Oakland Raiders: 5 Key matchups vs. Broncos in Week 4
By Nick Sparrow
The Oakland Raiders will go on the road to face off against division rival Denver Broncos on Sunday. Here are five matchups that could decide the game.
In one of the best games of Week 4, the Oakland Raiders will travel to face the Denver Broncos in an AFC West rivalry game. The Raiders are coming off of their first loss of the season, falling 27-10 to the Washington Redskins on Sunday Night Football. If the Raiders are looking to bounce back this week they will need to focus on winning individual battles.
Seemingly nothing could go right for this team in Week 3, as their offense only gained 128 yards while their defense allowed 472 yards. The Raiders are still a talented team and will be looking to prove that against an elite Broncos squad.
Here are five matchups that could decide the game.
Bruce Irvin vs. Garett Bolles
One of the keys to Oakland achieving a win on the road is applying pressure to Denver quarterback Trevor Siemian. Oakland’s Bruce Irvin recorded seven sacks in 2016, good for second-most on the team. However, Irvin has failed to record any sacks through the first three games of this season and has only recorded six tackles.
If Irvin is able to find success in any game of the season, it could be this one. For much of Sunday’s game, Irvin will be lined up against Garrett Bolles, the rookie first-round tackle out of the University of Utah. Bolles also suffered an injury that appeared serious at the time in Week 2, but he seems fine to play Sunday.
The Broncos have already allowed nine sacks in their first three games, so it is definitely possible Irvin and the rest of the Raiders pass rushers can take advantage of this matchup. Irvin is a talented pass rusher and if he finds success in this game he could throw the whole Denver offense out of sync.