some articles ive picked across this morning around the newspapers......
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-- STORY LINE: This is the Raiders' biggest game so far this season, but a loss certainly won't erase Oakland's championship hopes: The Raiders won the AFC West last year despite losing two games to the Broncos. What the Raiders can do with a victory, besides ending the hold the Broncos have had over them, is make it real hard for the Broncos to think of themselves as contenders and change Denver's emphasis for the rest of the season. At 4-4 with three division defeats in four games, the Broncos would suddenly become as concerned with 2002 as they are with the present.
-- WHEN BRONCOS HAVE THE BALL: Who knows who's going to carry it, and it doesn't really seem to matter. There is a good chance Terrell Davis, out since the opening game after arthroscopic knee surgery, will be active. He's one of the best if he's right, but replacements Mike Anderson and Olandis Gary have done well enough and have given the Raiders trouble in the past. Brian Griese says his shoulder is fine, but some of the Raiders think his arm strength has diminished. Rod Smith leads the league with 57 catches, and will be a test for the Raiders' secondary. Even if Griese can't get the ball deep, Smith can take it there. Like the Raiders, the Broncos use their tight ends in a lot of different ways, and even have moved Patrick Hape to fullback to replace the injured Howard Griffith.
-- WHEN RAIDERS HAVE THE BALL: Wide receiver/kick return man David Dunn aggravated a quad injury in practice during the week. If he cannot go, either Charles Woodson or Tim Brown would run back punts, and Terry Kirby, Randy Jordan or Jerry Porter would handle kickoffs. The Raiders got their running game back last week, but it will be tested by a Denver defensive line anchored by former Raider Chester McGlockton and the veteran Trevor Pryce. Middle linebacker Bill Romanowski is still one of the meaner guys in the league. Denver's cornerbacks, Deltha O'Neal and free-agent acquisition Denard Walker, have nine interceptions between them. But Rich Gannon, who has not thrown an interception since the first series of the first game, is a lot more careful with the ball than some of the QBs Denver has faced.
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THREE KEYS TO THE GAME
1. Denver ...
THREE KEYS TO THE GAME
1. Denver can't commit as many penalties and turnovers as it did, on average, its first seven games.
2. Oakland needs to contain the effectiveness of Denver's dangerous running game and put injured quarterback Brian Griese in passing situations more than he prefers.
3. The Raiders have to put together several sustained drives as a means of keeping the Broncos potent offense off the field as much as possible.
BETTING LINE: Raiders by 5
TIME: 6 p.m.
TV/RADIO: Chs. 7, 10; 1050-AM
ON THE RECORDS: Oakland (5-1) beat host Philadelphia 20-10; Denver (4-3) beat visiting New England 31-20.
SERIES: Oakland leads the overall series 50-31-2, including a 1-1 mark in postseason games.
LAST MEETING: The Broncos beat the visiting Raiders 27-24 on Nov. 13, 2000, at Mile High Stadium.
THINGS TO WATCH: Broncos -- Look for the Broncos to stick with their running game as long as possible in hopes of putting together long drives and keeping the Raiders' potent offense off the field as much as possible. The Broncos likely will employ two of their three 1,000-yard running backs -- Terrell Davis, Mike Anderson and Olandis Gary -- and try both until they find the hot hand and then stick with him. Quarterback Brian Griese completed 63.6 percent of his passes and threw 13 touchdowns in Denver's first seven games, but he also was intercepted 10 times. Things still aren't right with his right (throwing) shoulder. The Raiders know better than to get complacent after watching Griese return from a dislocated right shoulder and direct the game-winning drive against them in the teams' last meeting. Does Griese's health really matter when you factor in that he is throwing to wide receiver Rod Smith? Smith leads the league, by far, in receptions (57) and receiving yards (758) and he also has six touchdowns. He is doing a remarkable job helping fill the void created by a season-ending injury (broken leg) to wideout Ed McCaffrey. Defensively, the Broncos typically give the Raiders fits because of their unorthodox style of blitzing and penchant for using nine-man fronts. Count on them doing more of the same tonight. Also, linebacker Bill Romanowski is a noted Raider-killer. He figures to play a key role in the Broncos' overall success. Raiders -- Quarterback Rich Gannon is the AFC's top-rated passer and is in the midst of a streak in which he has not thrown an interception in 181 passes. He is completing 64.9 percent of his passes and doing a masterful job leading scoring drives and eating up the clock. He will try to do the same thing tonight, as well as avoiding the costly turnovers that plagued him and the Raiders in recent games against the Broncos. Look for running back Charlie Garner to carry the bulk of the rushing load for a second straight game, as Tyrone Wheatley recovers from a knee injury. Receivers Tim Brown and Jerry Rice will try to pick on Broncos cornerback Deltha O'Neal, even though O'Neal is the reigning AFC Defensive Player of the Month. O'Neal plays with reckless abandon, leading to many interceptions and big plays allowed. Defensively, the Raiders will key on stopping the run first and then pressuring Griese as much as possible. Cornerback Charles Woodson likely will shadow Smith wherever he goes and force Griese to look elsewhere. Continued strong play from Oakland's special teams figures to be critical to its overall success against a sound Denver team.
KEY STATS: Tonight marks the sixth time in the past seven years that the Raiders and Broncos play a Monday night game. Denver has won 11 of the past 12 meetings against Oakland. Its previous best record over a 12-game stretch against Oakland was 5-7.
INJURY REPORT: Broncos - WR Kevin Kasper (ankle) is doubtful; G Lennie Friedman (knee) is questionable; Davis (knee) and G Steve Herndon (knee) are probable. Raiders -- QB Bobby Hoying (elbow) and LB Elijah Alexander (knee) are doubtful; Wheatley, OT Lincoln Kennedy (shoulder), OT Barry Sims (foot) and G Mo Collins (leg) are questionable; WR David Dunn (quadriceps) is probable.
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-- STORY LINE: This is the Raiders' biggest game so far this season, but a loss certainly won't erase Oakland's championship hopes: The Raiders won the AFC West last year despite losing two games to the Broncos. What the Raiders can do with a victory, besides ending the hold the Broncos have had over them, is make it real hard for the Broncos to think of themselves as contenders and change Denver's emphasis for the rest of the season. At 4-4 with three division defeats in four games, the Broncos would suddenly become as concerned with 2002 as they are with the present.
-- WHEN BRONCOS HAVE THE BALL: Who knows who's going to carry it, and it doesn't really seem to matter. There is a good chance Terrell Davis, out since the opening game after arthroscopic knee surgery, will be active. He's one of the best if he's right, but replacements Mike Anderson and Olandis Gary have done well enough and have given the Raiders trouble in the past. Brian Griese says his shoulder is fine, but some of the Raiders think his arm strength has diminished. Rod Smith leads the league with 57 catches, and will be a test for the Raiders' secondary. Even if Griese can't get the ball deep, Smith can take it there. Like the Raiders, the Broncos use their tight ends in a lot of different ways, and even have moved Patrick Hape to fullback to replace the injured Howard Griffith.
-- WHEN RAIDERS HAVE THE BALL: Wide receiver/kick return man David Dunn aggravated a quad injury in practice during the week. If he cannot go, either Charles Woodson or Tim Brown would run back punts, and Terry Kirby, Randy Jordan or Jerry Porter would handle kickoffs. The Raiders got their running game back last week, but it will be tested by a Denver defensive line anchored by former Raider Chester McGlockton and the veteran Trevor Pryce. Middle linebacker Bill Romanowski is still one of the meaner guys in the league. Denver's cornerbacks, Deltha O'Neal and free-agent acquisition Denard Walker, have nine interceptions between them. But Rich Gannon, who has not thrown an interception since the first series of the first game, is a lot more careful with the ball than some of the QBs Denver has faced.
===================
THREE KEYS TO THE GAME
1. Denver ...
THREE KEYS TO THE GAME
1. Denver can't commit as many penalties and turnovers as it did, on average, its first seven games.
2. Oakland needs to contain the effectiveness of Denver's dangerous running game and put injured quarterback Brian Griese in passing situations more than he prefers.
3. The Raiders have to put together several sustained drives as a means of keeping the Broncos potent offense off the field as much as possible.
BETTING LINE: Raiders by 5
TIME: 6 p.m.
TV/RADIO: Chs. 7, 10; 1050-AM
ON THE RECORDS: Oakland (5-1) beat host Philadelphia 20-10; Denver (4-3) beat visiting New England 31-20.
SERIES: Oakland leads the overall series 50-31-2, including a 1-1 mark in postseason games.
LAST MEETING: The Broncos beat the visiting Raiders 27-24 on Nov. 13, 2000, at Mile High Stadium.
THINGS TO WATCH: Broncos -- Look for the Broncos to stick with their running game as long as possible in hopes of putting together long drives and keeping the Raiders' potent offense off the field as much as possible. The Broncos likely will employ two of their three 1,000-yard running backs -- Terrell Davis, Mike Anderson and Olandis Gary -- and try both until they find the hot hand and then stick with him. Quarterback Brian Griese completed 63.6 percent of his passes and threw 13 touchdowns in Denver's first seven games, but he also was intercepted 10 times. Things still aren't right with his right (throwing) shoulder. The Raiders know better than to get complacent after watching Griese return from a dislocated right shoulder and direct the game-winning drive against them in the teams' last meeting. Does Griese's health really matter when you factor in that he is throwing to wide receiver Rod Smith? Smith leads the league, by far, in receptions (57) and receiving yards (758) and he also has six touchdowns. He is doing a remarkable job helping fill the void created by a season-ending injury (broken leg) to wideout Ed McCaffrey. Defensively, the Broncos typically give the Raiders fits because of their unorthodox style of blitzing and penchant for using nine-man fronts. Count on them doing more of the same tonight. Also, linebacker Bill Romanowski is a noted Raider-killer. He figures to play a key role in the Broncos' overall success. Raiders -- Quarterback Rich Gannon is the AFC's top-rated passer and is in the midst of a streak in which he has not thrown an interception in 181 passes. He is completing 64.9 percent of his passes and doing a masterful job leading scoring drives and eating up the clock. He will try to do the same thing tonight, as well as avoiding the costly turnovers that plagued him and the Raiders in recent games against the Broncos. Look for running back Charlie Garner to carry the bulk of the rushing load for a second straight game, as Tyrone Wheatley recovers from a knee injury. Receivers Tim Brown and Jerry Rice will try to pick on Broncos cornerback Deltha O'Neal, even though O'Neal is the reigning AFC Defensive Player of the Month. O'Neal plays with reckless abandon, leading to many interceptions and big plays allowed. Defensively, the Raiders will key on stopping the run first and then pressuring Griese as much as possible. Cornerback Charles Woodson likely will shadow Smith wherever he goes and force Griese to look elsewhere. Continued strong play from Oakland's special teams figures to be critical to its overall success against a sound Denver team.
KEY STATS: Tonight marks the sixth time in the past seven years that the Raiders and Broncos play a Monday night game. Denver has won 11 of the past 12 meetings against Oakland. Its previous best record over a 12-game stretch against Oakland was 5-7.
INJURY REPORT: Broncos - WR Kevin Kasper (ankle) is doubtful; G Lennie Friedman (knee) is questionable; Davis (knee) and G Steve Herndon (knee) are probable. Raiders -- QB Bobby Hoying (elbow) and LB Elijah Alexander (knee) are doubtful; Wheatley, OT Lincoln Kennedy (shoulder), OT Barry Sims (foot) and G Mo Collins (leg) are questionable; WR David Dunn (quadriceps) is probable.
