Biggest takeaways from Denver Broncos Week 1 loss vs. Raiders

1. Russell Wilson looks improved and more comfortable:

Russell Wilson looked more comfortable and improved compared to last season with Nathaniel Hackett. He was efficient, as he had only seven incompletions in the entire game (One was a spike to stop the clock with no timeouts before halftime). He had two passing touchdowns and no turnovers. He completed a pass to 10 different receivers. One important thing to mention is that Jerry Jeudy, Denver's WR1, did not play, and second-year tight end Greg Dulcich got injured in the second quarter and did not return. Let's see how he performs next week with Jeudy possibly back ...

2. Pass rush was AWFUL:

There are no excuses, the Broncos simply could not sack Jimmy Garoppolo in the entire game, and only had three QB hits. Excluding Baron Browning (PUP), everyone in the room was healthy, so once again, no excuses. I do not know why, but Vance Joseph did not put much pressure on Jimmy Garoppolo in the game, which was a huge issue for Denver. As I mentioned, making Garoppolo uncomfortable, was a way for the Broncos to win the game, but they were not able to.

3. Damarri Mathis was destroyed:

Damarri Mathis was beaten in both Raiders touchdowns, a big problem for Denver's defense. The second-year cornerback was destroyed by Jakobi Meyers and also allowed a big reception on Davante Adams in a 3rd-and-12 play. Rookie Riley Moss was inactive, but if Mathis continues to get beaten by opposing receivers, not only Moss could get the starting cornerback two spot, but quarterbacks will be constantly targeting him.