10 keys to watch in Broncos' season opener vs. Raiders

With the preseason in the books and the Denver Broncos' 53-man set for now, we can start looking ahead to the regular season. The Broncos open up the season with the final Week 1 game on Monday night going into the Black Hole to take on the Oakland Raiders.

There are many aspects from the preseason games the Broncos want to take into the regular season, but there are many that need to be left behind. So, with the first game coming, what are the keys to a successful Broncos season? Not just for the season opener, but for the season outlook?

Here are 10 keys to watch.

1. Establish the running game

A big key for the Broncos' offense this year is establishing the running game as the focus of the entire unit. This team had issues getting it going in the preseason, even when they had the majority of their starters on the field.

It's only preseason, but that does not bode well for a team who wants its identity to be the running game. For this offense to work, the Broncos have to be able to rely on the running game.

That is why it is so important for Denver to get that particular ball rolling against the Raiders. Oakland is a team with a solid defensive line that will challenge the Broncos' offensive line.

The Broncos need to step up and answer the call. This team needs to show the NFL it can run the ball effectively if Denver even wants a chance this season.

2. Garett Bolles' performance

The Broncos' left tackle has had a rough preseason, and frankly, a rough two years of his career. Denver is likely looking at replacing him after this season, unless he steps it up and improves his play.

Bolles is going to be tested by Oakland's Arden Key, who showed a lot of promise this preseason. Can Bolles keep Joe Flacco clean and let him do his thing? That is a huge question that makes many Broncos fans nervous and will determine in large part the outcome of the season.

It isn’t just in pass protection that the Broncos need to see Bolles step up. While he is a better run blocker, there is a lot of growth he needs to show there. This coincides with the previous key.

Bolles will be integral to getting the running game going — when the first-team O-line was out there in the preseason, he was often the weak link. I am not trying to pile on him, but there is no nice way of saying, improve your game or get replaced.

3. Curtail penalties

Last year, the Broncos were the second-most penalized team. The team brought in Vic Fangio for multiple reasons, and one of them was to cut down on that number, but in the preseason we saw far too many flags thrown against the Broncos.

Fangio said that penalties happen when players don’t trust their technique, which is a true statement. Will these players be developed enough in their technique and able to trust in it in order to cut back on the penalties? The first game tends to set the tone, and this is an area the Broncos don’t need to start out on the wrong foot.

4. Explosive passing plays

One reason why it is so important to get the running game going early is to open it up in the passing game and take some big shots. Denver has the quarterback to really take those shots, and Emmanuel Sanders to challenge defenses for those big plays.

The Broncos need to have to protection to take those shots. This is a team that wants to be more aggressive and take shots, but they need to show they can on the field. If the Broncos can scare defenses with an explosive passing game, it’ll be a great compliment to the running game.

5. Consistency in all three phases

The Broncos' starting units barely saw any action in the preseason, so hopefully, they can come out and play without hiccups. That is always a concern after seeing little time in the preseason and can lead to some bad mistakes.

Denver needs to come out and play good, consistent football in all three phases. That should be no problem for the defense, but can the offense manage? The better question is, can the special teams units manage?

6. Special teams coverage units

The Broncos' coverage units were an issue last year, and in the preseason. This is a team that can’t afford for third-phase struggles to continue.

It is the second year with special teams coordinator Tom McMahon and the Broncos have made moves to better the units. We need to see them execute, and with a practically new unit, it will be a test for them.

7. First-team defense

I talked about the consistency of the first unit defense, but there needs to be more seen from them. With Von Miller and Bradley Chubb, we need to see them really apply the pressure.

For the success of the defense, a lot is going to ride on them and the pressure they are able to generate. Of course, Miller and Chubb will have help from Shelby Harris on the interior, as he's poised to have a huge year in this Broncos scheme.

In the secondary, can this new collection of players hold up long enough to let the pass rushers do their thing? That was a big issue last year, but the Broncos upgraded in scheme and coaching with the defensive-minded Fangio, so that should help the secondary.

The Broncos also added a lot of help to the unit, as it was a weak point a year ago. With a couple of players who played even less than most starters, this game is going to be a litmus test to see just what they can do.

8. Savvy situational coaching decisions

This is pretty self-explanatory. Last year, the Broncos' coaching staff made numerous stupid coaching decisions, some of which played a huge role in losing games. Vic Fangio has been around the game for a long time, so hopefully, he can make the smart choices in key situations when they need to be made.

9. Creativity on both sides of the ball

For a team that lacked creativity in 2018, the Broncos made a move to be more creative on both sides of the ball. In the preseason, the Broncos didn’t show it, and were quite vanilla. I mean, teams don’t show everything in the preseason but Denver didn’t even try something here and there to see if it’d potentially work.

So this team is going into the regular season without testing anything creative in the preseason to even see if it works. That is not comforting. Still, we need to see Denver be creative, but without testing it against live-bullet competition, can they execute?

10. Coming out of the opener healthy

With multiple players already banged up, the Broncos can’t afford to lose anyone else. They have to come out of this game healthy. It goes without saying, if Denver wants any chance at all at the playoffs, the team needs to keep their players healthy and on the field.

The regular season is upon us and the Broncos have some messages to send to the NFL. Can they open up the season by smacking the Raiders in the mouth on the road?

If the Broncos can, it would be huge for team confidence and would send a message to every other team in the NFL. It says, “We are no longer the Vance Joseph-led Broncos. We have a real coach and we will punch you in the mouth for 60 minutes."

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