The Denver Broncos were back on the field on Wednesday as they prepare for Sunday’s AFC West showdown against the Las Vegas Raiders. Even though the Raiders are out of playoff contention, they are looking to play spoiler for the rest of the season, and Sunday’s game has bigger implications for the Broncos.
With Denver and New England in a seeding chase for the final five games, Sunday’s game holds an important tiebreaker stake for the Broncos over the Patriots.
During Wednesday’s media viewing period, we did not see defensive lineman D.J. Jones or tight end Nate Adkins. Those were the only two notables not spotted, while Patrick Surtain II, Alex Singleton, and Jonah Elliss were at practice.
If the Broncos win on Sunday, they’ll hold a tiebreaker advantage over New England by way of common opponents. Denver has beaten the Tennessee Titans, Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets, and New York Giants this season. A win for the Broncos on Sunday against the Raiders guarantees a sweep of the season series, while also giving them the tiebreaker advantage over the Patriots because they lost to the Raiders in Week 1.
However, Denver’s focus remains on themselves and their one week at a time mentality. Players inside the locker room have emphasized all season long that they’re not focused on last week or the next week, and are locked in on the week and opponent at hand.
That’s a big reason why they’ve been able to flip the script in one-score games this season, compared to last year, when they struggled to find ways to finish.
“It’s because we’ve been in that position,” Riley Moss said. “It’s being able to not break and chip away and finish the game.” This mentality echoes throughout the locker room.
It doesn’t matter if the Raiders have a bad record, players in the locker room aren’t overlooking Las Vegas and know that Sunday’s game will be a tough one in a hostile environment.
