Five Key Matchups: Broncos at Raiders
This rundown of the five most intriguing individual matchups in Sunday's Broncos vs. Raiders game begins with Paxton Lynch.
Paxton Lynch will define Sunday's game as a success if he simply comes away with a victory, but a key to achieving that will be avoiding turnovers. The good news for Lynch and the Broncos is that the Raiders have not had an interception all season. But that doesn't mean safety Karl Joseph and the Oakland defense can't end that streak this week. Lynch will still have to be careful with his decisions on the road to make sure the Broncos stop their losing streak from hitting seven in a row.
Devontae Booker received his largest workload of the season against the Bengals, rushing 14 times for 44 yards and catching five passes for 54 yards. If he continues to get a larger role in the offense, Booker will have to work to get past veteran linebacker NaVorro Bowman, who will make his fifth start with the Raiders. In his four games since joining the Raiders as a midseason addition, Bowman has helped Oakland's defense hold three opposing teams to fewer than 100 yards on the ground. Booker must help the Broncos avoid falling into that category.
Though the Raiders offense has looked less potent than it was last year, it's still quite dangerous, and the man at the center of it all is a main reason why. To keep Derek Carr from finding his explosive receivers, Denver's pass rush will have to take away his time in the pocket. Von Miller's efforts will be key there, and if the Broncos are to come away with their first win in Oakland since 2015, they'll need the kind of strip-sack play he came up with in that game.
After A.J. Green and the Bengals beat him on a couple of occasions, Bradley Roby will have to bounce back in Oakland against a deep group of receivers led by Amari Cooper. Though Cooper may draw a matchup against Aqib Talib for much of the day, Roby will surely gets his looks against the Raiders' top wideout. Cooper may not have the most receiving yards or touchdown on his team right now, but he's still Derek Carr's favorite target, as he's had 84 passes thrown his way so far this season, the most on the team. That means Roby should get some chances to get his hands on the ball, which is always a risky move for opposing quarterbacks.
If Allen Barbre makes his fourth start at right tackle on Sunday, he'll face one of the toughest pass rushers the NFL has to offer in Khalil Mack. Though he only has 5.5 sacks so far this season, Mack is still a danger to opposing quarterbacks with his speed and strength, and Barbre will have to keep him off balance and out of Paxton Lynch's face to help the young quarterback have a good chance at delivering a victory.
