Denver Broncos to Watch vs. Oakland

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Dec 22, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals running back Jeremy Hill (32) carries the ball and breaks a tackle by Denver Broncos middle linebacker Steven Johnson (53) for a touchdown in the first half at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Injuries have ravaged the Broncos linebackers this season. It finally caught up with them against the Bengals.

Thankfully, Denver should get Brandon Marshall back for the playoffs. His fellow linebackers need to do him a solid and get better against Oakland, ensuring that their teammate gets a first-round bye.

The mistakes they made against Cincinnati must get corrected. You know the Raiders will look to do the same things the Bengals did. The explosive plays, as coach John Fox calls them, were a direct result of the poor play from linebackers.

When it comes to the defense and this game, that’s the biggest factor. If the Denver linebackers play that way again, it could lose this game.

Johnson and Todd Davis hopefully got the memo.

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