It’s been a loooooooooong time since Raiders Week meant this much. Over a decade at least. And it’s a welcomed returned.
For the first time since 2002, Oakland is on track to have a winning record. In fact, at 6-2, they’re tied atop the AFC West with the Broncos, which means that this Sunday night’s game has real playoff implications.
And while the Raiders did beat the Broncos last season — a weird 15-12 matchup — this has long been Denver’s rivalry, with the orange and blue winning the eight previous matchups and 18 of the last 25.
This year is different, though. This year, led by Derek Carr, Amari Cooper and Khalil Mack, it is the Raiders that have grabbed the hearts and souls of football fans everywhere.
But that just gets these Denver Broncos more excited:
Gary Kubiak on the rivalry:
“I’ve been a part of it forever. I’ve been a part of it in the Coliseum in front of 100,000 people. It’s always been a great matchup and obviously playing twice a year makes it even bigger. That’s what’s fun about this league. Two 6-2 teams going at it on Sunday night in a tough place to play. That’s why you coach and why you play.”
Kubiak on the difference with “Raider Week”:
“I think it’s still Raider Week. I think it’s always a big game, and it’s always a physical game when we get together. I think this year, the fact that both of us are sitting there along with Kansas City at the top of the division, we’re going to all play each other here down the stretch. There’s going to be big games every week. It’s a good way to start the back end of the season and a tough test for us. We’re getting ready to go compete. We’re looking forward to it.”
Chris Harris on playing the Raiders with so much on the line:
“The thing with is with the Raiders, we’ve always—when we go to the ‘Black Hole’—it’s never blowouts. We never go there and run up the score on them. It’s always tight games so them being good now just raises the stakes another level of a championship game.”
Shane Ray on playing the Raiders on primetime:
“It’s big time. It’s a first-place game. They’re 6-2 and we’re 6-2 and to go into the ‘Black Hole,’ I’ve never played there at night, but I’ve heard it’s absolutely crazy. The atmosphere, I’m excited.”
Trevor Siemian on the atmosphere in Oakland:
“I think everybody’s looking forward to this one. This is a big one for both of us. It’s a night game, so I’m sure it will be a cool environment. Everybody will be ready to roll. It’s a night game. I’m just looking forward — it’s going to be loud. It’s going to be a divisional game, so it’s going to be a tough game in a tough environment. Everybody is looking forward to the challenge.”
Siemian on the excitement in playing Oakland:
“A bunch of fight in them. Obviously last year, I don’t think we were in many blow outs every game. It was pretty close and it just feels like every game [with Oakland] is kind of tooth-and-nail with our team. I know a lot of guys on our team offensively and defensively look forward to that kind of game. It’s really cool to be a part of that group that doesn’t back down from those challenges.”
T.J. Ward on what he doesn’t like about the Raiders:
“I just don’t like them. They’re from Oakland. I just don’t like the Raiders. I couldn’t even tell you. It’s probably something that’s bred in me, probably because I had a lot of friends that are Raider fans and we used to just argue all the time. Two teams I really hated growing up were the Cowboys and the Raiders.”
Ward on if this game feels different:
“I guess the circumstances we’re coming into—both at the top of the division—we know that [it’s going to] definitely have, later on, playoff meaning. It’s a big game. It’s a playoff game, divisional game, Sunday night. It’s not going to get more intense than that.”