The Denver Broncos squeaked out a 20-19 home victory over their AFC West rival the Oakland Raiders, but the game was far from perfect on both sides on the ball. Hot off of their strong defensive performance against the Seattle Seahawks, the Broncos defense may have taken a step backwards in their victory over the Raiders.
Denver’s defense started the season with a dominant Week 1 performance against the mobile Russell Wilson, where the Broncos pass rush harassed Wilson for a total of six sacks. However, the Broncos pass rush went eerily quiet against an injury-riddled Raiders offensive line. Despite the favorable matchup, the Broncos got to quarterback Derek Carr only once all game.
Even with a loaded front seven that includes All-Pro Von Miller and first round draft pick Bradley Chubb among others, the Broncos failed to generate a consistent pass rush all afternoon. Miller did continue his strong start to his 2018 campaign, as he did get to Carr for one sack during the game. Facing multiple double-teams and an offensive game-plan that called for quick passes, Miller was still able to get the Broncos’ only sack on the day. Miller now has four sacks through two games on the season.
Carr sat in a relatively comfortable pocket all game, finding open receivers against the Broncos secondary. The Raiders quarterback enjoyed an efficient day, completing 90.6% of his passes. With ample amounts of time to throw, Carr connected to his receivers often, especially Amari Cooper. Cooper was the biggest benefactor of this, getting behind the Broncos secondary frequently for 116 yards on 10 catches.
One quiet day from a Broncos pass rush loaded with talent isn’t necessarily reason for concern. The Broncos defense wasn’t helped by a lethargic offense that was shut out in the first half of the game. Playing with the lead for most of the game, the Raiders weren’t forced to throw the ball often, settling for quick dump-offs and short passes to open receivers.
Next week, the Broncos will face Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens, who will be looking to put their recent loss to the Cincinnati Bengals behind them. The Broncos will need their pass rush to come back in full force, as the Ravens have quietly assembled a solid support cast around Flacco. Although the game was closer than fans would have liked to see, the Broncos are 2-0 to begin their 2018 season.
