Five Key Matchups: Broncos-Raiders

As the season has progressed, the Broncos' linebacker corps has been the most depleted of all position groups. With injuries to Nate Irving, Danny Trevathan and Brandon Marshall, the bulk of the burden has landed on Steven Johnson and Todd Davis. The Broncos allowed a season-high 207 rushing yards to the Bengals on Monday night, 74 more yards than their previous high. They came into the game allowing an average of 71.6 rushing yards per game and Jeremy Hill was able to surpass that on one 85-yard touchdown run. The Raiders' run game was unable to take off early on this season but rookie Latavius Murray had a break out game during the Raiders' first win of the season as he ran over the Chiefs with 112 yards and two TDs in one half. He missed the Raiders' next game with a concussion and he has since gained 76, 59 and 86 rushing yards. Head Coach John Fox said the Raiders' run game is very different with Murray as the primary back."He's got good production," Fox said. "He looks like he has good size. It's a good one-two punch with he and [Darren] McFadden, [Maurice Jones-Drew] in there. You have a group that brings a lot of different looks to you. Very similar to a week ago. I think Oakland is committed to running the ball even with some of their groups that they play in a game, a little bit like Cincinnati. We didn't exactly tear it up last week, so it's something that's got out attention and we're working very, very hard."

When the Broncos and Raiders faced off earlier this season, rookie Khalil Mack had yet to get the first sack of his career. Since that game, he has four sacks and made an immediate impact on the Raiders' defense and is a defensive rookie of the year candidate. He has been limited this week with a hamstring injury and is listed as questionable.Before his injury, Mack was a force against the Bills and he was able to get five tackles, one sack and three QB hits.  He will look to get pressure on Peyton Manning on Sunday and take advantage of the Broncos' reshuffled offensive line."He's creating a lot of pressure on the quarterback," Offensive Coordinator Adam Gase said. "That's for one. He's got four sacks now, which he didn't have any coming into our last game. His biggest thing is he's very disruptive and he's popping free a lot more now. Seems like the more games he's played, the more comfortable he's getting and he's really creating a lot of pressure."

The last time the Broncos and Raiders played, Carr was kept on his feet. But that isn't truly telling of the amount of pressure he was under. Von Miller had six quarterback hurries while four other players had two. The Broncos also had six QB hits. Carr was forced to get rid of the ball very quickly, including once when he flipped a pass to Khalif Barnes, who took off with the ball and fumbled the ball away. Carr said he's learned a lot this season – it has taken time for him to get used to all the different pressures, different coverages and the speed of the game. "I've definitely learned a lot and I'm glad that this whole season I've been playing," Carr said. "I'm glad that since day one they've trusted me to start because there's so much experience you can learn off the field but there's nothing like playing in the games, playing out there, playing against the best competition and learning that way."Carr has improved drastically since their Week 10 matchup. "I've seen a young quarterback with a lot of skills, can make all the throws, looks way more comfortable this time around than he was back in November when we faced him," Head Coach John Fox said of Carr. "So, I've seen a guy get better, and that's really what I look at more than years of service."Carr's offensive line has done an excellent job of preventing sacks this season, ranking fourth in the NFL in sacks per attempt. But with Ware and Miller, he will have a lot of pressure on him on Sunday.

When Justin Tuck was asked if the Raiders' win over the Broncos could be motivation for next season, he reminded the media that their season isn't over. In fact, a division rivalry game stands in between them and the offseason."The season isn't over yet," Tuck said. "We have one more to play and that's where our focus is. When all that's done, then we'll turn our focus on to the offseason and looking back and what went wrong and things of that nature. We still have one left and that's where our mind is. Denver is a great football team that's obviously going to get to play in the playoffs and have a great shot at the thing and we just want to go out there and make life a little difficult, at least one more week for them."While Khalil Mack is a key part of the defense, Tuck has two sacks in the last three games and has totaled 24 tackles and 10 tackles for loss on the season. He brings a veteran presence to this team and has helped them rank No. 10 in rushing yards per play."I think that's a big strength of their defense, is their front," Head Coach John Fox said of the Raiders. "They are big, physical. You have a young guy in Khalil Mack, who is one of the better talents in the league on one end. And Justin Tuck, who has done a lot. You have good presence and good [players] inside. I thought it took us a minute to kind of get an idea of what was going on and adjust."Louis Vasquez will have a tough matchup facing off against Tuck and the Broncos will look to protect Manning as well get their run game going again after an uneven performance on Monday night.

After a slow start with 12 catches through five games for 83 yards, Mychal Rivera has broken out as a go-to target for rookie Derek Carr. During the Raiders' win over the 49ers, he had seven targets for seven catches and 109 yards and his fourth TD of the year.Early on this season, the Raiders struggled to gain significant yards in the air, but Rivera's consistent playmaking abilities and Carr garnering more experience has allowed to duo to gain some momentum.Despite the Broncos' top-five defense, top-tier tight ends have caused some trouble for them. T.J. Ward is coming off a neck strain he suffered against the Bengals and is listed as questionable. He was limited all week. But if he is to play, he is likely to be one of a variety of players who will cover the 6-3, 245-pound tight end.