the season either in 2022. They are 31st in the NFL in points scored with 43 points, but the defense is a whole different story, ranking 2nd in the NFL allowing just 36 points per PFF.
Denver ranks 6th overall on defense and 28th overall on offense.
Can the Raiders move the ball on the Broncos’ defense?
The Broncos’ defense will create lots of problems for the struggling Raiders’ offense, which is ranked 21st per PFF. On defense, the pass rush has to come alive in this game to give this struggling Broncos offense all it can handle. One player who needs to step up is Chandler Jones, who has zero sacks with just four tackles so far.
That is unacceptable from an All-Pro caliber player, as he has been no factor in the pass rush, but the good news is Maxx Crosby, who has two sacks with 16 pressures with a 91.1 overall grade per PFF.
Another star on defense for Las Vegas has been Nate Hobbs, who has been excellent in run support this year and flourishing into a star in Year 2. Against a bad Broncos offense, this is the perfect opportunity for the Raiders to get their season back on track, but the coaching has to do their part too.
Josh McDaniels has to do a much better job in the play calling and getting his star players the ball in creative ways. Why give Davante Admas all that money if they’re not going to use him to his abilities?
This will be a tough defense for the Raiders to move the ball on consistently, but McDaniels was an offensive guru in New England and needs to bring some of his magic to the desert. I expect the Raiders to get after Russell Wilson and create a couple of takeaways to get the offense going with short fields, leading to a much-needed Las Vegas victory.
Prediction: Raiders 21, Broncos 17