Sep 14, 2007, 18:03 GMT
- One quarterback will be making his regular-season debut in an Oakland Raiders uniform this Sunday, but it won't be JaMarcus Russell.
Daunte Culpepper is expected to be under center when the Raiders visit the Denver Broncos in a Week 2 showdown between bitter AFC West rivals from Invesco Field at Mile High.
Culpepper will be making his first regular-season start since Week 4 of the 2006 campaign, when the three-time Pro Bowl selection was still a member of the Miami Dolphins. His ill-fated one-year tenure in Miami ended with a release by the Dolphins in mid-July, but Culpepper was quickly brought in by Oakland to compete with Josh McCown for the starting quarterback job.
Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin gave McCown the nod for the season opener, but the journeyman signal-caller suffered a cracked right index finger and a lower leg injury in last week's 36-21 home loss to the Detroit Lions and is unlikely to suit up on Sunday.
While Culpepper's long-awaited impending return to action was certainly newsworthy, the story took a back seat in Raiders camp this week. That's because Oakland finally managed to come to contract terms with Russell, the No. 1 overall pick in last April's draft, on Tuesday. The former LSU star, whose imposing size, arm strength and athletic skills have drawn constant comparisons to Culpepper, agreed to a six-year deal that will guarantee him at least $29 million.
With the Raiders being granted a two-week roster exemption by the league, it's doubtful that Russell will be activated for Sunday's tilt, however.
Unlike Oakland, the Broncos already have their franchise quarterback on the field and winning games. Jay Cutler did his best John Elway impression in Denver's Week 1 battle at Buffalo, as the second-year standout engineered an impressive late drive culminating in Jason Elam's 42-yard last-second field goal which lifted the Broncos to a thrilling 15-14 victory.
Cutler finished with a career-best 304 yards on 23-of-39 passing and one touchdown to rally Denver from an eight-point deficit late in the third quarter.
The Broncos outgained Buffalo by a whopping 470-184 advantage in total yards for the game, with one-time Bills running back Travis Henry amassing 139 rushing yards on 23 carries in his Denver debut.
Oakland comes into Sunday's contest carrying a 10-game losing streak dating back to last season. The Raiders have dropped 11 in a row on the road, with the club's last away win coming at Washington on November 20, 2005.
SERIES HISTORY
The Raiders lead the all-time series with Denver, which dates back to 1960, by a 53-38-2 count. However, Denver is 19-5 against Oakland since the 1995 season, including a sweep of the home-and-home series in 2006. The Broncos scored a 13-3 home victory in Week 6 and a 17-13 victory by the Bay in Week 10. The Raiders are 1-7 against Denver since 2002, and their only win in the series over that stretch came in the form of a 25-24 shocker in Denver in 2004.
In addition to the regular season series, the teams have split a pair of postseason matchups, with Denver winning the 1977 AFC Championship, 20-17, and the then-Los Angeles Raiders prevailing in a 1993 AFC First-Round Playoff, 42-24.
Denver head coach Mike Shanahan is 19-5 against the team he coached in 1988 and part of the 1989 season before being fired. Kiffin will be meeting both Shanahan and the Broncos for the first time as a head coach.
WHEN THE RAIDERS HAVE THE BALL
An Oakland offense that ranked at the bottom of the league in just about every major category last season showed noticeable improvement in its first game under first-year head coach Kiffin, a former offensive coordinator for college powerhouse Southern California. The Raiders compiled 375 total yards and 24 first downs, albeit against a suspect Detroit defense, and did most of their damage through the air. It remains to be seen whether Culpepper, who supposedly doesn't have McCown's grasp of Kiffin's offense and hasn't played a meaningful game in nearly a year, can have the same kind of success on Sunday.
The Raiders didn't seem to miss offseason defection Randy Moss at wide receiver last week, as the underrated Ronald Curry torched the Lions secondary for 133 yards and two touchdowns on 10 catches. Running back LaMont Jordan was also an integral part of the passing game, as he recorded career-highs of nine receptions and 89 yards while adding 70 more yards on the ground. Jordan will get the bulk of the rushing duties again on Sunday while Dominic Rhodes continues to serve a four-game suspension.
Look for Jordan's carries to increase this week when he faces a Denver defense that was smothering against the pass but just so-so against the run in Week 1. A re-tooled front seven containing five new starters allowed Buffalo rookie Marshawn Lynch to scamper for 90 yards on just 19 carries, including a 23-yard scoring burst in the third quarter. D.J. Williams did have a strong showing in his first game at middle linebacker, as the former strongside starter racked up nine tackles and a sack.
Culpepper will be tested by a Bronco secondary featuring the league's best cornerback in Champ Bailey (5 tackles in Week 1) and a two-time Pro Bowl honoree on the other side in Dre' Bly, who had four stops and two passes defensed against Buffalo. The Bills mustered a paltry 72 passing yards against Denver and didn't have a completion of more than 19 yards. The Broncos only managed two sacks last Sunday, but that number could increase with an expected increased role for veteran end Simeon Rice, who signed late in preseason, and the fact Denver will be facing an Oakland front wall that surrendered an NFL- worst 72 sacks in 2006.
WHEN THE BRONCOS HAVE THE BALL
Denver displayed excellent balance on offense but needs to do a better job in seizing its scoring opportunities. The Broncos had eight drives in Buffalo territory last week but scored on only four of those possessions, with the lone touchdown coming on a five-yard strike from Cutler to emerging wideout Brandon Marshall, who finished with 52 yards on five catches. No. 1 wide receiver Javon Walker led Denver with nine receptions and 119 yards, while veteran slotman Brandon Stokley added 65 yards on three grabs in the win.
Henry excelled running behind a proficient offensive line and the Broncos' well-executed zone-block scheme last Sunday, as the offseason signee averaged six yards per carry and ripped off a number of long runs. It appears as if the 28-year-old will carry a heavy workload this year. Backup Mike Bell, who rushed for 677 yards as a rookie last season, didn't get a single attempt this past week.
Defense was thought to be Oakland's clear strength this season, but the unit was far from impressive when it went up against Detroit's wide-open attack in Week 1. The Raiders yielded 284 passing yards to the Lions, almost double the team's league-leading total in that category a year ago. Oakland failed to generate a consistent pass rush against Detroit, as both Pro Bowl end Derrick Burgess (11 sacks in '06) and star defensive tackle Warren Sapp (10 sacks in '06) were held in check. Middle linebacker Kirk Morrison had a very good game, however, as he intercepted a Jon Kitna pass and knocked away two others in addition to registering a team-high nine tackles.
Detroit's aerial success helped open up lanes for ex-Bronco Tatum Bell, who gained 87 yards on just 15 attempts against the Raiders and sealed the win with a 14-yard touchdown run in the final minutes. Oakland ranked just 25th in the league in rushing yards allowed in 2006 (134.0 ypg) and surrendered 144 on the ground to the Broncos in last year's meeting in Denver.
FANTASY FOCUS
Henry owners have to be pleased that he wasn't splitting carries in the opener, and those good feelings should continue with a favorable matchup for the powerful back this weekend. Cutler's 304-yard performance last week is very encouraging as well, but don't anticipate a repeat against a tough Raiders pass defense. Look for Walker's numbers to also take a dip this week, although the standout receiver's red-zone prowess still makes him a usable option. The best fantasy play regarding the Broncos may be the defense, which should have no trouble forcing mistakes out of a rusty Culpepper.
Curry can't be expected to duplicate his awesome Week 1 outing against the likes of Bailey and Bly, although he's clearly Oakland's go-to receiver right now. Jordan, however, should be a decent start as a No. 2 running back or flex player. Avoid using Culpepper at all costs this week.
OVERALL ANALYSIS
This game will be an excellent indicator of whether Oakland has really made any progress on offense, as the Broncos will provide a far sterner challenge than Detroit's lackluster group did a week ago. Don't look for the Raiders, especially with the hit-or-miss Culpepper under center, to pass the test. Denver was far more impressive than its one-point victory over the Bills indicates, and the ultra-reliable Elam won't miss two field goals like he did in the opener. Although the Broncos may not be able to work out their red-zone troubles just yet, there's little reason to believe Shanahan's troops won't be able to easily handle an Oakland team that hasn't won on the road in almost two years.
Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Broncos 23, Raiders 10
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