The Raiders, as many loyal “black holians” on B/R have told me, are the “team of the decades,” as argued by Autumn Wind. Apparently, many of them believe that the Raiders are one of, if not the greatest NFL team to ever grace the gridiron. Sure, Oakland has three Super Bowl victories, 12 division championships, and 19 hall of famers. The problem is, all of that is ancient history.

The Raiders last won the Super Bowl in 1983, that’s over a quarter of a century ago to you Oaklandaniacs. After their last Super Bowl victory and the “fat man” as Tom Jackson called him, John Madden’s retirement, Oakland officially became the Faders, as in they faded in the standings and out of the national eye. Sure, the Faders went to playoffs from 2000-02, and even went to the Super Bowl but they were dominated by Tampa Bay by 27 points.

Since then, they have returned to the spotlight, but only for all the bad reasons and have evolved into the Rai“duhs.”

What warrants such a nickname you may ask? Well, for starters, they have only won 25 games since 2002 including last week’s squeaker against the Chiefs. That’s an average of four a year, and during the span they haven’t won more than five in a year either.

What else does a Rai“duh” do you ask?

For starters, a Rai“duh” is the owner, as in a senile old man that has run his once proud franchise into a literal black hole, and hires Rai“dummies” for coaches. Art Shell was way past his time of the early 90s, Lane Kiffin proved he is better suited for college, and Tom Cable kicked the crap out of his assistant coach. (Norv Turner and Bill Callahan actually turned out to be decent coaches but the Rai“duhs” held them down)

Then there’s the players, as the Rai“duhs” almost always lead the league in penalties and only they could cheer their head coach on in practice after he broke their assistant coaches jaw.

But why write this article? I bleed orange and blue and have since Elway was beating the Browns, not that I am old enough to quite remember. One of the things I learned early on is that if you’re a Broncos fan, you’re also a Raider Hater, which I have been for years and years.

And now that I’ve got you, here’s my prediction for the Broncos game three against the “Rai“duhs” in Oakland this Sunday.

Denver has the No. 1 scoring defense in the NFL and they are leading the AFC West at 2-0 as the division’s only undefeated team. Oakland has a problem scoring this season, averaging only 16.5 points per game, but their defense is somewhat solid, only giving up 17 points per so far.

When Denver passes the ball: Advantage Denver

Yes, I know, Jay Cutler is gone, but Kyle Orton is showing he is a decent, if not solid QB. So far he has averaged just over 200 yards and a touchdown a game. What he hasn’t done is turn the ball over in his 36 completions in 2009.

The thing is, even though Orton’s arm isn’t awesome, his receivers are. Between Eddie Royal, Brandon Stokely, and Jabbar Gaffney he has a solid corps, and if Brandon Marshall can learn some more plays he will be back as the No. 1 soon enough. Add in tight ends Tony Scheffler and Daniel Graham, and Orton can pick and chose as he furthers his knowledge of the Broncos offense as well. Not to mention the “Rai“duhs” give up over 235 yards passing per game.

When Oakland passes the ball: Advantage Push

The Raiders passed decently against the Chargers, but could only muster 99 yards against the Chiefs last week. JaMarcus Russell though does look like he’s coming on, but he doesn’t have much in the form of receivers, of the five on the team, only Javon Walker has more than two years experience. Tight end Zach Miller is Russell’s favorite target with six catches for 96 yards so far.

The Broncos though, have given up a decent 186 yards per game, but have forced three interceptions in two games. In all, the Broncos turnover differential at plus-4 is second in the NFL. Champ Bailey has shown he is still one of the best CBs in the league, and Brian Dawkins can still hit very hard.

When the Broncos run the ball: Advantage Broncos

Denver averages 131 yards per game running, as Correll Buckhalter and Knowshon Moreno provide a nice one-two punch for the Broncos. Denver’s offensive line is solid, and they have been moving opponents with ease so far this year. The Raiders allow 125 yards per, so look for the Broncos to get anywhere from there to 150 and at least one touchdown on the ground.

When the Raiders run the ball: Advantage Broncos

Denver gives up a mere 70 yards per game, and has only given up one touchdown overall in the first two weeks. Oakland averages 103 yards and one touchdown per game on the ground. Like the Broncos, the Raiders have a two headed monster at running back in Darren McFadden and Michael Bush. If Denver can play well against the run once again, it might be time to start thinking of them as a legit defense.

Special Teams: Advantage Raiders

Sebastian Janikowski is a great kicker, and he always seems to hurt the Broncos. However, as I said in my preseason preview, he will blow a kick at the buzzer and the Broncos will win 21-20.

Also, Denver’s kick coverage is much improved, and so is field position over the past few years, so the advantage is minimal. 

So, in all, Denver will stay undefeated and continue leading the AFC West heading into the heart of their schedule and many tough 2008 playoff opponents.

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