Broncos' Blueprint to Beating the Raiders: One Absolute Must

When studying the Las Vegas Raiders, one thing becomes very clear: they're a bad team. The Raiders rank in the middle of the pack with their defense, and their offense is among the worst in the NFL.

The Denver Broncos should be able to walk out of this one with an easy win and get to a 7-5 record. However, the NFL is always challenging. Games are played on the football field and not by looking at numbers on a spreadsheet. 

The Raiders are a divisional foe, and the Broncos have a history of playing to their level. The Broncos often end up playing a tougher foe than they expect, which is why they had a losing streak against the Raiders before beating them earlier this season.

While the Broncos beat the Raiders by 16, they struggled until a Patrick Surtain II pick-six completely flipped the momentum to begin Denver's 34 unanswered points. So, with the rematch next up, what is Denver's blueprint to victory?

Don't Play Down

The Broncos' biggest point of emphasis this week is to avoid playing down to their competition and force the Raiders to meet them at theirs. The Broncos have grown significantly since their last meeting, while the Raiders have worsened.

The Broncos can’t regress to the Raiders' level as they've done countless times. Another way to put this is the Broncos can’t allow this to become a trap game but use it instead to build upon the message they're trying to send. 

The Broncos sit as the No. 7 seed in the AFC playoff race, and the likelihood of getting a higher seed is slim as they sit behind the Los Angeles Chargers and Baltimore Ravens. So, the Broncos control their fate for the No. 7 seed with a game lead on the Indianapolis Colts, who are the No. 8 seed in the AFC.

Very few people outside of Broncos Country expected them to be in the playoff hunt, so this team is sending a message that it very much is a postseason-caliber team. 

Losing to the Raiders, or even downplaying to their level and walking out with a win, would create doubt about the Broncos, who have had a roller-coaster season. The Broncos have lacked consistency but are starting to show signs of life, even with the two-game skid against the Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs. 

A win is the most important thing, as the Broncos must keep their fate in their hands for the playoff seeding. A loss wouldn’t kill their playoff chances, especially with games against the Chargers, Colts, and Cincinnati Bengals on their schedule, but it would make things far riskier.

The Raiders are a terrible team, and the Broncos should beat them. Moreover, winning gives Denver more cushion for the No. 7 seed, with those three teams still on the schedule. 

Don’t play down to the Raiders. They're a terrible team. Go out there, start hot, and either force the Raiders to step up or win dominantly.