Mile High Roundtable: Broncos at Raiders | Week 10 | Predictions & Picks
James Campbell (@JamesC_MHH) 4-4: Give credit where it's due; Jon Gruden always seems to come up with a game plan that frustrates the Denver Broncos. Call it situational coaching, scheme issues, a failure to execute the scheme to its potential, or a mixture — especially on offense — it's difficult to see the Broncos coming out with a win over the Las Vegas Raiders. I hate to say it, but the Broncos need improvements in all of those facets. The keys for a Broncos' victory include limiting the Raiders run game, getting the pressure on Derek Carr early and often, and winning the matchups on both sides of the ball. Drew Lock needs to show competency from the first drive, not just in the fourth quarter. Really, though, the Broncos' defense will be the unit that's in for a long day. Carr has one of those annoying 26-of-29 type games passing by getting the ball out super early.
Pick: Raiders 31, Broncos 17
Keith Cummings (@KeithC_NFL) 4-4: It's hard to pick the Broncos at this point in the season due to their well documented first-half penchant for sleep-walking. Losing Shelby Harris due to COVID-19 is a huge blow considering how big the Raiders' O-line is. Getting A.J. Bouye and Bryce Callahan back provides a crucial counterbalance. Simply put, Lock and company have to start better and OC Pat Shurmur has to call a more open offensive game-plan. As it turns out, I predict both will happen in Sin City as Lock throws four touchdowns.
Pick: Broncos 31, Raiders 28
Carl Dumler (@CarlDumlerMHH) 6-2: Lately, the Broncos-Raiders matchups have been very close and low-scoring. The Raiders have enjoyed running the football with high success behind their big offensive line while the Broncos seem to do just enough to keep it a close game. This one will be a bit different, though, with the Broncos' defense banged up and the Raiders having one of the worst defenses in football, leading to a bit of a shoot out. Jerry Jeudy ends up being the deciding factor as he has his best game as a pro, scoring two touchdowns and going over 100 yards once again.
Pick: Broncos 31, Raiders 27
Thomas Hall (@ThomasHallNFL) 3-5: It is difficult to pick the Broncos to win over any opponent the rest of the season. The Broncos tease fans with a couple wins, only to flop like they did against a beatable team in Atlanta last week. Much of it has to do with a plethora of injuries to key players, but the Broncos also struggle on special teams, are predictable on offense, and Lock has been playing a tale of two halves. Simply put, the Broncos have too many issues to expect a victory week in and week out. Going on the road to face a solid Raiders team does not bode well.
Pick: Raiders 34, Broncos 23
Chad Jensen (@ChadNJensen) 5-3: Halfway through the season, it's impossible to accurately predict what version of the Broncos are going to show up on a given gameday. I'm not going to pretend I have any better of a bead on the Broncos this week in Vegas as I have the last few but my gut is telling me Lock is going to have himself a game. A big reason for that is not only the pressure he and Shurmur are under, but also because of the flashes of potential we've seen and thus can deduce are there, combined with the Raiders' extremely porous defense. I'm taking the Broncos to win their first matchup in Vegas, and similarly to Carl and Keith, I'm predicting a shootout. Lock puts up some volume, forcing Carr to have to keep up and take more chances with the ball than he is used to, which leads to a timely takeaway or two. Phillip Lindsay has a 100-yard game while Noah Fant goes off the chain with his biggest game of the year in the wake of the Raiders losing their top linebacker Cory Littleton to COVID protocol.
Pick: Broncos 30, Raiders 27
Trevor Judge (@TrevorJudge) 5-3: It’s hard for me to pick the Broncos, in any game, until they show they can play significantly better in the first half. The harsh reality right now is this Broncos team is not very good. Yes, they have a lot of really talented pieces, but the sum of the parts (especially when you account for injuries) is below average. Sitting at 5-3 and looking solid for a playoff berth, this game means a lot more to the Raiders than it does the Broncos.
Pick: Raiders 27, Broncos 17
Zack Kelberman (@KelbermanNFL) 4-4: I honestly can envision this game going both ways — a true pick 'em. On one hand, the elite Denver defense could contain Vegas' surprisingly potent offense, while Lock has his true breakout performance against a mostly lousy defense. On the other, it's difficult to trust the offensive coaching and opposing players like Darren Waller have long given the Broncos fits. Let's hope for a jinx.
Pick: Raiders 24, Broncos 22
Nick Kendell (@NickKendellMHH) 4-4: The Broncos seem to be falling off into another mediocre season. However, a win on Sunday could put them right back in the thick of things. The Raiders' offense has been high flying so far this season with Carr playing great football spreading the love to explosive pass weapons Waller, Henry Ruggs, and Nelson Agholor. In my opinion, the Broncos' offense is simply struggling too much and the defense too banged up to win this matchup. Unless Lock really plays substantially better than he has so far for most of his career, this will be a hard game for Denver to win.
Pick: Raiders 30, Broncos 20
Bob Morris (@BobMorrisSports) 6-2: The Broncos will face a good Raiders offense and, while they should get a few players back, they still won't be 100 percent on defense. The Raiders aren't a good defensive team, but as we saw against the Falcons, the Broncos have to execute on offense to take advantage. If the Broncos want to have any chance to win, the offense must execute early, not wait until the fourth or late in the third. Until I see the offense execute better for four quarters, I can't trust the Broncos to get a victory.
Pick: Raiders 27, Broncos 20.
Luke Patterson (@LukePattersonLP) 5-3: The Broncos are a bad football team that refuses to look in the mirror. Because faults are not corrected in coaching or personnel, expect Denver to wonder what could have been if it actually rebuilt the team. The Raiders went full rebuild a few years ago and now they’re giving teams a tough time. The offensive struggles will remain the same for Broncos with at least one turnover. The Raiders' offense runs all over the Denver defense.
Pick: Raiders 33, Broncos 27
Lance Sanderson (@SandersonMHH) 5-3: With the Broncos struggling to stop the run on a regular basis, this game could get completely out of hand should Jacobs get things rolling. Denver is definitely missing Mike Purcell, but losing Harris to the reserve/Covid list this week opens up more running room up front as well. If Jacobs gets going and the Raiders can start up their play-action passing game, there's no chance Denver can hang around with the way they've played early in games this season. Say goodbye to the playoffs for sure this week.
Pick: Raiders 31, Broncos 19
Erick Trickel (@ErickTrickel) 3-5: The Broncos get solid play in the trenches on both sides of the ball, but it isn't enough. Their issues of getting consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks continue and Carr is able to exploit the secondary with all the favorable matchups he has. As for the Broncos, Lock continues to struggle with the NFL game and has another two-interception game, but also has some good throws get dropped by the rookie receivers. Melvin Gordon gets caught with giving up another fumble as the Raiders trounce the Broncos.
Pick: Raiders 34, Broncos 10
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