Pride Denver Broncos

As bad as the 0-4 have been this season, this Sunday's matchup with one of their bitter rivals, the Denver Broncos, could be an opportunity to begin righting the ship. On paper, the clear advantage goes to the 3-1 Broncos, who have one of the NFL's finest defenses. More likely than not, Denver 2010 pro bowl Vikings 4 Brett Favre jersey
will win emerge victorious on national television.In spite of the Broncos' on-field mismatches, it doesn't mean Oakland can't at least salvage some of its old silver and black pride. The Broncos have defeated the much-maligned Raiders in 17 of the teams' last 22 matchups, meaning it's clearly been a one-sided fight since 1994. When it comes to the scoreboard, it doesn't have to be like that in Week 6.For, the Broncos are very much one-dimensional, and it plays into the Raiders' hands. Denver has won mostly with a great defensive unit, and has gotten very little from quarterback Jake Plummer. Meanwhile, Oakland has done things very much the same, even though it's yet to win a game. The Raiders' defense has actually been a strong point so far, while the offense has stumbled to last-place rankings in both points and yardage.Against Denver's Champ Bailey-led defense, Raiders quarterback Andrew Walter could have a nightmarish evening in Colorado. Thus, offensive coordinator Tom Walsh - the least popular man in the Bay Area right now - will need his running attack, led by LaMont Jordan and Justin Fargas, to be quite productive. Judging by their performance over the last couple weeks, that's not entirely impossible. The Broncos' defense ranks sixth in ground yards allowed, but it's just 17th in yards per attempt surrendered. Therefore, Denver's opposition hasn't run the ball enough to establish any kind of ground consistency.If ever a game was set up to give the Raiders' defense a chance to make an impact, it would be this weekend. Denver's Plummer has been horrendous throughout most of this year, meaning the Raiders' young and promising secondary could give him a tough time. Quietly, Oakland's defense ranks No. 1 in the NFL in passing yards allowed. Obviously, that could signal a somewhat unexpectedly difficult day for the beleaguered Plummer.The Broncos' offense, aside from Plummer, is bolstered by running back Tatum Bell. Formerly a change of pace runner, the 5-foot-11, 213-pounder has gained 387 ground yards this year, good enough for seventh in the league. Bell seems primed for another big game, but Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan could find the back being the team's lone offensive option, considering the Raiders' prowess in defending the pass.Nobody in their right mind would predict a victory from the Raiders this weekend, but perhaps Denver, a 15-point favorite, might find itself taking the36 Bettis White Jersey
fellow AFC West squad too lightly. Unfortunately for Oakland, Broncos linebacker Al Wilson has already issued a warning to his entire team."Don't look down on an 0-4 team," said Wilson. "My rookie season (1999), we were 0-4 going into Oakland and they took us lightly."At this point, all Raiders fans can hope is that none of Wilson's teammates share his intensity. When your record's 0-4, there's few places to draw faith from, obviously. Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see what kind of pride and fighting spirit Art Shell's team has. Sunday will be telling, indeed.--Connor J. Byrne can be reached at cbyrne@.Senior writer Anthony Carroll returns Monday with his Raiders analysis. (20)