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IN DENVER BRONCO PRE-GAME ANALYSIS

 FROM MILEHIGHREPORT.COM

How important is this game to the Broncos?  After all, this isn't a game against the Chargers for the title of AFC West best.  However, it is an important game in many, many ways.

1. The winner is undefeated, the loser has to win two games in a row for a winning season.
2. The game is a divisional pairing; crucial for playoff tie breaks.
3. This is Monday Night Football; the big stage.  The confidence boost (or lag) could be a major factor going into the early season.

For Denver fans, it doesn't get any better than this.  Denver playing in the opening MNF game against the hated Raiders.  Let's break down the Xs and Os, and take a look at how these teams match up.

Read on...

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For a look at the game from the Raiders view, check out SilverandBlackPride

For the first time in seven years, the Denver Broncos will open their season on Monday Night Football when they face the Oakland Raiders this week at McAfee Coliseum. Kickoff is set for 7:15 p.m. PDT, and the game will be televised nationally on ESPN as well as locally on KDVR-TV FOX 31.

The Broncos, whose 17-year streak of appearing on Monday Night Football represents the longest such streak in the NFL, look to begin the campaign with a win in their first AFC West contest of the year for the ninth consecutive season. The first part of the season is a key stretch for Denver with the club facing divisional opponents in three of the first four weeks. The Broncos play their first two games (at Oak., vs. S.D.) of the year against divisional foes for the first time in 11 seasons (1997) and only the sixth time in club history.

Denver, which finished the 2007 season with a 7-9 record before posting a 2-2 mark this preseason, faces a Raiders squad that was 4-12 last year and 1-3 in the preseason. The two clubs split the 2007 series, but the Broncos have had recent success against Oakland, posting an 8-2 record against the franchise since 2003.

In the preseason, the Broncos' offense averaged 76.9 yards on its eight touchdown drives while ranking fifth in the league in both yards per play (5.4) and points per game (22.8). Quarterback Jay Cutler led Denver to points in six of the 10 drives (5 TDs, 1 FG) he started and finished the preseason with the third-highest passer
rating (117.6) and fourth-best completion percentage (69.8) in the league (min. 40 att.). Defensively, Denver ranked seventh in the league in yards per rush allowed (3.4).

Broncos Head Coach Mike Shanahan owns an 11-4 career record in season openers, marking a .733 winning percentage that is the best among active NFL coaches (min. 5 openers).

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