Instant post-game reaction via RaiderRamble.com as the Oakland Raiders visited the Denver Broncos in Week 4.
The big question heading into the Oakland Raiders’ Week 4 divisional matchup versus the Denver Broncos was going to be, could they recover after an embarrassing performance on primetime last Sunday night?
Early on in the game, we saw the lingering weakness continue for the defense, unable to defend opposing tight ends. This time Bronco’s tight end A.J. Derby caught a touchdown from quarterback Trevor Siemian, exposing rookie Marquel Lee’s inability to cover, specifically the tight end position. The bad news did not stop there for the Raiders defense; they lost cornerback David Amerson reducing an already thin secondary that was without rookie Gareon Conley.
Suffice it to say the defense was rocked in the first half, perhaps still feeling the effects of last week’s dismantling. Before the end of the first quarter, in fact, Siemian already had 100-plus passing yards versus the Raiders.
Offensively speaking, Derek Carr and the Raiders’ offensive unit did not fare better early on. The first three possessions for the Silver and Black ended in punts; not good at all. Despite a beautiful 99-yard yard drive which culminated in a touchdown catch by Johnny Holton, that was the only real spark this game. To make matters worse, Carr went down with a back injury which took the life out of what little was left for the Raiders offense in this game.
Despite the early struggles, however, it was Khalil Mack and the defense that kept the team in the game with backup E.J. Manuel under center. With all the pressures of playing at Mile High, Manuel performed impressively given the circumstances he faced, and despite a crushing loss, Raider Nation should feel good knowing there’s a solid backup quarterback in-house.
Denver Raider Post Game https://t.co/a9oIkekxqB
— RaiderRamble.comâ„¢ (@TheRaiderRamble) October 1, 2017
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