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Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos Must See Matchups

By Andy Tallon

LANDOVER, MD - SEPTEMBER 24: Running back Marshawn Lynch #24 of the Oakland Raiders warms up against the Washington Redskins at FedExField on September 24, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - SEPTEMBER 24: Running back Marshawn Lynch #24 of the Oakland Raiders warms up against the Washington Redskins at FedExField on September 24, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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It’s officially the week to #BeatTheRaiders, as the silver and black head to Mile High in a pivotal early season AFC West showdown vs. the Denver Broncos…

Garett Bolles
CHICAGO, IL – AUGUST 10: Mitch Unrein #98 of the Chicago Bears rushes against Garett Bolles #72 of the Denver Broncos /

Heated division rivals, the Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos promise to put on a show in Denver as each looks to keep pace with the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs. These two clubs are solid on both sides of the ball, creating an enticing battle of evenly matched talent.

Below are previews of the individual positional matchups I am looking most forward to watching on Sunday.

Khalil Mack vs. Offensive Tackles:

There is no doubt about it, the reigning defensive MVP Khalil Mack is a game changer. Just ask Brock Osweiler, who in 2015 was sacked by Mack five times in one game…in Denver.

The Raiders superstar pass rusher has only improved since that night, putting immense pressure on the Broncos’ offensive tackles for this meeting. Rookie left tackle Garett Bolles and right tackle Menelik Watson will have a tall task trying to keep Mack at bay.

While the offensive line has struggled in the past, Denver is hoping this combination with help from a chipping tight end can keep Mack out of the backfield. Denver has surrendered 9 sacks thus far, an average of three per game.

This figure is concerning as Mack is a disruptive force that can put up three sacks alone in a contest. If the Broncos offensive line does not contain Mack, this game is capable of getting out of hand quickly.

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