CAN PAT SURTAIN II HOLD HIS OWN VS. DAVANTE ADAMS?
The Broncos' defense faces a stiff test on Sunday, as the Raiders have one of the best receivers in the game.
Davante Adams has earned first-team All-Pro honors in each of the last two seasons, and he is the only receiver in the NFL this season to record a touchdown in all three games. Adams started strong in his first season with the Raiders, as he posted 10 catches for 141 yards in Week 1. Over the last two weeks, though, Adams has recorded just seven receptions for 48 yards.
"He's hard to cover," Defensive Coordinator Ejiro Evero said. "He's got size, he can go up for the ball, and he can in-and-out you. He can do all of things that an elite receiver can do and [is] a tough challenge."
If the Broncos can limit Adams during the game, the Raiders will have fewer offensive options in a contest from which wide receiver Hunter Renfrow has been ruled out.
Evero didn't reveal whether cornerback Pat Surtain II would follow Adams throughout the game, but Surtain has proven himself capable of limiting top receivers early this season. Surtain did not allow a catch on six targets in Week 3, and he's allowed just 45 yards on 14 targets this season, according to Pro Football Focus. His ability to contain Adams could go a long way in determining whether the Broncos can earn a win.
Surtain, though, won't be the only one charged with slowing the Raiders. Bradley Chubb and Randy Gregory will look to get pressure on Derek Carr, and the Josey Jewell and Co. will try to slow down running back Josh Jacobs. Against a talented Raiders offense, Denver's defense will look to give the Broncos an edge.
ARE THE BRONCOS READY FOR A DESPERATE RAIDERS TEAM?
It's early in the year, but the Raiders' season will be on the line on Sunday.
Since 1990, only one team that has started 0-4 has made the playoffs, and that came in 2018 as the Texans started off slow before rallying to win the AFC South. At 0-3, the Raiders face a game that could determine the fate of their season.
As such, the Broncos must expect a desperate Raiders team that will have their entire focus on saving their season.
"Coach earlier said they're like a wounded dog," Chubb said. "When you back a wounded dog up, they come out fighting. We're not taking them for granted at all. We know that 0-3, that's just what paper says. We see what they did on film. They're No. 2 in explosive plays when it comes to the pass. They're putting up 21 points per game. So it's going to be a challenge for us still. We've got to go out there and execute."
The Broncos have rallied in each of the last two weeks for wins, but they'll need to be ready from the opening kickoff against the Raiders. Carr and Co. have averaged 15 points in the first half over the last two games, and that number has dropped to 7.5 points in the second half. Denver's second-half defense has been stellar in 2022 — the unit has allowed six total points in the second half of games this season — but if the Raiders score early, the Broncos' offense must be ready to keep pace.
Denver's offense scored 13 points in the first half of a Week 1 loss at Seattle, but the unit has mustered just nine points in the first half in the two games since. If the Broncos' offense can get back to the success it found in Week 1, that should put the pressure on the Raiders.
And as the Raiders face a must-win scenario, that could be the edge the Broncos need.
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October 02, 2022 at 07:09AM
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Burning Questions: Can the Broncos start their division slate off right vs. the Raiders? - DenverBroncos.com
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