ENGLEWOOD, Colo. --As the Broncos end their 57th season, there might be a few scattered souls who lament, "It wasn't supposed to be this way." But in any major-league professional sport, you usually get what you deserve.
The Broncos will miss the playoffs. They will miss the playoffs because they rank sixth from the bottom in total offense, while ranking sixth in the NFL in total defense. While they lead the league in pass defense, they rank 29th against the run.
"You look at the stats, that's probably the lowest we've been since I've been here in run defense," said cornerback Chris Harris Jr. "We're still a top-five defense overall, but that's not what we want; we want to be No. 1."
And for the first time in six years, the Broncos will win fewer games than they lost against AFC West foes. Even with a win Sunday, they would finish just 2-4 in division play.
"We only have ourselves to blame, especially within the division," said Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips. "Outside of the division we have a pretty good record, but we haven't played well in the division."
Sunday afternoon against the Raiders brings a chance to stop that recent slide, and wash out the lingering aftertaste of last week's humbling 33-10 defeat at Kansas City. And the Broncos have motivation -- even if it comes from different sources than you'd want for Week 17. The pride in doing your best, for example. And for the secondary, the pride in being the best -- in finishing atop the league in pass defense once again.
"We want to finish the season No. 1 in pass defense," Harris said.
What are three keys to Sunday's game?
1. SUSTAIN DRIVES
The Broncos' only two touchdown drives in their last three games covered just 26 and 6 yards. Not only do the Broncos need to put some lengthy marches together to give the offense some confidence to take into the offseason, but they need them to keep Oakland's ground game off the field and prevent the Raiders from racking up the 2-to-1 advantage in time of possession they amassed in Week 9.
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- CONTAIN THE RUN**
Oakland gashed the Broncos for 218 rushing yards and 5.07 yards per carry in Week 9, which was one of a slew of games in which the Broncos allowed an opponent to rush well beyond their season-long averages. For the season, the Broncos allowed teams to average 0.27 more yards per carry and 25.8 more yards per game than their average.
The season-ending injury to Derek Carr puts Matt McGloin under center -- and could lead the Raiders to emphasize the ground game that worked so well in Oakland two months ago. But if the Broncos can contain the run, their pressure and coverage could generate takeaways from a quarterback who has a career 11-to-11 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
3. GET OUT HEALTHY
With the page turned to 2017, this is the biggest key of all. Nothing would make an already frustrating season worse than to see an injury to one of the key components of the Broncos' hopes for a return to the playoffs next season.
Take a look at the five most-important matchups of the Broncos' final game of the season. (Photos by AP)
Head Coach Gary Kubiak has said that both Siemian and Lynch will play Sunday vs. the Raiders. When they're in, they'll have to deal with the dangerous Mack who has been on a tear as of late. Though both Siemian and Lynch played admirably at times this season, both know they'll need to take a step forward in 2017 to get the Broncos back to the playoffs. Sunday's game presents an opportunity for each player to put their best foot forward heading into the offseason.
Now that MVP candidate Derek Carr is out for most of the playoffs after he suffered a leg injury against the Colts in Week 16, the Raiders' playoff hopes now rest upon Matt McGloin's shoulders. He'll get his first test against the vaunted Denver defense led by Miller. The Super Bowl 50 MVP knows he needs to turn pressures to sacks more often and create game-changing plays. The Broncos' contest against the Raiders presents one more opportunity for him to do so before the Broncos turn the page to 2017.
Kalif Raymond provided a missing spark at the return spot for the Broncos in Week 16, as he broke off several returns that put the Broncos in good field position. However, he also lost a fumble that may have put the finishing touches on a Chiefs win. This week, he'll face off against the boisterous Marquette King, who has gained attention this year for his loud personality and celebrations (that are occasionally flagged). The Week 17 game gives Raymond another chance to show the Broncos his skill set ahead of 2017 when they'll need more-consistent output from the spot.
With T.J. Ward still in concussion protocol, Darian Stewart will once against be the one largely charged with slowing down the opponent's tight end. In Week 16, Stewart had a performance he'd like to forget. Travis Kelce set a Chiefs single-game receiving record and also took Stewart out on several key blocks, including one on a long Tyreek Hill touchdown run. Stewart, who signed a contract extension this season, will look to put that game behind him and shut down Clive Walford when the Raiders come to town.
Both Harris and Cooper will be on the same team when they head to the Pro Bowl in late January, but on Sunday they'll try to get the best of each other. Cooper hasn't had a 100-yard receiving game since Oct. 30, but maintains the ability to make explosive plays. He's had 13 catches this season of at least 25 yards and is a danger to a defense at all times. Â Harris has spent most of the season as Pro Football Focus' top-ranked cornerback and will try to slow Derek Carr's favorite target. The Denver cornerback doesn't make the same number of game-changing plays as his counterpart Aqib Talib, but he essentially eliminates a side of the field. And with Harris' ability to match up against smaller, speedy wide receivers and those of the tall, physical variety, Harris is one of the few shutdown corners in the league. Â In the Broncos' last matchup with the Raiders, Cooper finished with just six catches for 56 yards. If the Broncos hold him to the same output, they'd likely be satisfied. But that will be no easy task in the final home game of the season.
