Oakland Raiders take on AFC West rival Denver Broncos in Week 14 Thursday Night Football – NFL Preview
Oakland Raiders will host the American Football Conference (AFC) West Champion Denver Broncos in Week 14 game on Thursday, December 06, 2012, at O.co Coliseum, Oakland, California.
Raiders are looking for a consolation win after failing to reach the postseason for 10th consecutive season.
However, they face a gigantic task of beating the 9-3 Broncos who clinched the division last week and are ready to win their eighth straight game for the first time in last 14 years.
Elite quarterback Peyton Manning has been the main reason behind Broncos’ recent success. The veteran is currently having the league’s second best pass completion rate with 68% of pass completed.
The quarterback is also second in the league for number of touchdowns with 29 and in terms of passer rating with 104.6.
Broncos are aiming to finish the season with a 1.000 record against all their division rivals so as to get a first-round bye in the playoffs. Talking about the team’s chances to go undefeated against their division opponents, Broncos head coach John Fox said:
"We always say people remember what you do in December. So that's what we have ahead of us. We've got a division game coming up. Hopefully, we get to 5-0 in the division. There's a lot to play for. We'll see where that leads us."
Broncos offence is on a role as they have scored at least 30 points in six of their last seven games.
The defence is also pushing the gas as top players like linebacker Von Miller are putting up career-best performances. Miller currently has 15 sacks and five forced fumbles this season.
Meanwhile, Raiders are going through a dismal run of form. The team has lost its last five games and is on course to lose four home games in a row, for the first time since the 2008 season.
Raiders defence is ranked last in the league in terms of points allowed with the average of 31.3 points per game.
The team has also allowed an average of 130.4 rushing yards per game along with 256.6 passing yards per game. Talking about Raiders’ defensive debacles this season, cornerback Michael Huff said:
"Week in and week out, it's like it's the same: can't stop the run, can't stop the pass. Things just aren't going well on defence. Right now, I guess we're just a bad defence. We can't really hide it."
The offence is also going through similar problems as the team has scored just 44 points in last three games.
Quarterback Carson Palmer has struggled lately, throwing seven interceptions in last four games.
The only good news for the offence is the likelihood of running back Darren McFadden returning to field after missing last four contests due to an injury.
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