Broncos vs Raiders Prediction (11/23)

The Broncos have a 2-game lead over the Chargers in the AFC West. Today, they take on the dysfunctional Raiders.

Here are the keys to the game for the Broncos according to the Sporting News:

1. Continue to find balance: The Broncos have morphed into a pass-first offense, with dangerous weapons in Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal, Brandon Stokley and strong tight ends. But the battered backfield finally found its stride in the second half against Atlanta while running for 124 yards on 25 carries overall and throwing 27 times. Establishing the run effectively sells play action, where Cutler excels -- throwing on the move.

2. Stay physical: Denver allowed 257 rushing yards at New England on Oct. 20, prompting Mike Shanahan to expand full-pad practices from once per week to three times. In concert with a simplification of the defensive fronts that eliminated its 3-4 look, the results have been a more aggressive, hard-hitting group overall with fewer busted assignments. The Broncos limited both Jamal Lewis and Michael Turner to one break-out run and shut down the Dolphins tandem since the change.

3. Keep the miscues down: Denver's giveaways per week are 0, 1, 2, 4, 1, 3, 5, 3, 1, 0. If you want to find the biggest key to their success or lack thereof, that statistic is the tell-all. The Broncos are 5-0 when they turn the ball over once or not at all. Their four games with 3 or more turnovers were all losses. The full-pad practices may have had a dual effect in that ball security has improved.

Game Prediction: Broncos 31, Raiders 13