This week, the Denver Broncos will host their AFC West division rival Oakland Raiders in an early-season clash between two of the best teams in the division.
As with all division games, the outcome of this game could have a serious impact on both teams’ playoff chances later in the season.
One of the leaders of the defense, middle linebacker Todd Davis, recently praised the Raiders’ offense and stressed the necessity for the Denver defense to rise to the challenge of stopping them.
The Raiders’ biggest offseason acquisition was running back Marshawn Lynch, who came out of retirement during the offseason to join the Raiders in Oakland before the team relocates to Las Vegas.
The Broncos haven’t faced Lynch since their meeting with the Seattle Seahawks back in 2014. Lynch was relatively held in check by the Broncos’ defense, totally only 88 yards on 26 carries. However, Lynch got the last laugh that day as he scored the game-winning touchdown on a six-yard touchdown run in overtime to give Seattle the win.
Lynch enters the week with 139 yards rushing, averaging 3.9 yards per carry.
When Davis was asked about the keys to stopping Lynch, Davis revealed a not-so-mysterious strategy:
“You just have to hit him. Then when you get a hold of him, you have to tackle him. He runs hard. He’s a tough running back. He likes to break tackles, so once you get a hold of him, you have to bring him to the ground.”
Davis continued his praise of Lynch when asked if he thought Lynch was still considered one of the best running backs in the league:
“I think so. He’s not only powerful, he’s quick. He loves to jump quick. He loves to make people miss. He’s a very good running back.”
While a big focus for the Broncos will be focused around stopping Lynch, the rest of the Raiders’ offense poses a threat to the Broncos with their play at quarterback and offensive line.
One of the game’s best young franchise quarterbacks, Derek Carr has gotten off to a fast start to their season, throwing for 610 yards and 6 touchdowns, while also completing 70.3% of his passes. Davis commented on what separates Carr from the rest of the quarterbacks in the NFL:
“He is a great quarterback. He is tremendous. He gets the ball off [quickly]. I think he has the fastest release of any quarterback in the league right now. He’s getting the ball off quickly and he is very accurate.”
Wrapping up his preparation for the upcoming AFC West showdown, Davis revealed which part of the Raiders’ offense he believes poses the biggest challenge for the Broncos as a whole:
“Probably the offensive line. They have a really solid offensive line. They’ve strung together a lot of great players. I think it’s three Pro Bowlers between them. I think of the offensive line first.”
While the Broncos’ defense certainly has their work cut out for them, the team appears ready to rise to the challenge. Entering the week, the Broncos boast the league’s fourth-best defense, allowing only an average of 263 yards per game. Even as one of the league’s best teams, the Broncos will still have their hands full with the Raiders — and the trajectory of the AFC West division will be altered, either way.