Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - Denver Broncos, Bo Nix Must Keep Striking vs. Las Vegas Raiders

Starting point is 00:00:00 Broncos Raiders Week 12 of NFL action is here and the Las Vegas Raiders are looking to play spoils to the Denver Broncos momentum. We'll break it down and preview this matchup in an AFCS showdown here on today's Lockdown Broncos, Lockdown Raiders crossover. You are locked on NFL crossover, part of the Locked on podcast network. Your team every day. What's happening in Broncos country, Raiders Nation? Thank you so much for tuning into another locked on podcast. episode here part of the Locked-on podcast network. As you know, it is your team every day. It is specifically crossover Thursday here on the network. And today's crossover Thursday is presented by Price Picks, download the app and use code Lockdown.

Starting point is 00:00:48 And a federal win $50 instantly when you play $5. I'm Cody York host of Lockdown Broncos, joined as always by your boy Q, host of Locked on Raiders as we sit down here for our first time this season to break down week number 12. Obviously, Q sat down with Sarah Bedinger there in week five. but a lot has changed with this team since that matchup. So we're going to break down everything you need to know in terms of what's going to impact the outcome of this game on Sunday.

Starting point is 00:01:14 We'll talk about the Broncos rise as of late, but we're going to kick things off here on today's show by talking about the Las Vegas Raiders and the tide turning of the season. They got an opportunity here despite being in a rough position. Q, I hate to be cliche here, but what is going on with the Raiders? I mean, the last time early on, before all the storylines that really formulated the rest of the season here before that first matchup, you know, was Devante Adams had the hamstring injury.

Starting point is 00:01:41 He's no longer there now. What has gone on since that whole debacle? Well, I'll tell you this, man. What really was the momentum change, I feel like in the season for the Raiders, was the pick six to Pat Sertan. Right? I mean, it's like, it's like I quoted it the other day.

Starting point is 00:01:55 Remember the movie Friday? And they said Debo woke up or Chris Tucker woke up in Debo's Pigeon Coop. And he ain't ever been the same. And he ain't ever been the same. Smokey woke up and Debo's Pigeon Coupe. He ain't ever been the same. I kind of said that that's what happened to the Raiders, right?

Starting point is 00:02:08 They threw that pick six to Patrick Sertan, and it was all different after that. And they're on a current six game losing streak, right? And, you know, they're trying to find their way. They've obviously had a lot of issues along the way. As you mentioned, Devante Adams is no longer with the team. He's now in New York with the Jets. And they're not doing much better. So there's that.

Starting point is 00:02:27 But, you know, the Raiders are just trying to find their way. They've been dealing with a ton of injuries. And it just kind of is what it is at this stage of the game. So they're trucking along. Antonio Pierce is dealing with the issues as a first year head coach. He's leaning heavily on Marvin Lewis and Joe Philbin and Tom Coughlin to try to get some advice and guidance as they're going through this rough stretch. But you know how it is, man. I mean, when you're going through a rough stretch, there's nothing you could do but play it out.

Starting point is 00:02:51 And so that's what they're doing. And they'll welcome in the Broncos this week and see how this game goes. Well, look, the Broncos, you know, obviously they snap their losing streak to the Raiders this year, but they still have not yet won a game in Las Vegas, which, you know, I look at. a Raiders team here that's 2 and 8, you know, their backs up or against the wall. Things are not going how they've planned, certainly, you know, from the season. And I look at the Denver team whose momentum's kind of rising up. And it's like, to me, Q, I feel like this could be a trap game here for Denver.

Starting point is 00:03:18 Like you don't want this young team to overlook a Raiders team that struggling because, hey, I still look at it as like when Bo Nix is lined up there, you know, a quarterback, it's like, hey, you still have to worry about number 98, the boogey man. He plays with a high motor. But then when you look at the Raiders offense, it's like, ah, Rock Bowers. He's putting up numbers. Look, one of the three touchdowns this season came against the Broncos really on that first drive that all of a sudden put the Broncos into like, oh, no, what's going on?

Starting point is 00:03:43 And then you mentioned the passer tan pick six there. You know, despite the season at 2 and 8, you despite how things are going with this team, what have been some of the silver linings, pun intended here, for this Raiders team? Well, I'll say this, man, there's no quit, right? I mean, there's teams that are 2 and 8 that you can say, oh, yeah, they're done, right? They don't care about the rest of the season. They can't wait until it's over. 3-21 Cancun, let's go.

Starting point is 00:04:07 That's not the Raiders. That's the one thing I can say about them for being in the locker room, being at practice, talking to the coaches and talking to the players. You could tell that they're still fighting for their coach. They're still fighting for each other in that locker room. So that to me is a positive sign. That tells me that the culture is different than what it was when Joshua Daniels was the head coach, where it felt like everything was done.

Starting point is 00:04:27 There was a big, super dark cloud over the organization. It doesn't feel like that with this Raiders team. Now, I mean, that's great and all, you know, that you can still fight hard, but you got to win games as well. So I just think that they really would like to see a win or two. I feel like there's been some opportunities for them to get wins. They just haven't been able to finish games. Like, you know, a perfect example is we could go against the Miami Dolphins.

Starting point is 00:04:50 They have really good offense where it looks like it makes sense, right? They have double-digit plays where they're having sustained drives. But when they get to the red zone, then they end up getting field goals as opposed to touchdown. So, you know, when you have a limited amount of snaps and drives, drives, you have to cash in and they weren't able to do that. So it's small things here and there that lead to big things that lead to losses. And that's, again, the reason why they're on a six game losing streak. But I do think that they're going in there with everything they have to try to win these

Starting point is 00:05:18 games. Well, and I think another thing, too, when you look at, you know, trying to find your footing at 2 and A, trying to find some momentum. It's hard to do when you're banged up. And I ain't going to like you. I looked at the injury report because we get it sent out here from the NFL. And I was like, dang, all these guys are out of practice. They didn't, they didn't practice.

Starting point is 00:05:35 And so kind of tell us a little bit about that. Because I think Broncos country wants to know because I think most Broncos fans know going into it, hey, a guy who's had success against Devin in the past is of Mear White might not play in this game. You take a look at obviously Alexander Madison, a guy who's had some success against him before, might not play in this game. So what does the injury report look like? Who are the players that are obviously the most impactful ones that are on that report

Starting point is 00:05:55 that say, hey, this could change the, you know, the perspective of this outcome on Sunday. Yeah, the injury report is long, man. it's really long and on Wednesday eight guys did not participate and that's rare right i mean a couple weeks to go against cincinnati uh they had all these guys about six or eight guys that left the game with ankle injuries and so there's still a bunch of guys that are dealing with the ankle injury you mentioned zemir white and uh and alexander madison and madison he's got one of those ankle injuries amir white has a quadriceps injury i would not be shocked to see neither one of those running backs play so it most likely be the amir abdula and dylan lobby show uh don't expect to see them running between

Starting point is 00:06:31 the tackles too much, but they could catch some passes out of the back field. As far as the corners go, I mean, Cody, there was a point last game against Miami where the three starting cornerbacks were all out. Nate Hobbs never played in the game because he was out with the ankle injury, one he suffered against Cincinnati. Jacorian Bennett left on the first drive with a shoulder injury. And then Jack Jones, who's the best playmaking cornerback that the Raiders have as far as coming up with interceptions and pick sixes and he actually has a pick six on the season, he left with

Starting point is 00:07:00 the back injury. So those are all three of the starting corners. So there's a good chance that none of those guys play this week as well. They didn't practice on Wednesday. When we talked to Antonio Pierce, he didn't seem like he was too confident that they'd be able to go and he'll give us a better update on Friday. But I would not be shocked at all if you don't see those guys out there. And then you're seeing rookies like DeCam Richardson out there. You're seeing a darnay Holmes who's a younger dude out there. You know, you're seeing guys like that that don't quite have the skins on the walls, these other guys, and they're going to have to do the best that they can. But literally, it's the next man up. And the writers have, I don't like to make, you know, like excuses for why

Starting point is 00:07:37 they're not playing well. But man, they've had so many injuries all season long. Malcolm Coontz never made it to the season. He tore his ACL. Christian Wilkins is on IR. He was the big free agent pickup for the middle. Marcus Epps back in. He tore his ACL, so he's out for the season. I mean, they just have injury after injury at Max Crosby's missed the game this season. I mean, there's, and he never misses anything, right? So, I mean, there's just, they've been dealt a terrible hand when it comes to injuries. Again, you can't make excuses because I know that every team has to deal with the, hell, there was a time when the Broncos had, what was it, their running back, play quarterback, or whoever, you know, so I mean, there's no, there's nobody going to feel sorry for the Raiders.

Starting point is 00:08:16 They just got to go out there and play the best they can with what they have. Yeah, and for Antonio Pierce, it's hard to build what you want to, especially being, you know, the first year head coach full time. And look, I'll be remiss if I don't bring us up. I know a lot of the conversation on your show as of late, has been around Chador Sanders, the quarterback here for CU. I mean, even just being around people who cover the buffs on the beat and they come and spend some time, you know, on the Broncos beat as well from time to time. Even they're talking about like, hey, like Chador to Vegas seems like a great fit.

Starting point is 00:08:41 Obviously with Chadur's relationship with Tom Brady, I know that there's going to be a microscope on that in terms of tampering and things like that. Like you don't want to have those conversations too early for Tom, but it's like Tom's going to have influence. And I recall Mark Davis saying, hey, like when Tom took out, got approved for that ownership stake. It's like, hey, Tom's going to help us pick the next quarterback. And it very well could be Shudur. Yeah, and I'm here for that, right?

Starting point is 00:09:04 I've said it. And it's funny because I try to tell everyone that I don't like to dive into draft talk in November. Yeah, it's hard. There's so much time leading up to the draft. But in reality, when you're a 2-18, and the quarterback is one of your main issues that you have. And I don't think anyone believes Gardner Minshu is the franchise quarterback moving forward, especially not a guy that can compete with Mahomes and Herbert. And obviously now Bo Nix, who I know will get to and what he's been able to do.

Starting point is 00:09:30 He's been playing really well as of late. You can't compete with Minshu. And Aidan O'Connell, I don't think he's the answer. He didn't really get a chance because you want to talk about injuries. As soon as he finally gets a chance, he gets a broken thumb. And so then he's out. So there might be a couple weeks until he returns from IR and then he'll get a chance to prove what he can or cannot do. But I'll tell you, man, I'm all here for Shador.

Starting point is 00:09:50 I think he would be fantastic as the franchise quarterback. And I think he'd give the Raiders a real chance to compete with the other arms that are in the AFC West. And as you know, those arms in the AFC West are really, really good arms. Yeah, and it's evolving a little bit. Well, we could be very well heading back to the conversation point. Hey, the AFC West could be competitive and fun here in the next year or two, a lot to be excited about there. But obviously, a lot going on in the Las Vegas Raiders side of things. Broncos countries getting to know a little bit from your boy Q host of Locked on Raiders.

Starting point is 00:10:18 Here in a second, we're going to dive into the Denver Broncos side of things. This Raiders Nation will learn a little bit more about what's going on with. the Broncos really since that week five game where Denver got their first one against the Raiders in a long time. We'll break that down and much more here on today's crossover episode, Lockdown Broncos, Locked on Raiders. Today's crossover show is brought to you by our friends over there at Built Rewards. And okay, real talk, we've all been there. Have you ever feel like you're burning cash when you're trying to pay your rent with those rent checks? It's frustrating, right?

Starting point is 00:10:44 Because here's the deal. Built Rewards, they come in handy. They come in clutch because they figure out a way to make rent more rewarding for you and for me. So say goodbye to the money bonfire. and hello to a renter's revolution with Built. Built is breaking ground as a neighborhood rewards program that hooks you up with points on your rent. Every month pay your rent and watch the built points roll in.

Starting point is 00:11:05 Use points to jet off on a dream vacation. Put your points toward a flight or a hotel stay with 500 plus airlines and 700,000 plus hotels and properties. You can also use your points to book fitness studio classes. You can redeem them toward a future rent payment. They're designed to meet your lifestyle. Pay rent hassle free through the Bill Rewards app and your rent game just got a major upgrade. Built points has been consistently ranked the highest value point currency by the points guy and bank rate.

Starting point is 00:11:33 Earn points by paying rent right now when you go to joinbilt.com slash locked on NFL. That's J-O-I-N-B-T dot com slash locked on NFL. Make sure to use our URL so you know that we sent you. Joinbill.com slash locked on NFL to start earning points with your rent payments today. Today. Today's show is also brought to you by our friends over there at Fandu, America's number one sportsbook. And look, week 12 of the NFL season is here. You got the Denver Broncos going on the road as the favorites against the Las Vegas Raiders. This is an interesting game.

Starting point is 00:12:05 You take a look at the over under. If you think this is going to be a high scoring affair, you can hit the over. You think it's going to be a defensive battle, you can hit the under. Or if you think the Broncos or the Raiders are going to win respectively in their right, you can choose them on the money line. And when you do just that, Fandu wants to reward you new customers with a, $150 in bonus bets when you place your first $5 bet and it went. So put $5 on the Broncos Raiders week 12 matchup. And if that wins as a new customer, you're going to get $150 in bonus bets.

Starting point is 00:12:35 And they give you access to everything inside the app. When you get a hunch in the middle of the game, you can check out the latest stats. You can view live play by play and so much more on the same page where you place your bets. Just visit fandul.com to join today. And you'll get started with $150 in bonus bets. If you win your first $5.00 bet, that's Fandul.com. Never waste a hunch and make every moment more with Fandul, an official sportsbook partner of the NFL.

Starting point is 00:13:00 And welcome back to Locked on Broncos, Locked on Raiders. This is the crossover edition, Week 12. It's wild to think that we're already in week 12 of the NFL season. But here we are. The Broncos are coming to Allegiance Stadium and riding some pretty good arm when it comes to Bo Nix to rookie quarterback. And right now with the Broncos sitting there at 6 and 5, Cody, since week five, when the Raiders went to Denver and lost, everything seems like

Starting point is 00:13:26 it's turned for Denver. What has been the, I guess, the big change? What has really gone on well for the Denver Broncos since that week five matchup? Well, I mean, you really brought it up in the first segment. It was like the Raiders season changed on the Pat Sertan pick six, so did the Broncos. Like it was just, you know, Denver's down 10-0. I mean, 10-3 at that point. Minshu and that offense are driving, and they have a chance to go up 17.

Starting point is 00:13:49 three or at, you know, at worst, you go 133. And then all of a sudden, you tie the game up, pick, six. That was a, that was a momentum changing play. But it's crazy to think about the parallels of how it impacted the season for both teams. Because from that point, you know, Bo Nix got the ball back. And, you know, Bo had two passing touchdowns against the Raiders in this game, one to Josh Reynolds. And obviously, that was one where Josh Reynolds hurt his hand and ended up on IR.

Starting point is 00:14:12 He could be back this Sunday for the game, ironically enough, against the Raiders. But then it's, you know, Bo had a rushing touchdown. So a three total touchdown performance, it's like, okay, now this kid's starting to get a little bit more comfortable, considering you're at a rough start in weeks one and weeks two. But I think he's just gotten more confident in Sean Payton's offense. And certainly, you know, Cortland Sutton has become his number one target. The distribution early on wasn't as even. Now Cortland is a heavily produced target here for Bo Nix. But it's now you got seventh round rookie Devon Vele out of Utah who's the second favorite target.

Starting point is 00:14:44 42 total snaps overall in the Broncos game against the Falcons here. But the thing is, you're seeing Bo Nicks make throws that, you know, he wasn't making necessarily weeks one, weeks two, and even week five in that regard. He's knowing where to go with the football. He understands where pressure's coming from. He's not taking sacks, which for Sean Payton, you know, in comparison where Russell Wilson was,

Starting point is 00:15:04 that was Sean's biggest gripe about Russell Wilson is that Russ took too many sacks. Bo hasn't done that. He's been very smart with protecting the football, not making the same mistake twice. And he's dealing, obviously coming off AFC offensive player of the week, a very impressive performance against the Atlanta Falcons there. But, you know, hey, every time I see the Broncos lining up, the one guy who's always had consistently big games against Denver,

Starting point is 00:15:27 it's Ben Max Crosby. He had two sacks in that first matchup in week five. And once again, I mean, that was him coming off of an ankle injury. I mean, Q, he was coming off like, hoblin. I remember watching the Friday video. I think you posted it. He's doing a Euro step in practice. I'm like, okay, he's questionable, but not he's going to play.

Starting point is 00:15:45 He has truly been a boogeman. here. But the Broncos' offensive line has definitely gotten a lot better. So I think that's going to be a really big key here to see unfold a little bit on Sunday. But Denver has, they feel like they found their quarterback. And certainly he's progressed. You haven't seen any regression here from Bowdox. You hope you can maintain that here. And just like you said, take it one game at a time.

Starting point is 00:16:04 And the Broncos, I can tell you this, they're not overlooking the Raiders, even though these guys don't like each other. There's that rivalry there. They're not overlooking each other, though. No, I don't doubt that at all. I mean, I think you throw the records out the window when these two teams, get together just because, like you said, neither team likes each other. But, you know, you mentioned Bo Nix is gaining confidence. And obviously you're seeing Sean Payton get more confidence in him and probably put more

Starting point is 00:16:27 on his plate as well. But how much confidence are you seeing from the team starting to have more confidence in that rookie quarterback? Like, okay, this guy can be our leader. This guy can be our franchise quarterback. Yeah, let's ride with this dude. Yeah. And look, I think that it's crazy to think about the fact that, hey, Denver's got a

Starting point is 00:16:44 quarterback that this whole locker room has bought a. into it. Look, it's a rookie. And it's, you know, you're going to get that from your offensive guys, but it's even defensive guys like Pat's or Tan saying, hey, Bo should be rookie of the year. Like he's coming out and says, Bo can throw it. Like, you know, I've had conversations with Pat, even going back to training camp and while there was a competition, so to speak there. And Pat told me, he said, no, Bo, Bo's legit. Bo is the real deal. He, you know, he knows how to, he's not afraid of trying to attack him, which is good. But, but I think the thing with Bo is just there is a belief in the locker room. And Sean Payton told us on Monday,

Starting point is 00:17:16 earlier this week, he says that this locker room, they have this belief in Bo. They're saying, hey, we know he's going to protect the football. We know he's going to keep us in close games. We have a chance. I mean, they battled Patrick Mahomes and lose a heartbreaker in Arrowhead, do a locked field goal. But I think from that moment, everyone's like, hey, yeah, Bo is the guy that can compete,

Starting point is 00:17:35 you know, with the Justin Herbert's with the Patrick Mahomes. And we'll see how the quarterback situation eventually plays out in Vegas. But Denver feels like they've got their guy and the defense is so bought in. I'm like, defensive guys are like, wow, we got a quarterback. Like that right there is a little bit of a change in the dynamic here. And then all those offensive guys, even the vets like Cortland Sutton, they're like, hey, we believe in him. He's our guy.

Starting point is 00:17:55 We're excited to be on this ride with him. You know, it's funny. When you look at the defense and you're saying that the defense is saying, hey, that's the quarterback, you know, it's probably easier for them to go get the ball now and say, hey, we can give it back to Bo because he can go get it done. Because honestly, Cody, when I looked at this Denver Broncos team this season, my expectations were the defense was going to be really strong. they were going to have a good run game and they were going to ease this rookie into it.

Starting point is 00:18:18 But it seems like they've definitely fast-tracked that when it comes to the offense. Are you surprised that the rookie Bo Nix? I know he's an older rookie, but still, are you surprised that he caught up to the Sean Payton system as quickly as he did and is putting up the numbers and potentially being an offensive rookie of the year? As many are talking about them right now? Yeah, I mean, so I'll be honest here. I've always been an Oregon Ducks fan, right?

Starting point is 00:18:41 So the last two years, watching Oregon, watching Bo at Oregon. I was like, man, you got Colorado in your backyard. How are you an Oregon fan? Well, I lived, I lived half my life in Oregon. Okay, okay. Be careful. Let's say it loud, man. Yeah, yeah, but I was like, you know, hey, last time the ducks and the buffs played, the ducks, you know, they skull ducks, they ran the score up on it. It was 42-6. Could have been a lot worse there. But with Bo with Bo, like, I always thought, like even two years ago when he first came, I was like, man, you know, Bo might be a fun fit for Sean Peyton. And then I put a tweet out last you're saying, hey, Bowenix is going to look good at a Broncos uniform during the college football season.

Starting point is 00:19:17 And then it's like, okay, hey, now it starts to make sense that Sean Payton could build this offense in a way that's like, hey, he's got his guy because of certain traits there. Now, I think he's exceeded expectations here, Q. And certainly there's still some areas he can improve on there. And even Sean and Bo will tell you that themselves. But there's just a level of comfort. And I think there's just a level of calmness. And, you know, Bo doesn't get too high with the highs.

Starting point is 00:19:39 It doesn't get too low with the lows. You know, he moves on from a bad play relatively quickly. So that right there, I think, has just been a nice addition there. And even just seeing the stuff that I was seeing from Bowen Training Camp, you know, Broncos, like people around the world, like during training camp, put a clip out there and said, I think Denver Quinn games were like, oh, you're crazy. You don't know, ball, like all that stuff.

Starting point is 00:19:58 And I was like, I just think that with the defense, knowing how the defense can play. And certainly the defense is exceeding expectations that I've had. You lose Justin Simmons and your defense is playing as good as it is. Okay, that kind of caught me by surprise a little bit. And then just with how Bow was playing it, how he's progressed. rest. Now I'm like, hey, that is a real possibility here. But, you know, they've had, they've lost some games early on in the season. You lose a heartbreaker to Kansas City. Now you're room for error here is you're really trying to keep that seven playoff spot or maybe even move

Starting point is 00:20:25 up a spot. It's going to be tough. And the Raiders are going to be a tough test at that. Yeah, no, they will. And it's going to be fun to see these two teams get together. And so offensively, you know, everything looks like it's going the way it's supposed to go. You mentioned the defense and playing better than you expect, especially without Justin Simmons. And and they definitely are playing better than I expected. And I expected them to be a good defense, but they're playing at a very high level. What is it that Vance Joseph is doing?

Starting point is 00:20:49 How is he pushing all the right buttons to get that defense to play at the level that it is playing at? Man, they revamped the trenches here. And look, it wasn't like widespread changes. They just, they got a couple of really big pieces, right? They got John Franklin Myers, who, in my opinion, has been a steal of the off season here for number.

Starting point is 00:21:04 They essentially got him for a six-round pick. And now we see what the New York Jets look like. Hope Aaron, DeVontade Adams are having fun over there. But JFM's been huge. It's allowed DJ Jones to move back to his natural spot at the nose tackle position. Zach Allen has emerged as a really, really exciting player who's pressure in the quarterback and insane rate. And now you got to emerge to Nick Benito at outside linebacker. He's the second leading guy right now in the NFL with nine.

Starting point is 00:21:27 And then, you know, you've got Jonathan Cooper on the other side. But because of the trenches, they're not getting pushed back as much as they were last year, right? And it's allowing the linebackers to fill, you know, guys are eating up double teams and guys are rally into the football. And then you get guys who can play anywhere in the secondary. I mean, you got a Jaquah McMillan who's in the nickel. He can play inside, outside. Same thing with Riley Moss can line up anywhere inside outside. And they're moving pass or 10 around various matchups.

Starting point is 00:21:52 So I imagine primarily we're going to see him on Jacoby Myers a little bit. But I imagine we're going to also see him quite a bit on Brock Bowers, too, in this game. So I think just the versatility that this defense now has has opened things up for Vance. And he's kind of pinned his ears back. And these guys have been playing really good football. Yeah, no, I'm glad you mentioned. you know, Brock Bowers and Pat Sertan being on him because I'm wondering when teams are going to start really putting their, you know, number one corner on him just because he's so good. And, you know, we saw Jalen Ramsey on him a little bit last week against Miami, but he wasn't on him the whole time.

Starting point is 00:22:23 And you saw what Brock Bowers did is get 13 catches. And I keep saying all week, I've been telling Raider fans, hey, just tell Gardner Mitch you throw away from Pat Sertan. Don't worry about him. Go anywhere else, but don't worry about Pat Sertan. I don't need to test him on Sunday. There's no really worry and concern, you know, that he's going to be fine and let him stand on that island by himself. But you mentioned, you know, Riley Moss and others in that secondary. How has that secondary come together, right, and been able to be playing at a high level knowing they're going to get tested more because Pat Sertan is so good on the other side.

Starting point is 00:22:55 They're embracing the challenge. They got a swagger to them. They know like, hey, Pat's going to probably try to take away the best option. That means we're going to see more looks. You know, even you saw the Falcons try to move Drake London inside out a little bit. There were times where Pat would follow. But in certain situations, you have a defensive call based on down and distance. You can't necessarily stay in that coverage, you know, especially if you got motion.

Starting point is 00:23:14 So they're trying to be smart about it. And those guys are stepping up and they're making plays. They're not giving up explosives. You got, I mean, Riley, Moss, you saw it on that first matchup. You know, Trey Tucker's fast. He's got speed. And Riley is matching him step for step on a stutter and go. It's just that's a good trait that Riley has there.

Starting point is 00:23:30 He plays big. And, you know, it's just they're playing with a lot of cops. They got guys in PJ Locke, Brandon Jones over the top. We'll see if Brandon Jones. Jones plays this week. He missed last week with an abdomen injury. He was limited all week. He was limited here on Wednesday's practice. So that's something we're going to be monitoring here for sure. But that's secondary, they're playing really good football right now. And a lot of it's created by what the pass rush and the front seven's been able to do. Well, I'll tell you, they're playing at a higher level than I thought. You know, and I'm talking about the whole team, right? I'm sitting in third place right now in the AOC West at 6 and 5,

Starting point is 00:24:00 and again, they're showing really, really good signs. I got to give Sean Payton and company a lot of credit for what they've been able to do. But of course, Cody, we've got to get into Keys to Victory. What is it going to take for the Broncos to get a dub? What is it going to take for the Raiders to get a dub? Snap this sixth game, losing streak. We've got to do that. We'll do that next.

Starting point is 00:24:16 This show is sponsored by BetterHelp. And look, therapy is a great tool to access different resources to figure out. to figure out what's going on. Because in this thing called life, folks, it doesn't come with a playbook. It doesn't come with the manual. Sometimes things happen. Life throws us different curveballs. And it's sometimes we don't know how to respond.

Starting point is 00:24:32 That's a normal thing here in life. And therapy is a great way to kind of bridge the gap and get to know yourself a little bit more. That's where better help comes in handy. And this month, it's all about gratitude. And along with the person I just shout out, obviously, ourselves. We don't think or give ourselves enough credit. And we carry on different tasks.

Starting point is 00:24:48 We carry different weights on our shoulders. Well, now it's time to take that. weight off of your shoulders and therapy is a great way to be able to do that. So make sure you take time to give yourself gratitude here and I've used better help therapy in the past. And I liked it because it was convenient for me to sign up. I got matched with a licensed therapist within minutes of filling out of form. And if I didn't vibe with my therapist, I could switch therapist at any time for no additional charge. So if you're thinking of starting therapy, give better help a try. It's entirely online. It's designed to be convenient, flexible and best of all,

Starting point is 00:25:16 suited to your schedule to meet you exactly where you're at. So if you're thinking about therapy, highly recommend BetterHelp. Just felt a brief questionnaire to get matched with a licensed therapist and you can switch therapists any time for no additional charge. Let the gratitude flow with BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com Locked on today to get 10% off your first month. That's BetterHelp, H-E-L-P dot com slash locked on. Today's crossover Thursday keys to victories brought to you by friends over there at Price Picks download the app and use code Lockdown. F-L to win $50 instantly when you play $5. Speaking of keys to victory, Hugh, let's break down this matchup into what is it that these teams have to do, right? We always get into the cliches like, okay, you got to run the ball effectively.

Starting point is 00:25:59 You got to have a better turn off differential. We could talk about the what, but let's talk about the house here. For the Las Vegas Raiders at 2&A, they're still finding ways to compete, even though the things aren't going their way in the end result. You know, you mentioned injuries play a factor into it. For a Raiders team and for a Broncos team, anytime these AFC West teams match up. I even think it's a great example. Look at the AFC North. the Baltimore Ravens earlier this year.

Starting point is 00:26:21 They lost to the one and six Cleveland Browns. Records don't matter. You threw that out there earlier. For the Las Vegas Raiders to come out with a victory on Sunday and catch the Broncos as they're trying to get back into the postseason with a quarterback they believe is the guy. What is it and how can the Raiders win this game? Well, first, I'm going to start with the defense because the defense was supposed to be the the ones that did the heavy lifting when the season started. And for one reason or the other, a lot of it has to do with injuries. The defense just hasn't been there.

Starting point is 00:26:48 but I do think that they need to create a couple turnovers. They just have not created very many turnovers this season. Their turnover differentials like negative 15. I mean, it's just about the worst in the league. It's not very good. So they've got to find a way to get their hands on the ball, maybe give their offense a short

Starting point is 00:27:04 field and really set them up, you know, for success and have an opportunity to be successful, which means that they're going to have to get pressure on the quarterback. So you're going to need to see Max Crosby, be the boogeman, as you mentioned in reference before, he's been that guy. He's got to be that guy, right? And then there's got to other help from guys like Tyree Wilson, John Jenkins, Adam Butler, those guys along the defensive

Starting point is 00:27:24 line. They're going to have to get all kind of help there. Again, we'll see who's going to be out there for the secondary. But, you know, when you don't have all your guys in the secondary, all your top guys, your starters, that means that the defensive line has even more strain on them, right? They've got to go in there and really make things a little bit easier, get to the quarterback a little bit quicker, make them get that ball out of their hands and cause a mistake to be made, similar to what the Raiders did against Denver in week five when Minchu made a mistake. Patrick Sutan made him pay for it. Somebody's got to make Bo Nix pay for a mistake.

Starting point is 00:27:57 If he creates a mistake or, you know, there's a mistake force, they've got to be able to capitalize that on and take advantage of it. So, I mean, the first and foremost, I just think that the defense is going to have to find a way to give their offense some short fields, create a couple turnovers, get some pressure on the quarterback. They've got to wreak havoc. And I think that you said it best, Max Crosby has to be the boogeman. And on the flip side of things, Cody,

Starting point is 00:28:20 Gardner Minshu just can't turn the ball over. Gardner Minshu has turned the ball over quite a bit, right? And there's a lot of Raider fans that are questioning why he's still the starting quarterback. Why didn't they go to Desmond Ritter, who he's nothing to write home about either? I mean, he was on the Cardinals practice squad when the Raiders got him. Aiden O'Connell's on IR. So not a lot of options, man. There's not a lot of flavors at the ice cream shop, right?

Starting point is 00:28:40 I mean, it's basically vanilla or chocolate or other, right? And so it's not a whole plethora of different flavors to choose from. Menchew's got to take care of the ball. He really does. Brock Bowers is obviously the best playmaker for the Raiders. You got to get him involved early and keep him involved like they were last week when he had 13 catches. Scott Turner is the new OC. He's their interim OC.

Starting point is 00:29:01 He's got familiarity and the offense looked a lot better against Miami, but they weren't able to capitalize in the red zone. So if they get down to the red zone, don't throw pick six, right? You need to get into the end zone score touchdowns, but you have to capitalize when you're in the red zone as well. So I think it really has come down to ball security. The Raiders defense has to take away the ball and the Raiders' offense has to secure the ball and make sure they hold on to it. I think those are going to be probably the two biggest things

Starting point is 00:29:26 that the Raiders have to do to give themselves a chance to win this game on Sunday. When you're looking at the Broncos, though, what do they have to do or continue to do what they've been doing to get the victories that they've been stacking up? Yeah, you know, I always believe this cue. In the world of football, when you play an opponent once and, you know, you find a way to win,

Starting point is 00:29:44 or however it may be, I always feel like regardless, it's hard to beat that same team twice, right? You can't, you know, you can do some of the same things that you had success with, but what is it that you're going to change? Because the Raiders, at least defensively, when they're going against the Broncos offense, they may say like, all right, hey, the first time we played these guys, this didn't work out well, here's what we could have done better. Here's going to be our game plan, our emphasis here.

Starting point is 00:30:05 And you always try to ask yourself, hey, if we play these guys again, what would we do differently? Well, I think in that situation, we'll start with the Broncos defense against that Raiders' offense in Gardner Minshu. And really, I remember that first drive that ended up Brock Bowers having a big time touchdown catch and run against PJ Locke. I remember there was a third of nine play where Gardner Minshu, he used his legs to pick up a first down, right? You extend drives, you sustain it. And you mentioned it too with, you know, the new offense approach that had there were Scott Turner. The Broncos didn't go against Scott Turner in that first game. So it's like, how are they going to game plan from, okay, hey, here's what we had success with in that

Starting point is 00:30:40 week five matchup. But here's what they're doing now. Here's the different wrinkles that they're adding into the mix here. That I think is going to be a little challenge. I'm excited to see how that's going to kind of play out here. I think one of the bigger keys is getting off the field on third down. Denver, I mean, granted, it was against Kansas City. Kansas City is the best third down offense in all of football. And Denver, I mean, they did a really good job on a handful of plays, but then it's just like, hey, third and 13, Mahomes, picks it up. He does that against everybody. So you have to have better third down numbers. The Broncos did that this past week against the Atlanta foul because I believe held them to four of 13 in that game,

Starting point is 00:31:13 Kirk Cousins and that high-powered offense has the capability of scoring. But now it's like, all right, hey, limit the explosives here from Brock Bowers. Look, if Amir Abdullah is going to start a running back, the emphasis first is going to be, hey, come out and stop the run, right? Because the run game opens things up in the passing game for any offense that you have there. So the emphasis is going to be, hey, come out and stop the run. It doesn't matter if it's Amir-Matt, Alexander Madison, if these guys somehow find a way to be healthy or if it's Amir Abdula,

Starting point is 00:31:36 you've got to find a way to stop the run first. and then find yourself in manageable second down situations, manageable, third in mediums, third in longs, and then you can trust your technique and you kind of pin your ears back a little bit. I think that's going to be a big key here for the Broncos defense, those third down numbers specifically. Nick Bonillo has been on a tear from the sack production there, and can you get a sack here this week and extend that and close the gap there on Trey Hendrickton who has 11 and a half in the league right now. That's going to be a key to watch. I would say another thing here, if we're going to shift gears here to the offensive side,

Starting point is 00:32:07 especially for Bo Nix and the Broncos offense. Certainly the Raiders defense, they're watching what they're doing. The passing game for Bow and the offense in Denver has certainly evolved a little bit. You got Cortland Sutton now is the primary guy. I think he really started to get going in that Raiders game specifically with a couple of big catches. But then it's like, all right, now you got Devon Bailey. Josh Reynolds could return into the lineup. They're using Marvin Mims in an entirely different role than they had early on in the season.

Starting point is 00:32:31 I mean, he's getting some reps at receiver, but he's lining up in the backfield as a running back. He's a motion guy. And so they're using him as a little bit of a weaponized feature. And then you get rookie Troy Franklin, who's also making plays as well. But then in the run game, the Denver hasn't had Q. They haven't had a consistent 100-yard. They haven't had a 100-yard rusher from one specific player. They've amassed over 100 yards of rushing production spread out between guys like

Starting point is 00:32:54 Bo Nix, Giovante Williams, Jolil McLaughlin. And even rookie Audric Estimay is now getting a little bit more involved. We asked Sean Payton this week about the running back rotation because there really is no clear one at this point. Right. And he says, that's the $6 million question. He says, this is hard for us to figure out. So they are going to use Javante. They are going to use Jalil, who's a change of pace speedback. And then they're starting to sprinkle a little bit more odric estimate,

Starting point is 00:33:15 who's a big body bulky guy. He reminds me of Doug Martin a little bit here, Q. He's big. He's got huge biceps. Yeah. He's almost as tall as me. He might even be an inch shorter than me at this point. But man, he's hard to bring down there.

Starting point is 00:33:28 So they're really going to try to get the run game going. Because that's something they really couldn't do against the Raiders in that first matchup. It was, hey, we've got to pass and convert some drives here on third down through the air. You know, the run game is the Raiders, like, hey, we want you to throw the football. We're going to play zone coverage, keep everything in front, rally and tackle. But we want you to throw the football. Now it's about balance.

Starting point is 00:33:47 That's where the Broncos are really trying to find it. And I feel like that's going to be a major emphasis for them this weekend against the Raiders. You have to get the run game going to a point where, hey, it's keeping you on the field a little bit longer. And finding a way to wear down Max Crosby, like keep Max Crosby on the field for quite some time. look, he's going to play with a high motor, but keep him on the field, especially if your offense can find a way to end with points and score in the red zone, which they've done a really good job at doing. That right there, I think, can be a difference maker for them.

Starting point is 00:34:14 I think that's if the Broncos is going to find a way to win on the road and snap that losing streak against the Raiders. They haven't won on the road against the Raiders since they were in Oakland. So it's been a while. It's been a minute. That could change this week, but I know the Broncos, they're not overlooking the Raiders. This could be a trap game on paper, and I know the players are wanting to avoid that, but Denver has to achieve those things if they're going to win here on Sunday.

Starting point is 00:34:35 Well, I'll tell you what, man. The Raiders have struggled to stop the run consistently this year. So, I mean, if the Broncos are going to lean on the run game and try to be balanced, that's a good recipe. And, you know, you mentioned getting off the field on third down. And that's such a huge key for the Raiders as well. Last week against Miami, man, they never forced a punt. Not one punt.

Starting point is 00:34:53 Right, exactly. Miami was 8 for 12 on third down and two for two on fourth down. Never one time did they punt the ball. So that tells you right there. one of my big hangups. Like, wait, you've got to find a way to get off the field. Even on third and 20, they had like a holding penalty or third and nine. Then they had a legal contact penalty.

Starting point is 00:35:10 You know, even when they did stop them, they didn't because of a penalty. So they've got to find a way to do that. That's going to be a huge key, obviously, for both teams, getting off the field on third down. And the Raiders haven't ran the ball very well at all this season. They had one game where they went to 152 yards. That was week four against Cleveland. And that was really a couple of their running backs really got, or their wide receivers, I should say got loose in the running game, not really they're running back.

Starting point is 00:35:35 So that's been a big bugaboo for Antonio Pierce and the Raiders. They just haven't had a consistent run game. So the run game is going to be important on both sides of the ball for both teams and getting off the field on third down is clearly going to be very important for both teams as well. Now, we appreciate everyone in Broncos Country, Raiders Nation, for tuning into today's crossover episode. I've seen it well because I upload on YouTube. A lot of Raiders fans not happy about the AFC squad shows.

Starting point is 00:35:58 And trust me, Q would be on there. Q is the busiest man in the industry. We would love to have Q on there to be able to talk and represent the Raiders. But, you know, we're going to open it up as even the offseason goes on. There's going to be a lot there. But as always, thank you so much for tuning in, whether you listen to Lockdown Broncos or Lockdown Raiders for your first listen every single day. We appreciate you so much here on the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day.

Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - Denver Broncos, Bo Nix Must Keep Striking vs. Las Vegas Raiders

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.