Broncos-Raiders Rivalry Strong As Ever

The Broncos had a walk through practice today. Normally, Wednesdays would be a regular practice day, but because the Broncos play on Monday night, they’ve adjusted their preparation schedule.

“It’s a big stretch Thursday to Monday, a bigger stretch than I’m accustomed to,” John Fox said.

Regardless of straying away from a normal weekly schedule, the Broncos know this game is as big as it gets.

“It’s obvious it’s going to be a big game. It’s a division game,” Fox said.

As with all division games, Monday’s game will count as two (possibly, three if you count winning as revenge from last year’s awful home loss).

The Raiders clubbed the Broncos with spike-filled bats last October. The game made everyone wonder if there really was color in the world because the silver and black beat the orange and blue right out of Denver.

Even though everyone remembers that thorough beating, John Fox maintains that this is just another big game and he doesn’t need the extra motivation to beat the Raiders.

“That’s why they call it last year. Everybody is starting zero and zero,” Fox said.

While Fox was conveniently 2,000 miles away from the massive mishap at Mile High, players certainly have deeper feelings about that loss.

“Certainly there’s motivation just when you get beat by a divisional opponent,” Kyle Orton said. “Those games are so big. To go out an get embarrassed, I’m not going to sit here and cry over spilled milk, but we’ll certainly take away some things from it, schematically.

To let the loss sit and eat at them, that’s far from happening.

“It’s two different teams,” Orton said.

That’s right. Two different teams, two different head coaches, and two different schemes.

One thing remains the same, however – an intense historic rivalry.

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