2014 Broncos Season, Week 10


The Broncos continued their three game road trip with a win, this time a blow out over the 0-9 Oakland Raiders.

Week 10: Broncos 41, Oakland Raiders 17
Season Record: 7-2 (5-0 Home)
Key Play: In the first half, trailing 10-6, Peyton Manning connected with running back C.J. Anderson on a 51-yard touchdown pass on a screen. It broke it open for the Broncos, who scored touchdowns on their next five drives to take a communing 41-10 lead by the end of the third quarter.

Recap: The Broncos played an ugly game in New England last week. The team turned the ball over, got down early, and got pounded. It looked like the Broncos had a lot of hang over early in the game with the Raiders. Manning threw an interception on the second play of the game. Later, after struggling to move the ball and score points, Manning was intercepted again. Though the Broncos defense played well and the Raiders had hardly moved the ball, the team was up 10-6 and it was understandable that Broncos' fans might have started to get nervous. But a screen pass to Anderson opened things up, and at the end of the day Manning had 340 yards and five passing touchdowns as the Broncos won by more than 20 points. That's what should happen against the Raiders, and fortunately it did. But the first quarter of the game was a reminder that, in the NFL, you can't take any wins for granted. The Raiders haven't won in nearly a calendar year — since November 17, 2013 — but they still put up a fight. They are still a professional team. And they still have a desire to perform. The Broncos have another road game Sunday — this time in St. Louis against the Rams — and they'll have to play hard if they want to earn a win. The Rams beat the Seahawks and the 49ers already this season, so the Broncos will have to be on their game. Hopefully the hang over from New England is behind them.

Game Balls:
* C.J. Anderson. The Broncos' running back dominated in the game, rushing for 90 yards and bringing in several big receptions, including that touchdown pass. With Ronnie Hillman injured and Montee Ball still out, Anderson took his turn to shine for Denver.
* Julius Thomas. After an incredibly hot start to the season, Thomas cooled a bit. But Sunday he made a number of big catches and got into the end zone twice again.
* Bradley Roby. The rookie corner has continued to show up in big ways for the Broncos. He got another interception Sunday and continues to develop into an excellent pass coverage option.

Lingering Concerns:
* Offensive Line. The Broncos have used a number of different combinations, and one has to wonder if all the line shuffling was what led to some penalties and that rough start. Manning had a lot of passes batted down, and perhaps that was due to some spotty line play.
* Playing to the Competition. Earlier this season the Broncos had a relatively easy game against the Jets, but they didn't play that way. They let the Jets stay in it early and made it hard for themselves. That happened Sunday in Oakland. The Broncos are a good team, but sometimes they play down to the competition. Let's hope they don't leave the door open in St. Louis.

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