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NFL Preview - Oakland (1-1) at Denver (2-0)
Monday, September 22, 2003
Latest Line: Oakland +4.5 O/U: 45
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By Chris Catania, NFL Correspondent (Sports Network) - The AFC's fiercest rivalry gets an early prime-time airing Monday when the Raiders travel to Denver to play the unbeaten Broncos. The teams normally have their Monday night matchup in November during television's sweeps period -- fitting because that is what one team normally does to the other -- but the calendar will be about the only thing that's changed in this year's first meeting.
Oakland comes into this game reeling on offense, while the Broncos look like champs. The situation was nearly identical last year when the Raiders arrived in the Mile High City at their nadir for the Monday night game. Oakland had dropped four straight to fall to .500 while Denver enjoyed the view from first place. The teams reversed fortunes in that game with the Raiders taking seven- of-eight games to capture home-field advantage in the playoffs while the Broncos limped to a 2-6 finish and missed the postseason.
No playoff berths will be decided in Week 3, but Oakland returns to Denver with a badly out of sync offense, while Denver has coasted to two road victories to start the season.
"Denver, as I see it, has been, and is the most talented team within the division," said Bill Callahan, coach of the three-time defending AFC West champion Raiders.
Both teams come in with banged-up players and a habit of stretching the limit of the NFL rules on reporting injuries. Broncos coach Mike Shanahan took some heat during the week for first reporting QB Jake Plummer had a concussion at halftime of Denver's game with San Diego, when he actually had a separated shoulder. For the second week in a row, Callahan declined to share injury information until Wednesday when the league requires its release. Callahan claimed both times he had not talked to Oakland's trainers about the injuries yet.
The Raiders will again be without WR Jerry Porter and safety Rod Woodson, but Plummer's fate is in Shanahan's hands. Plummer threw short passes in a Thursday practice. Shanahan is optimistic the extra day will allow Plummer to recover enough to play. If he can't play Steve Beuerlein would get the start.
SERIES HISTORY: These old AFL rivals have met 84 times with the Raiders holding a 52-31-1 edge in the series. The Raiders swept the season series last year and have won three of the past four meetings. The Broncos have won seven of the past eight meetings in Denver.
The Raiders and Broncos last met on December 22, 2002 in Oakland. The Raiders won 28-16 behind two Zack Crockett touchdown runs. The Raiders won the last game in Denver, a Monday night matchup, 34-10. Rich Gannon set an NFL record in the game completing 21 consecutive passes. If not for a bad call by an official who ruled RB Charlie Garner out of bounds on a reception, Gannon would have completed 30 throws in a row. Jerry Rice had two touchdowns in the game and the victory snapped a four-game Oakland losing streak.
Callahan is 2-0 against the Broncos. Shanahan is 12-4 in his career against his former team.
MONDAY NIGHT SPOTLIGHT: The teams are meeting for a MNF record 14th time. The Monday night meetings are even at 6-6-1, with the Raiders winning the last two. This is the eighth meeting of the teams on a Monday night since the Raiders returned to Oakland in 1995. It will be the sixth time in that period the game is played in Denver. One of the most memorable Monday night meetings between Oakland and Denver came in 1988 when the then LA Raiders were coached by Shanahan. The Raiders overcame a 24-0 deficit to win in overtime in Jay Schroeder's LA debut.
RAIDERS OFFENSE VS. BRONCOS DEFENSE The Raiders have looked nothing like the offense that topped the NFL last year. Porter's absence has removed the Raiders' best deep threat and shrunk the field for defenses. Future Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Tim Brown are not consistent threats beyond 15 yards.
"It certainly hasn't helped us the first two weeks," Gannon said of Porter's absence. "He's a great player and he's a big part of what we are trying to do. And he was a big part of our success last year, so obviously his absence is significant. But at the same time, we have other players who have to step up. We are continuing to probe and use a lot of different personnel groupings, and try to find ways to get guys on the field that can make some big plays for us." Porter played the first quarter of the opener before exiting with an abdominal injury later diagnosed as a sports hernia. He has since had surgery and will be out at least three more games. No other wideout besides Brown and Rice has caught a pass yet for Oakland, but Callahan said multi-receiver sets will still remain an offensive staple of the Raiders.
"We've been in and out of three- and four-wide receiver sets this season and we're going to continue to do that," Callahan said. "We haven't put the system on hold yet." The Broncos, along with Kansas City, have looked like the class of the AFC West. Denver routed Cincinnati in Week 1, while the Raiders were lucky to beat the Bengals in Week 2. The Raiders history of questioning the decisions of NFL game officials is well known, but Oakland actually benefited from a blown call in Week 2.
Rookie RB Justin Fargas was hugging the football to his body with two hands, when he was clearly stripped at the end of a 53-yard run on a reverse. The Bengals recovered, but the official trailing the play on the opposite side of the field ruled the play was dead before the ball came out, and the play was therefore non-reviewable. The Raiders took advantage of their good fortune a few plays later with a touchdown.
That has been one of the few highlights for the Raider offense through two games. Teams have pressured Gannon with just four pass rushers this year and that has thrown off the timing of the short-passing game.
"We're not in rhythm right now," Callahan said of his 28th-ranked offense.
"But we're capable of getting back into a rhythm very quickly." To do that Gannon will need more time to throw and another receiving target besides Rice, Brown and Garner. Alvis Whitted, Doug Gabriel and Ronald Curry have all seen time at receiver but none has a catch this year. Tight Ends Doug Jolley and rookie Teyo Johnson are Oakland's other options but they have been bottled up so far, too. The Raiders ran the ball for good yardage against the Bengals but did not stick with the run.
BRONCOS OFFENSE VS. RAIDERS DEFENSE Sticking with the ground game is not a problem for Denver, it's what the Broncos do best. Second-year RB Clinton Portis has 10 100-yard games to his credit in 18 career appearances. He was the third-fastest back to 10 100-yard games behind only Edgerrin James and Eric Dickerson.
Oakland was able to handle Portis last season by jumping out to big early leads and forcing Denver into passing situations. The Raiders led by scores of 13-0 and 27-7 in the Monday night game last year and had a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter of the second game.
Portis combined to rush for only 102 yards on 26 carries. Oakland has allowed only 2.7 yards rushing so far, but containing Portis will be a tall task even if he only played a half of football last week because of a chest injury.
"He gets to the edge fast," said Oakland DE DeLawrence Grant. "He's a fast guy. You just got to play your assignment and keep your eye on him or else you're in for a long night." Portis did not play in the second half Week 2 because of a bruised sternum. He still rushed for more than 125 yards. Portis practiced during the week and is expected to play.
Plummer had the more serious injury, but Shanahan said if he plays, there will be no fear of reinjuring the shoulder.
"If we feel he is hesitant and worried about the shoulder, we won't play him," Shanahan said. "That is why you have backup players. I feel very good about Steve Beuerlein and I feel very good about Danny [Kanell, re-signed this week]." Shanahan will want a quarterback who can air it out because the Raiders are inexperienced in the defensive backfield with Rod Woodson out. Cincinnati had two 100-yard receivers last week. Second-year man Philip Buchanon turned in the game-saving play with an 83-yard interception return late in the fourth quarter, but before that he was beaten badly all afternoon.
With a healthy Ed McCaffrey, Denver can spread the Raiders out and test the communication in the realigned secondary.
Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Oakland 27, Denver 24
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NFL Preview - Oakland (1-1) at Denver (2-0)
Monday, September 22, 2003
Latest Line: Oakland +4.5 O/U: 45
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By Chris Catania, NFL Correspondent (Sports Network) - The AFC's fiercest rivalry gets an early prime-time airing Monday when the Raiders travel to Denver to play the unbeaten Broncos. The teams normally have their Monday night matchup in November during television's sweeps period -- fitting because that is what one team normally does to the other -- but the calendar will be about the only thing that's changed in this year's first meeting.
Oakland comes into this game reeling on offense, while the Broncos look like champs. The situation was nearly identical last year when the Raiders arrived in the Mile High City at their nadir for the Monday night game. Oakland had dropped four straight to fall to .500 while Denver enjoyed the view from first place. The teams reversed fortunes in that game with the Raiders taking seven- of-eight games to capture home-field advantage in the playoffs while the Broncos limped to a 2-6 finish and missed the postseason.
No playoff berths will be decided in Week 3, but Oakland returns to Denver with a badly out of sync offense, while Denver has coasted to two road victories to start the season.
"Denver, as I see it, has been, and is the most talented team within the division," said Bill Callahan, coach of the three-time defending AFC West champion Raiders.
Both teams come in with banged-up players and a habit of stretching the limit of the NFL rules on reporting injuries. Broncos coach Mike Shanahan took some heat during the week for first reporting QB Jake Plummer had a concussion at halftime of Denver's game with San Diego, when he actually had a separated shoulder. For the second week in a row, Callahan declined to share injury information until Wednesday when the league requires its release. Callahan claimed both times he had not talked to Oakland's trainers about the injuries yet.
The Raiders will again be without WR Jerry Porter and safety Rod Woodson, but Plummer's fate is in Shanahan's hands. Plummer threw short passes in a Thursday practice. Shanahan is optimistic the extra day will allow Plummer to recover enough to play. If he can't play Steve Beuerlein would get the start.
SERIES HISTORY: These old AFL rivals have met 84 times with the Raiders holding a 52-31-1 edge in the series. The Raiders swept the season series last year and have won three of the past four meetings. The Broncos have won seven of the past eight meetings in Denver.
The Raiders and Broncos last met on December 22, 2002 in Oakland. The Raiders won 28-16 behind two Zack Crockett touchdown runs. The Raiders won the last game in Denver, a Monday night matchup, 34-10. Rich Gannon set an NFL record in the game completing 21 consecutive passes. If not for a bad call by an official who ruled RB Charlie Garner out of bounds on a reception, Gannon would have completed 30 throws in a row. Jerry Rice had two touchdowns in the game and the victory snapped a four-game Oakland losing streak.
Callahan is 2-0 against the Broncos. Shanahan is 12-4 in his career against his former team.
MONDAY NIGHT SPOTLIGHT: The teams are meeting for a MNF record 14th time. The Monday night meetings are even at 6-6-1, with the Raiders winning the last two. This is the eighth meeting of the teams on a Monday night since the Raiders returned to Oakland in 1995. It will be the sixth time in that period the game is played in Denver. One of the most memorable Monday night meetings between Oakland and Denver came in 1988 when the then LA Raiders were coached by Shanahan. The Raiders overcame a 24-0 deficit to win in overtime in Jay Schroeder's LA debut.
RAIDERS OFFENSE VS. BRONCOS DEFENSE The Raiders have looked nothing like the offense that topped the NFL last year. Porter's absence has removed the Raiders' best deep threat and shrunk the field for defenses. Future Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Tim Brown are not consistent threats beyond 15 yards.
"It certainly hasn't helped us the first two weeks," Gannon said of Porter's absence. "He's a great player and he's a big part of what we are trying to do. And he was a big part of our success last year, so obviously his absence is significant. But at the same time, we have other players who have to step up. We are continuing to probe and use a lot of different personnel groupings, and try to find ways to get guys on the field that can make some big plays for us." Porter played the first quarter of the opener before exiting with an abdominal injury later diagnosed as a sports hernia. He has since had surgery and will be out at least three more games. No other wideout besides Brown and Rice has caught a pass yet for Oakland, but Callahan said multi-receiver sets will still remain an offensive staple of the Raiders.
"We've been in and out of three- and four-wide receiver sets this season and we're going to continue to do that," Callahan said. "We haven't put the system on hold yet." The Broncos, along with Kansas City, have looked like the class of the AFC West. Denver routed Cincinnati in Week 1, while the Raiders were lucky to beat the Bengals in Week 2. The Raiders history of questioning the decisions of NFL game officials is well known, but Oakland actually benefited from a blown call in Week 2.
Rookie RB Justin Fargas was hugging the football to his body with two hands, when he was clearly stripped at the end of a 53-yard run on a reverse. The Bengals recovered, but the official trailing the play on the opposite side of the field ruled the play was dead before the ball came out, and the play was therefore non-reviewable. The Raiders took advantage of their good fortune a few plays later with a touchdown.
That has been one of the few highlights for the Raider offense through two games. Teams have pressured Gannon with just four pass rushers this year and that has thrown off the timing of the short-passing game.
"We're not in rhythm right now," Callahan said of his 28th-ranked offense.
"But we're capable of getting back into a rhythm very quickly." To do that Gannon will need more time to throw and another receiving target besides Rice, Brown and Garner. Alvis Whitted, Doug Gabriel and Ronald Curry have all seen time at receiver but none has a catch this year. Tight Ends Doug Jolley and rookie Teyo Johnson are Oakland's other options but they have been bottled up so far, too. The Raiders ran the ball for good yardage against the Bengals but did not stick with the run.
BRONCOS OFFENSE VS. RAIDERS DEFENSE Sticking with the ground game is not a problem for Denver, it's what the Broncos do best. Second-year RB Clinton Portis has 10 100-yard games to his credit in 18 career appearances. He was the third-fastest back to 10 100-yard games behind only Edgerrin James and Eric Dickerson.
Oakland was able to handle Portis last season by jumping out to big early leads and forcing Denver into passing situations. The Raiders led by scores of 13-0 and 27-7 in the Monday night game last year and had a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter of the second game.
Portis combined to rush for only 102 yards on 26 carries. Oakland has allowed only 2.7 yards rushing so far, but containing Portis will be a tall task even if he only played a half of football last week because of a chest injury.
"He gets to the edge fast," said Oakland DE DeLawrence Grant. "He's a fast guy. You just got to play your assignment and keep your eye on him or else you're in for a long night." Portis did not play in the second half Week 2 because of a bruised sternum. He still rushed for more than 125 yards. Portis practiced during the week and is expected to play.
Plummer had the more serious injury, but Shanahan said if he plays, there will be no fear of reinjuring the shoulder.
"If we feel he is hesitant and worried about the shoulder, we won't play him," Shanahan said. "That is why you have backup players. I feel very good about Steve Beuerlein and I feel very good about Danny [Kanell, re-signed this week]." Shanahan will want a quarterback who can air it out because the Raiders are inexperienced in the defensive backfield with Rod Woodson out. Cincinnati had two 100-yard receivers last week. Second-year man Philip Buchanon turned in the game-saving play with an 83-yard interception return late in the fourth quarter, but before that he was beaten badly all afternoon.
With a healthy Ed McCaffrey, Denver can spread the Raiders out and test the communication in the realigned secondary.
Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Oakland 27, Denver 24
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