Broncos Bury Raiders to get to 2-2

The Broncos did what they had to do on Sunday at home against the Raiders: They won convincingly. After coming off back-to-back losses, the Broncos desperately needed to get a win, and they needed to play well. The Broncos did just that. A convincing, blowout win is not something that Bronco fans have been accustomed to the last few years, but we got one with the 37-6 win over their AFC West rivals. The win puts Denver at 2-2 as they head into a big showdown next week at New England. Here are my thoughts about the Week 4 victory.....

1) The Raiders had defeated the Broncos the last four times in Denver, so you know that the Broncos were due to beat them at home. It was hard to get a read on Denver after their losses to the Texans and Falcons, but they were able to take care of business and win going away. This game reminded me of a classic late 90s Mike Shanahan-John Elway Era victory: Close for a while, but the game gets put out of reach by the third quarter. It was close at the half, 10-6 in favor of the Broncos, but Denver scored on three straight third quarter possessions and the next thing you know it was 31-6. It was a much needed win for this team, and it is always nice to have an easy and relaxing win.

2) The Broncos have had trouble stopping Darren McFadden the past few years, but this week they absolutely shut him down. They held him to only 34 yards rushing, and the Broncos defense flew around the field all day long. They held the Raiders to 1-12 on third down conversions. The signature moment was when they stuffed McFadden on a 3rd and 2 in the second quarter. It was a good bounce back week for the Broncos defense.

3) Peyton Manning quieted some of his critics with a terrific performance. He was fantastic going 30-38 for 338 and 3 touchdowns. He spread the ball around and got everyone involved. He led them to a touchdown on their first drive, and the offense never looked back. They looked in sync in the passing game, and Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker combined for 12 catches and 182 yards. Jacob Tamme was also very clutch on third down, so the Broncos passing game was hitting on all cylinders.

4) What were the Broncos thinking when they attempted a fake field goal up 10-3 late in the first half? Matt Prater's attempt was really bad, and the Broncos were lucky that it didn't come back to bite them.

5) David Bruton's block punt with the Broncos up 17-6 was the real killer for the Raiders. Willis McGahee punched it in a few plays later, and at 24-6 the game was effectively over.

6) The only blemish on the afternoon was the loss of C J.D. Walton to a season-ending ankle injury. It is a key loss, but it offset by the signing of Dan Koppen back in September. That move is crucial because Koppen was the center for eight years in New England, so he should be able to acclimate himself into the Peyton Manning-led no huddle offense.

7) The Broncos needed a big win at home this week, and they got it. I wasn't too worried after they lost to the Falcons and the Texans. Both of those teams were a combined 8-0. Denver needed a statement win, and they needed to beat the Raiders soundly. They did that in all phases: offense, defense, and special Teams.