Mile High Sports

As bad as Denver’s first half was in Oakland, the second half wasn’t much better

Casey Light

As they’ve done all season long, the Denver Broncos were virtually non-existent on offense in the first and third quarters. Denver was shut out in the opening frame of each half on Sunday night in a 30-20 loss to the Oakland Raiders that didn’t even feel as close as the score would indicate.

After being doubled up in the first half in points, 20-10, and nearly in time of possession, 19:30 to 10:30, Denver could not close the gap in either capacity as they’ve done in numerous games this season. A relentless Oakland pass rush and a dominant Raiders offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball as Denver surrendered its first 200-yard rushing game since December 2014.

Denver, meanwhile, could get nothing going on the ground. Devontae Booker and Kapri Bibbs produced just 33 yards on only 12 attempts.

Latavius Murray led the way for Oakland with 114 yards and all three Raiders touchdowns. Murray had two scores and 76 yards in the first half alone. His one-yard score to cap a four-play, 39-yard drive in which Denver was penalized three times for 35 yards (and came following a Trevor Siemian fumble) all but sealed the game for Oakland, giving them a 30-13 lead with 6:09 remaining.

Kapri Bibbs broke free for a 69-yard touchdown reception on a screen pass, the lone highlight for an offense that struggled to muster positive yardage all night long. Six of Denver’s first eight possessions went three-and-out, with five of those coming in the first half. Denver finally put together a long, sustained drive on their second possession of the second half, going 73 yards from their own 1-yard line, but had to settle for a field goal.

Trevor Siemian was sacked twice on the night for 17 yards and the fumble. Siemian actually ended the night with better raw numbers than Derek Carr, throwing for 283 yards (266 net) and two touchdowns, but Carr had very little work required of him.

The Denver defense finally broke down in the second half, unable to contain Murray, Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington, who combined for more than 200 yards on the ground. Oakland drained nearly 13:00 off the clock on two drives, even though those drives resulted in just three total points. At game’s end, Oakland had held the ball for a staggering 41:28.

It was tough game to watch as Denver struggled on both sides of the line. Here’s what folks were saying as the second half played out in Oakland…

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