Raider haters are out in full force this week. Here in Denver, we don’t throw welcome parties for Al Davis and Co. We quickly grab all our blue and orange gear and head out to Invesco thanking our lucky stars that Mike Shanahan was fired by Davis 20 years ago. The Broncos already beat the Raiders (2-8) in their first meeting of the season. It was a Monday night game in Oakland that saw the Broncos rack up 41 points to the Raiders’ 14. A great way to start off the season! Since then, each team has it’s highs and lows. Okay, well Oakland hasn’t seen many highs unless you consider Lane Kiffin’s departure a genius move. The Raiders have lost the last 4 games while the Broncos hope to build on their 2 game winning streak. The Broncos are 40-52-2 against the Raiders all-time in the regular season, but they’ve won their last 6 of 7 against the them. A Mike Shanahan coached Broncos team holds a 21-6 record against them. Who says Shanahan got over his release? My Prediction: Broncos 31 Raiders 13. 

Offense

Broncos - The Broncos should go off against this defense again. Jay Cutler has cut down on his turnovers in the last couple of weeks, and he’s not forcing the ball into Brandon Marshall as much. Lately, the offense has had trouble getting started as they’ve had to pull off 2nd half comebacks in the past two games. With the home crowd behind them, that should not happen against the Raiders. Getting Peyton Hillis and Tony Scheffler involved early will open things up for big plays down the field later in the game. The offensive line continues to do an amazing job protecting Cutler. Rookie Ryan Clady and 2nd year man Ryan Harris have not allowed a full sack this season. They are Pro Bowl candidates for sure. That helps explain why the Broncos are 3rd in the league in passing offense. Give Cutler enough time, and he is sure to spot a receiver down field. This offense can score in a hurry when the game is on the line. Now, let’s see if they can do with a big lead.                

Raiders- A Raiders touchdown might just send this team into a joyous celebration. The offense has not seen the end zone in 13 quarters of play, and they may have forgotten what it looks like. During the season, they have failed to score a TD in the first quarter, they have scored just 1TD in the first half, and they have scored 9 TDs in 10 games. What were JaMarcus Russell, Darren McFadden, and Javon Walker supposed to do for this team anyway? Right now, Russell is day-to-day, Walker is out for the season, and McFadden starts the game on the bench. What is an Al Davis owned team to do? Why get rid of DeAngelo Hall of course??? Anyway, back to the offense, or lack thereof. I actually wouldn’t be surprised if they scored one touchdown against the Broncos on Sunday. There are obvious gaps in the Broncos defense, and the Raiders are in desperate search of the full 7 points.   

Defense

Broncos - It has gone from good to ugly to descent, back to ugly and now the defense is descent. Who knows what kind of team will show up on Sunday. Lately, the defense has made big fourth quarter stops to give the offense a chance to get back on the field and win the game. Jamie Winborn has been playing incredibly well, and Spencer Larsen and Wesley Woodyard are playing better than the players they replaced. Karl Paymah continues to improve, but Champ Bailey may be back in the lineup against the Raiders. Since all of the defensive injuries, the secondary has racked up some interceptions, and the team is stopping the run on a more consistent basis. They’re never going to be as good as the Steelers defense, but as long as they’re not giving up big plays, I’m a happy camper. The Raiders do have a strong running attack, so the Broncos will need to focus more on that aspect of the Raiders gloomy offense.   

Raiders - The Raiders defense (25th) is actually ranked a bit higher than the Broncos defense (29th). They held Carolina to 17 points, and they held the N.Y. Jets to 13 points in a win. DeAngelo Hall was released a couple of weeks ago, which leaves Nnamdi Asomugha to step up in the secondary. Chris Johnson replaces Hall and many have identified him as the fastest guy on the team. Both Johnson and Asomugha have their hands full with an entire fleet of talented wide receivers. Shanahan has said that Asomugha “is the most underrated player in the history of the game.” Damn! What a compliment! Kirk Morrison is 3rd in the league in tackles and Kalimba Edwards is in the top 25 in sacks. The Raiders do have some talent to be able to stop the Broncos’ passing offense, so their running game must get off to an early start.     

Special Teams  

Broncos - I get very excited every time Eddie Royal has the chance to return a kick. Last week, he tallied 159 yards in kick returns. He is #5 in the league in all purpose yards, and he is #1 in kick return average. The guy does all this on special teams, and then makes big catches on offense. No wonder he’s many people’s favorite player. Matt Prater missed another field goal last week showing that he is human after all.

Raiders- The Raiders return game is not too shabby either. They have Johnnie Lee Higgins running it back for them, and he’s got 1 TD on a punt return. However, the Raiders are not too good at covering kicks. Sebastian Janikowski is 18 for 24 on field goals which ranks among the bottom in the league.  

Coaching

Broncos - We can always expect big things from Shanahan when he faces his former team. He holds a grudge against Al Davis as Davis still owes him money. You might think beating this team over and over again would get old, but it never does for Shanahan.  

Raiders - Tom Cable comes into Denver for the first time as a head coach. He’s bound to see how pumped up this city gets when the Raiders Faders come to town. Let’s face it. Al Davis is really the coach of this team. Cable is just better looking, so he takes to the sidelines.

If you knew where I lived, I’m sure I’d get eggs thrown at my window for what I’m about to say. Maybe even a nice little bag of dog poo lit in flames sitting on my doorstep. I’m going to say it anyway. I don’t think the Broncos will win in Atlanta. I hope I’m wrong, and I hope you, my readers, get the chance to leave comments saying what a dumb ass I am. I really do hope that happens, but I don’t think my beloved Broncos can win in Atlanta. If the game was in Denver and there were a few less injuries, I’d be singing a different tune. The Broncos visit a team that went 4-12 last season, saw Michael Vick get arrested, and had their coach, Bobby Petrino, quit on them in the middle of the season to take a job at Arkansas. Look at them now standing 6-3 with Matty “Ice” Ryan staying as cool as can be leading the offense to victory. This team is not the joke of the south anymore. Last week, the Falcons beat the Saints by 14 points. They have won their last four of five games and they are 4-0 at home this year. The Broncos are 7-4 all time against the Falcons which includes a Super Bowl victory in 98′. I hope I’m wrong, but My Prediction: Falcons 28 Broncos 23. 

Offense

Broncos - It’s funny what a sense of urgency will do to the Broncos offense. Lose three in a row, and then fire off 564 yards of offensive firepower on the road against the Browns. We know you guys like to toy with our hearts. We’ve seen your potential at the beginning of the season and then again last week. Just give it to us on a consistent basis. Eddie Royal has been Jay Cutler’s favorite target as of late, and Brandon Marshall is still racking up some big numbers. The running game is obviously hurting, but signing Tatum Bell should help that area a bit. The team just needs to show sparks of a running game anyway to open up the field for Cutler and crew. I cannot brag enough about what a tremendous job our offensive line is doing. They’ve allowed just 5 sacks all year, and that includes a game against league sack leader, Joey Porter. The line will face another challenge this week as they try to stop John Abraham (3rd in sacks). He’s got 11 sacks on the year, and the rest of the team has just 6. So, you stop him, you stop the Falcons.               

Falcons- Remind me who Michael Vick is again. Oh, that dog hating dude who once made the Birds a compitative team. Forget about him. The team’s got Matt Ryan dishing the ball to Roddy White and Michael Jenkins. White is 2nd in the league in receiving yards and Jenkins is 12th in receiving average. Throw in Michael Turner making this team 2nd in rushing production, and that’s how you convert a 4-12 team to a 6-3 team. This offense can create some real problems for a team like the Broncos who has had trouble stopping the run all year. With dual threats in the air and on the ground, the Falcons will look to a balance their offense. This team is known for a big air game as they have 6 pass plays of 40 yards or more. The Broncos secondary will have their hands full on Sunday. 

Defense

Broncos - It’s ugly anyway you want to look at it. They’re in the bottom ten teams in pass and run defense. However, they did come up with some big plays in the fourth quarter against Cleveland. Last week they made Brady Quinn look like a seasoned vet, but if they can apply more pressure to Ryan, then this defense can throw the Birds for a loop. The team’s three starting linebackers (Boss Bailey, D.J. Williams, Nate Webster) are out so someone needs to take a leadership role on defense. Last week Jamie Winborn played an excellent game making almost every tackle in the first half. He seemed to be the one getting other guys fired up. It would help is guys in the secondary could get an interception. Karl Paymah is the only active guy back there that has one this season (Champ also has one). If this unit can get three and outs, and give the offense plenty of chances to get on the field, then the Broncos do have a shot.  

Falcons - The defense did its job last week causing Drew Brees to throw three interceptions and knocking down 15 passes. Atlanta’s defense is 9th in the league because of guys like John Abraham and Erik Coleman (3 INTs, 44 tackles). When you’ve got guys making big plays to stop the run and air game, then success seems to find you. Hmmm…what a concept. Jay Cutler will definitely need to watch the turnovers here. Again, if he throws more than 1 INT, the Broncos don’t have a chance. The Falcons offense is just too good to give the ball back to. Former Broncos cornerback Domonique Foxworth will look to pick off his old teammates and could provide some good tips to the rest of his teammates as far as coverage goes. This team is scary because of its defense.  

Special Teams  

Broncos - It’s a head to head contest. Matt Prater vs. Jason Elam. Prater is 16 for 19 on the season and he misses a field goal last week. The return game has the potential to be a threat with Eddie Royal back there, but it was just average last week. Kickoff coverage has got to be more than average against the Falcons as they are 6th in the league in returns. 

Falcons- Jason Elam will probably hit all of his field goals and if the game comes down to the wire with Elam’s foot in the spotlight, the Broncos could feel what other teams have felt for the 15 years that he was a Bronco. Defeat by the 3 point play.

Coaching

Broncos - Mike Shanahan has his team back on track, but keeping them there could be another story. He goes up against a rookie coach, so look for Shanahan to have a few tricks up his sleeve. He should favor the passing game from the start with a lot of short drop off passes to Peyton Hillis.  

Falcons - Mike Smith is exceeding expectation. He’s dispelling the myth that a rebuilding team is supposed to take time. He’s leading a rookie QB in a city that was so down on their team last year, that Hot-lanta suddenly became Fault-lanta. They make it to the playoffs, and he’s a good candidate for coach of the year.

I hope the Broncos got enough R&R to finish the rest of the season on a strong note. Thankfully, the Fat Lady has not sung her tune yet, but she sure was warming up during that Monday night game in New England. This week, the Dolphins cruise on up to Denver to try to become the second Florida team to beat the Broncos this season. A 2-1 record against Florida teams would be a thin layer of frosting on this dinged up Broncos cake. The Broncos cannot take the Dolphins lightly. That can of tuna that stunk up South Beach last season is a thing of the past. The Phins’ are 3-4, and they’ve beat New England, San Diego, and Buffalo. The Broncos have a solid record (15-4) in the weeks after a bye week. However, the team stands 3-10 in the regular season against the Phins’. The Broncos have been reaching for that 400th total win since week 6, and should they come up with it on Sunday, that would give them a comfortable lead over the Chargers. My Prediction: Broncos 30 Dolphins 23. 

Offense

Broncos - With their legs under them again, the offense should come out roaring. Jay Cutler claims that his finger is fine, and Tony Scheffler may return from a groin injury. Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal will line up in the receiver slots, and Brandon Stokley is expected to play after sustaining a concussion against the Jaguars. The offense is still 12th in the league despite averaging 15 points per contest in the last four games. As usual, turnovers will play the biggest role in the Broncos outcome. They go up against a tough defense that has Joey Porter leading the league in sacks. They forced 4 turnovers against the Bills last week to secure a win. The O-line has done an incredible job this season protecting Cutler, so they may be able to contain Porter better than most teams. Rookie left tackle Ryan Clady has not allowed a sack this year and his true test comes against Porter. Before the season, Clady said that he was most looking forward to facing Shawne Merriman, but since the linebacker is out for the season, Clady’s ultimate rookie challenge comes in the form of Porter. Holding onto the ball and picking up first downs is exactly what this team needs to do in order to keep the Phins’ offense off the field and give the defense a rest.              

Dolphins- Don’t tell Chad Pennington that the Jets don’t miss him. I’m sure he doesn’t care. He may not even care that he is currently playing for a team that utilizes the Wildcat offense. The Dolphins don’t have many outside receiving threats so they are choosing to run this offense to confuse the defense. You might as well put the defense in a dark room, spin them around 25 times, and then ask them to do a 500 piece puzzle as quickly as possible. Basically, the QB lines up at wide receiver, the halfback lines up at QB, and the fullback is in motion before the play begins. Ronnie Brown has been very successful running this crazy concoction because teams don’t know if he’ll pass it, toss it to another back, or just run it himself. Brown has thrown for a TD, and he’s run for 7 without losing the ball. Pennington has thrown for 1710 yards and 7 TDs with 3 INTs. Ricky Williams is second on the team in rushing with 71 carries for 267 yards and 2 TDs. Williams also has a tendency to fumble the ball. He’s lost it 4 times, but only once has it been recovered by the other team. The Broncos will get to see the #1 overall pick, Jake Long. More specifically, Elvis Dumervil will get to see a lot of Jake Long. He’s improved the O-line drastically. The team allowed 42 sacks last season, and so far, they’ve allowed 13. While the receiving corp. has not been especially productive this season, Ted Ginn Jr. finally showed up to play last week with 7 catches for 175 yards. Great…What a week to be without Champ Bailey!       

Defense

Broncos - Now for your favorite topic and mine…defense. Who knows what this team will do. The Wildcat offense may be the only offense that they are capable of stopping. I wouldn’t put it past them. They confuse themselves with their own defense that maybe the chaos will confuse the Dolphins as well. Look for the Broncos to go back to the 4-3 instead of throwing in the 3-4 in with it. Boss Bailey is out for the season so using four defensive linemen instead of four linebackers will help offset his absence. Losing Champ Bailey is tough considering the safeties are having such a difficult time. Karl Paymah will replace Bailey. Another problem for the Broncos comes in the form of stopping the run. They just can’t do it, which makes me nervous for Brown and Williams to take the field. Ultimately, the Broncos offense really needs to keep the defense off the field since the Phins’ offense is clicking, and they have a short week to prepare for a game in Cleveland on Thursday night.

Dolphins - As I said before, Joey Porter is the real deal. He’s got 10.5 sacks on the season and looks like that same young lad that played for Pittsburgh. The Phins’ switched to the 4-3 alignment this season, and they hope to put pressure on Cutler in a way that he’s never seen before. The Broncos have allowed just five sacks on the season and the Dolphins are looking to raise that total considerably. The Dolphins defense is ranked 12th overall and they are fairly successful at stopping the run. However, they have trouble stopping the pass. Marshall and Royal could have a big day or at least allow Stokley to take advantage of the Dolphins weak secondary. Yeremiah Bell and Channing Crowder are among the top tacklers in the league so look for Michael Pittman et al. to have a bruising day on the ground. The Phins’ defense was very successful against the Bills, and if momentum carries over, then the Broncos high turnover rate could become an issue.   

Special Teams  

Broncos - The only consistency the Broncos have comes from the legs of their kickers. Matt Prater is 13 for 14 on field goals and 4 for 4 from kicks 50 yards or longer. Brett Kern has done a great job punting the ball landing the ball inside the 20 yard line 5 times on 23 punts. Kickoff coverage has been a different story as the Broncos are second worst in the league for yards allowed. Eddie Royal continues to do a fine job returning punts as he is 3rd in the league in returns. Field position could play a major role in this game, so special teams will need to be especially focused.   

Dolphins- Dan Carpenter is 8 for 10 on the year in field goals and he nailed three important ones to help the Phins’ comeback and beat the Bills. As far as kick returns, Davone Bess is nothing to write home about. Miami is last in the league in returns, but any athlete at this level is capable of making big plays.   

Coaching

Broncos - Mike Shanahan’s head is never on the chopping block in Pat Bowlen’s eyes, but some fans have expressed a different viewpoint of the coach. Shanahan needs this win to show that his team can start strong and finish strong unlike the past few seasons where a strong start led to a disastrous finish. The team has the pieces in place to score 30 plus points, and now Shanahan needs to find and stick to a defensive scheme that works. If the game is close, Shanahan has the experience and knowledge to out coach Miami’s rookie head coach.   

Dolphins - To bring this team from a 1-15 record last year to 3-4 this year is unbelievable. Maybe Tony Sparano should run for President and clean up the mess that George W. created. He brought back the Wildcat and has made Chad Pennington look like Dan Marino (almost). Players believe in him and his intentions for this team. Should the Dolphins make the playoffs, he’s a shoe in for coach of the year.