Broncos Game Preview: vs. Raiders Week 5

November 9, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders (10) celebrates after a touchdown catch against Oakland Raiders defensive back Larry Asante (42) during the third quarter at O.co Coliseum. The Broncos defeated the Raiders 41-17. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The Denver Broncos are off to a solid start to begin the season. Sitting at 4-0 is a great sight even if there are others who do not believe what this team is capable of. Now they travel to the Black Hole to face off against the Oakland Raiders in what should be a huge AFC West showdown.

The Raiders have been somewhat of a surprise themselves. After losing their first game of the season, they strung together two wins before losing on the road to the Chicago Bears. They will be looking to get on track at home.

A win by the Denver Broncos would put them three games ahead of the Raiders in the division with a game in hand. And depending on how the Chiefs and Chargers do in their games against the Bears and Steelers respectfully, the Broncos could take a huge step towards another division title.

This will be the Broncos final division game until Week 10, so a win on Sunday will put them in a great spot as they square off against other opponents in order to separate from the pack.

This week has been dubbed by fans as Raider Week, or Raider Hate Week. And it seems like it is in full swing. Perhaps one of the biggest rivalries in the AFC West, what can we expect from this game? Let us take a look in this week’s preview, starting with news around Predominantly Orange.

Derek Wolfe is like “A caged animal”

Derek Wolfe will be making his 2015 debut this weekend in Oakland after serving a four game suspension. Our very own Sayre Bedinger talked about the return of the Wolfe and how excited he is to help a Broncos defense that has really impressed in the first quarter of the season.

If you thought the Broncos’ defense was dangerous now, just wait until “the caged animal” makes his presence known.

C.J. Anderson and Ronnie Hillman to split carries

After a performance by Ronnie Hillman in last week’s game against the Minnesota Vikings, Gary Kubiak has made the decision to make the running back’s co-starters. This could be exactly what both players need.

Ronnie Hillman is in a contract year, so his performance could be a deciding factor on if the Broncos decide to bring him back. And having C.J. Anderson as that bruiser role could cause some pain for the defenses once he gets his game going.

Brandon McManus is NFL’s best kicker

Another piece written by our own Sayre Bedinger notes on how successful Brandon McManus has been this season. This season has seen so many NFL kickers struggling with the new extra-point rules. However, there is one kicker in the NFL who has been consistent this year.

Brandon McManus has improved his game. We all remember last year where he struggled. He went 9-for-13 before being released and then coming back as a kick off specialist. Now he has gone 9-for-9 in all four games so far. No misses.

Good to see that he has improved since 2014 and is enjoying a lot of success.

Next: Injury Report