Watch NFL Kansas City Chiefs vs Oakland Raiders NFL Sunday Night Week 02 Football Free Online Live Streaming ,September 15, 2019.

Watch NFL Sunday Night Football Kansas City Chiefs vs Oakland Raiders 2019 NFL Week 02 online free live streaming high quality(HD) broadcast on Sunday,September 15 ,2019 at 4:05 p.m. ET. Watch NFL Kansas City Chiefs vs Oakland Raiders free live stream online match on any device .You can follow to Watch Kansas City Chiefs vs Oakland Raiders free live streaming from here details below.

Amidst controversy, the Oakland Raiders were able to show maturity and poise as they picked up a 24-16 win over the Denver Broncos on "Monday Night Football." Now how will they do when they go up against the defending AFC West champion Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday?



Oakland was counting on Antonio Brown to be a dynamic weapon in their offense, but after voiding his guaranteed money following a heated argument with general manager Mike Mayock and several other missteps, the team decided to release him. It's just one game, but the Raiders did just fine without him on Monday night.



Meanwhile, the Chiefs looked to be in midseason form in their 40-26 victory at Jacksonville. Kansas City lost wide receiver Tyreek Hill to what turned out to be a sternoclavicular joint injury but still managed to gash the Jaguars defense repeatedly. HIll will be out of action for several weeks and reigning NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes also came out of the game with a slight ankle injury but he should be ready to go on Sunday.



Kansas City won both games against Oakland a season ago. Overall, the Chiefs lead the all-time series with the Raiders 65-53-2, including playoffs.



Kansas City at Oakland


Kickoff: Sunday, Sept. 15 at 4:05 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Spread: Kansas City -7



Three Things to Watch


1. How will the Chiefs offense fare without Tyreek Hill?

Kansas City was able to get past Jacksonville without Hill, but what effect will his extended absence have? Not only will the Chiefs need more from Sammy Watkins but second-round pick Mecole Hardman also figures to see more playing time.



Watkins finished with 198 yards and three touchdowns against the Jaguars. Expect Patrick Mahomes to target Watkins against a Raiders defense that will be short-handed as safety Jonathan Abram, one of the team's three first-round picks this year, is done for the season after he suffered a shoulder injury on Monday night.



Kansas City also may depend more on their running game. In his first game with the Chiefs, LeSean McCoy rushed for 81 yards on 10 carries. Damien Williams also chipped in 26 yards on 13 carries. Both were active in the passing game as well.

2. Can Josh Jacobs have another huge game?

One of the important questions entering their game against the Broncos was how much of a load would the Raiders give to their rookie running back. If that performance was any indication, Jacobs is ready to be a featured part of the Oakland offense.




Jacobs finished with 85 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He also had a 28-yard catch for his only reception of the game. He became the first player since LaDainian Tomlinson in 2001 to record at least 100 yards from scrimmage and two rushing touchdowns in his debut.



Oakland will need a solid game from quarterback Derek Carr, but it helps that he has Jacobs to help move the chains and put some points on the scoreboard.



3. Can the Chiefs defense force turnovers?

During his time with the Raiders, Carr has thrown nine interceptions against the Chiefs, which is the most against any opponent. Kansas City's defense gave up 428 yards to a Jacksonville team that was without Nick Foles for a majority of the game as he suffered a broken collarbone on a touchdown pass.



The Chiefs cornerbacks were on their heels against the Jaguars receivers. Now, they will be against the speedy Tyrell Williams, who had six catches for 105 yards and a touchdown against the Broncos. Tight end Darren Waller also had seven catches for 70 yards so Kansas City's defensive backs will have their hands full.



Kansas City will need to find a way to get pressure on Carr and force turnovers if they're going to pick up the victory.



Final Analysis


On paper, the Chiefs are the better team, even if the Raiders have improved. But Kansas City's defense is still an issue, which might make this game closer than some expect.



But with Patrick Mahomes leading the Chiefs' high-powered attack, that should be enough to get the win. Expect LeSean McCoy and Damien Williams to be used a lot to force Oakland to commit more resources to stopping the run. That should open up opportunities for Mahomes to connect with Sammy Watkins, Travis Kelce and Mecole Hardman for big plays downfield.



Prediction: Chiefs 40, Raiders 34

Watch NFL Chicago Bears vs Denver Broncos NFL Sunday Night Week 02 Football Free Online Live Streaming ,September 15, 2019.

Watch NFL Sunday Night Football Chicago Bears vs Denver Broncos 2019 NFL Week 02 online free live streaming high quality(HD) broadcast on Sunday,September 15 ,2019 at 4:25 p.m. ET. Watch NFL Chicago Bears vs Denver Broncos free live stream online match on any device .You can follow to Watch Chicago Bears vs Denver Broncos free live streaming from here details below.

As we head into Week 2 of the 2019 NFL season, we come across a late-afternoon slate featuring two teams searching for their first win. The NFC North meets the AFC West as the Chicago Bears (0-1) travel to the Rocky Mountains to take on the Denver Broncos (0-1). One man is at the center of this matchup — Broncos head coach Vic Fangio. Fangio was the Bears defensive coordinator from 2015-18, and during his time in the Windy City, Fangio turned the Bears defense from one of the worst units into the league's best last season.



Fangio now has his first-ever head coaching job, and he's looking to turn around a Broncos team that hasn't made the postseason since winning Super Bowl 50 at the conclusion of the 2015 campaign. His team is off to a rough start; the Broncos were unable to keep up with the Oakland Raiders in a 24-16 loss under the Monday night lights in Week 1. And you have to wonder if there will be any emotional component when Fangio coaches against the team he helped build.



Chuck Pagano now holds Fangio's former job with the Bears, who came up short in this year's Thursday night opener in a 10-3 loss to the archrival Green Bay Packers. This will be the home opener for Denver, while Chicago begins a two-game road trip.



Chicago at Denver


Kickoff: Sunday, Sept. 15 at 4:25 p.m. ET

TV: FOX

Spread: Bears -2.5



Three Things to Watch


1. A tale of two quarterbacks

Denver's Joe Flacco and Chicago's Mitchell Trubisky are coming off tough losses, albeit with contrasting performances. Flacco completed 21-of-31 passes against the Raiders for 268 yards and a touchdown. But he also took three sacks and had a fumble, not to mention the fact that Oakland held the Broncos to just six points through three quarters. Plus, two of those three sacks came on crucial drives in the second half. The Raiders also limited the Broncos' top two running backs, Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman, to just 99 rushing yards combined. More points, more of a ground attack, and longer, sustained drives are the Broncos' best bet against the Bears defense.



Speaking of the Bears — their signal-caller, Mitchell Trubisky, had a much tougher time against Green Bay. He completed just 26-of-45 throws for 228 yards, no touchdowns, and an interception; he averaged just five yards per completion, took five sacks, and finished with a passer rating of 62.1. There's plenty of speculation as to whether or not the lack of playing time in the preseason caused the Bears to look rusty on opening night (not having tight end Trey Burton in the lineup due to a groin injury only complicated matters).



Regardless of what the cause was, the end result was Trubisky making poor decisions. His cage was rattled, and he didn't look anything like the player we saw thrive in this same offense last season. Head coach Matt Nagy didn't call for many running plays either, as the Bears posted just 46 yards on 15 carries, with Mike Davis and David Montgomery taking 11 of those runs for a combined 37 yards. The Broncos allowed Josh Jacobs to run for 85 yards and two touchdowns last Monday night. If the Bears can dial up more carries for their backfield trio of Davis, Montgomery and Tarik Cohen (no carries against Green Bay), they can try to wear down the Broncos and take a great deal of pressure off of Trubisky.

2. A tale of two defenses

Both defenses have an immense amount of talent, but they also had mixed results in their respective openers. Despite being on the losing end, the Bears defense yielded only one touchdown to the Packers. They sacked Aaron Rodgers five times, collected nine tackles for a loss, held Green Bay to just 47 rushing yards and kept the Packers scoreless during the first and third quarters. The Bears gave Green Bay all that it could handle on opening night. They also proved that they are still a formidable unit (although nose tackle Eddie Goldman is questionable with an oblique injury). The offense just needs to improve for the Bears to be a complete team.




Denver's defense didn't quite look like a Vic Fangio product against the Raiders. Aside from the 24 points they surrendered in Oakland, they allowed the Raiders to accumulate 357 total yards, gave up 10 plays that went for double-digit yardage, didn't force a turnover, and more importantly, didn't sack Derek Carr once (nor did they hit him). Outside linebacker Von Miller (who occasionally draws comparisons to the Bears' Khalil Mack) registered only five tackles, while defensive lineman Bradley Chubb (last year's first-round draft pick) posted just three tackles. The Broncos also managed only two tackles for a loss, and linebacker Josey Jewell was the only Bronco to put up double-digit tackles (14).



I'm sure the Bears are watching film from that game. If the Bears can limit Miller's activity just as the Raiders did, then they'll be in good shape. Keeping Trubisky upright will be the biggest task for the Bears offensive line.



3. The altitude

Adjusting to the thin air in the high altitude of Denver can be challenging enough for visiting teams. But when you add the heat and humidity (91 degrees is forecast for Sunday), that creates double trouble for the players, and double the urgency for a team's medical and training staff. The Broncos are accustomed to these conditions, but the Bears will need to adapt if they want to have a chance at winning on Sunday.



Final Analysis


These two teams have split the last two meetings, both of which took place at Soldier Field. The Bears won in overtime 37-34 back in 2007, with Denver getting payback in '15 (17-15). This will be the first time that the Bears have gone to Denver in a regular-season game since 2003. The Bears outscored the Broncos 10-0 in the fourth quarter to come home with a 19-10 victory that year.



This game will be all about the defenses, but the Bears will do just enough on offense to leave Colorado with a close win.



Prediction: Bears 10, Broncos 7

Watch NFL New Orleans Saints vs Los Angeles Rams NFL Sunday Night Week 02 Football Free Online Live Streaming ,September 15, 2019.

Watch NFL Sunday Night Football New Orleans Saints vs Los Angeles Rams 2019 NFL Week 02 online free live streaming high quality(HD) broadcast on Sunday,September 15 ,2019 at 5:20 p.m. ET. Watch NFL New Orleans Saints vs Los Angeles Rams free live stream online match on any device .You can follow to Watch New Orleans Saints vs Los Angeles Rams free live streaming from here details below.

This is a rematch of the Rams’ controversial 26-23 victory in last year’s NFC Championship Game. Rams quarterback Jared Goff has thrown for 959 yards and eight touchdowns in three career games vs. the Saints. Meanwhile, Saints quarterback Drew Brees has thrown for 902 yards and nine touchdowns in his last three games against the Rams. Los Angeles went 7-1 at home last season with 37.1 points per game. Rams running back Todd Gurley and Saints running back Alvin Kamara are the only players with 3,000-plus scrimmage yards and 30-plus touchdowns since 2017. Last week, the Saints held AFC sacks champion J.J. Watt without a sack. On Sunday, they’ll face reigning NFL sacks champion Aaron Donald.

He's got such a high motor," Brees said. "He is full-go, all the time. He is so multiple in the things that he can do, the moves that he can give you, the inside, the outside, the rip, the jump. I don't even have names for all the moves that he can do to get to the quarterback. You cannot block him with one guy. He's just that good a player. He's such an impact player. He can change the game. I don't know if I've ever seen anybody like him.

Watch NFL Philadelphia Eagles vs Atlanta Falcons NFL Sunday Night Week 02 Football Free Online Live Streaming ,September 15, 2019.

Watch NFL Sunday Night Football Philadelphia Eagles vs Atlanta Falcons 2019 NFL Week 02 online free live streaming high quality(HD) broadcast on Sunday,September 15 ,2019 at 8:20 p.m. ET. Watch NFL Philadelphia Eagles vs Atlanta Falcons free live stream online match on any device .You can follow to Watch Philadelphia Eagles vs Atlanta Falcons free live streaming from here details below.

It’s hard to believe that the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles met in a divisional playoff game as recently as January of 2018. Since then, franchises that combined for two of the past three NFC conference titles have gone in markedly different directions.



The Eagles went through a difficult 2019 but bounced back late to make the playoffs, making the divisional round before losing as the No. 6 seed to New Orleans. They struggled early in their season opener before putting together an impressive second half to knock out the division rival Redskins 32-27.



The Falcons, meanwhile, have gone 7-10 since that playoff meeting with the Eagles and were blown out on the road against the Vikings in their season opener, falling behind 28-0 by the third quarter before losing 28-12. Their defense looked dreadful, allowing running back Dalvin Cook to rush for 111 yards and two touchdowns. Matt Ryan led an inconsistent offense that didn’t kick into gear until the game was well out of hand.



That makes this weekend’s game already a must-win for Atlanta. An 0-2 start could be disastrous in a conference packed with quality teams; the Falcons could also conceivably fall two games behind the Saints, making them an underdog in the division race. Homefield advantage certainly helps, but this former Super Bowl contender has its work cut out for it to turn things around.



Philadelphia at Atlanta


Kickoff: Sunday, Sept. 15 at 8:20 p.m. ET

TV: NBC

Spread: Eagles -2



Three Things To Watch


1. Can the Falcons figure out how to score in the red zone?

An ESPN.com article this week paid special attention to how the Falcons have struggled in the Red Zone in their last three games against the Eagles. They were 2-for-9 in their three losses, with Ryan going 4-for-17 for 19 yards, a TD, an INT, and two sacks. Clearly, those aren’t the stats a Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback should be putting up in scoring territory.



But those lousy numbers go far beyond the Eagles. The last time the Falcons converted all their Red Zone opportunities in a game was a woeful 1-for-1 effort in a Dec. 2 loss to the Ravens last year. They’re 10-for-17 in their last five games, a 58.8% average that’s below expectations for what used to be one of the league’s most explosive offenses.



Some of the blame has to be placed at Ryan’s feet, although a makeshift offensive line hasn’t helped (rookie guard Chris Lindstrom was placed on IR this week with a broken foot.) Ryan had a costly interception in the first quarter that led to a touchdown last week and wound up getting sacked four times.



Now, the Eagles defense could provide Ryan an opening to get his feet back on the ground. They allowed 380 yards to Case Keenum last week in a home game and sacked him just once without any picks. Can Ryan step up?

2. Which running game will get going?

Both offenses have a running back by committee system of sorts to start the 2019 season. And both systems showed flaws in the season opener. Yes, the Eagles totaled 123 yards rushing in the end with Darren Sproles, Jordan Howard and Miles Sanders the key contributors. Sproles looked great after choosing to put off retirement after two years filled with injuries.




However, Sanders showed he was no Saquon Barkley. Posting just 25 yards rushing on 11 carries (a 2.3-yard average) was a letdown after a preseason filled with a few encouraging runs. Howard was also used more sporadically than expected (six carries, 44 yards) for a guy who has limited pass-catching upside. Expect Howard to get more involved in the offense Sunday night.



The Falcons, meanwhile, had Ryan as their second-leading rusher in Week 1. Devonta Freeman totaled just 19 yards on eight carries, while Ito Smith added 31. That’s not enough to open up the offense and establish manageable 2nd and 3rd-down situations for an offense that should be racing down the field with its talented receiving 1-2 punch of Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley.



The worry for the Falcons is that their defense really struggled to stop the run last week, while the Eagles did not (limiting the Redskins to 28 yards on 13 carries; it was so bad that an inactive Adrian Peterson appears to have regained a major role for Washington’s offense for Week 2). Another bad performance for the Falcons on the ground would make it nearly impossible to pull out a victory.



3. Who will step up for the Eagles offense this week?

No question about it, DeSean Jackson saved the Eagles after they started off slow against the Redskins. His 154 yards and two touchdowns showcased a deep threat for Carson Wentz after the quarterback's two injury-prone seasons. It also reminded us to always, always trust Jackson when facing a former team; the 32-year-old appears to have found new life now that he’s back at a place where some say he always belonged.



However, Jackson’s age makes it unlikely he’ll have two great games in a row. The rest of the Eagles offense appeared sluggish, and more options need to emerge. Will Alshon Jeffery be the one to stand out in Week 2? He did have a crucial touchdown catch in the fourth quarter and totaled 49 yards receiving. Or what about Zach Ertz? He had only 54 yards, a letdown after a record-setting 2018. But as the game wore on, he appeared to adjust to the Redskins defense, and Wentz reestablished the connection these two showcased throughout 2018.



The bottom line is that the Eagles offense is filled with plenty of Pro Bowl pieces to choose from — and that’s why they’re so dangerous. Any one of them can put the Eagles over the top.



Final Analysis


The Eagles are soaring while the Falcons feel like their wings got clipped sometime last season. There’s hope for Atlanta in that the Eagles struggle to start off quickly; they’ve scored 41 points in the first quarter in their last 17 games, dead last in the NFL.



But if the Falcons defense lets them down early? This one could get ugly.



Prediction: Eagles 34, Falcons 13

Watch NFL Carolina Panthers vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL Thursday Night Week 02 Football Free Online Live Streaming ,September 12, 2019.

Watch NFL Thursday Night Football Carolina Panthers vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2019 NFL Week 02 online free live streaming high quality(HD) broadcast on Thursday,September 12 ,2019 at 8:20 p.m. ET. Watch NFL Carolina Panthers vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers free live stream online match on any device .You can follow to Watch NFL Carolina Panthers vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers free live streaming from here details below.

 


The Tampa Bay Buccaneers make a quick turnaround from their opening-week loss to San Francisco, heading out to Charlotte on Wednesday for Thursday night's matchup with the Carolina Panthers. It's both the first road game and first division game for the Buccaneers under Head Coach Bruce Arians, and it's a chance to even the season record and put Carolina in an early hole in the standings.

The Panthers are also coming off a home loss to an NFC West foe, having dropped a narrow 30-27 decision to the defending conference champion L.A. Rams on Sunday. While the Bucs and 49ers played a mostly defensive struggle, with three pick-sixes combined and neither team reaching 300 yards, the Panthers found themselves in more of a shootout. With do-everything back Christian McCaffrey accounting for 209 yards and two touchdowns, the Panthers scored late to get within three but couldn't pull off an onside kick to have one last shot. Now it's the Bucs' turn to try to slow down McCaffrey and quarterback Cam Newton. Here's what you need to know to prepare for all the action in Charlotte.

GAME AND BROADCAST DETAILS
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1) vs. Carolina Panthers (0-1)

Thursday, September 12, 8:20 p.m. ET

Bank of America Stadium (capacity: 73,778)

Charlotte, North Carolina

Television: NFL Network (local TV: WMOR)

TV Broadcast Team: Joe Buck (play-by-play), Troy Aikman (analyst), Erin Andrew and Kristina Pink (sideline)

Radio: 98Rock (WXTB, 97.9 FM), Flagship Station

Radio Broadcast Team: Gene Deckerhoff (play-by-play), Dave Moore (analyst), T.J. Rives (sideline)

ALL-TIME HEAD-TO-HEAD SERIES
Last year, the Buccaneers and Panthers did something they hadn't done in a decade: They split their head-to-head series.

In every season from 2009 through 2018, the team that won the first Tampa Bay-Carolina matchup of the season went on to finish the sweep later in the year. Because six of those nine sweeps belonged to Carolina, the Panthers have opened up a 23-14 edge in the all-time series, including a 12-7 edge in games played on the Panthers' home field. The two teams became division foes in 2002 when the NFC South was formed; prior to that, they had only met three times since Carolina joined the league as a 1995 expansion team, with the Bucs winning twice.

The Buccaneers and Panthers have played prime-time games against each other in the past, including one other Thursday night game on Oct. 24, 2013, which the Panthers won in Tampa, 31-13. The most recent prime-time game between the two teams was three years ago, when the Buccaneers went to Charlotte for a Monday Night Football matchup and came back with a 17-14 victory. The visitors were so thinned by injuries in that game that they dressed a third quarterback since all the inactive spots went to hurt players. Nevertheless, Jacquizz Rodgers shocked the Panthers with his first career 100-yard rushing game and Mike Evans scored on a 26-yard pass to tie the game in the second half.

The most recent meeting between the Bucs and Panthers also went well for Tampa Bay, as the Bucs took a 24-17 decision at home last Dec. 2. Safety Andrew Adams tied a team record with three interceptions off Cam Newton and Jameis Winston threw touchdown passes to Chris Godwin and Adam Humphries.

NOTABLE CONNECTIONS
· Panthers defensive tackle Gerald McCoy was drafted by the Buccaneers third overall in 2010 and he spent his first nine NFL seasons in Tampa. McCoy's six Pro Bowl appearances are tied for the third-most in franchise history and his 50.5 sacks as a Buccaneer rank fourth in team annals.

· Panthers CB Javien Elliott originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Buccaneers in 2016. He spent portions of the next three seasons on Tampa Bay's active roster, including all of 2017, and he appeared in 36 regular-season games with seven starts.

· Mark Carrier, Carolina's executive director of football staff, is the second-leading receiver in Buccaneers' history in terms of yardage, and he held the record for nearly two decades before it was surpassed last year by Mike Evans. Carrier was drafted by the Buccaneers in the third round in 1987 and he played the first six of his 12 NFL seasons in Tampa.

Watch NFL Houston Texans vs New Orleans Saints NFL Monday Night Week 01 Football Free Online Live Streaming ,September 09, 2019.

Watch NFL Monday Night Football Houston Texans vs New Orleans Saints 2019 NFL Week 01 online free live streaming high quality(HD) broadcast on Monday,September 09 ,2019 at 7:10 p.m. ET. Watch NFL Houston Texans vs New Orleans Saints free live stream online match on any device .You can follow to Watch NFL Houston Texans vs New Orleans Saints free live streaming from here details below.

Week 1 of the 2019 NFL season — the league's 100th campaign — concludes with a "Monday Night Football" doubleheader on ESPN.

The opening game features two teams coming off division title-winning seasons, the  Houston Texans and New Orleans Saints, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. This will be the Saints' first game since the team's season ended in a controversial NFC Championship Game loss to the Los Angeles Rams. The Texans' 2019 season ended with a wild-card playoff loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees enters the season ranked second all-time in passing touchdowns (520, to Peyton Manning's 539) — he's already the NFL's career leader in yards passing (74,437) and completions (6,586).

NFL NEWS, DELIVERED: Get exclusive NFL analysis and commentary in your inbox

Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, meanwhile,  is one of four quarterbacks with 40-plus touchdown passes in first 20 career games, joining Patrick Mahomes, Dan Marino and Kurt Warner.

Here's everything you need to know for the game:

Date: Monday, Sept. 9

Kickoff time: 7:10 p.m. ET

Channel: ESPN

Stream: WatchESPN, NFL Game Pass (out of market)

Location: Mercedes-Benz Superdome

Odds: Saints -6.5, over/under 52.0

Watch NFL Denver Broncos vs Oakland Raiders NFL Monday Night Week 01 Football Free Online Live Streaming ,September 09, 2019.

Watch NFL Monday Night Football Denver Broncos vs Oakland Raiders 2019 NFL Week 01 online free live streaming high quality(HD) broadcast on Monday,September 09 ,2019 at 10:20 p.m. ET. Watch NFL Denver Broncos vs Oakland Raiders free live stream online match on any device .You can follow to Watch NFL Denver Broncos vs Oakland Raiders free live streaming from here details below.

What a week it has been for the Oakland Raiders as they prepare to face the Denver Broncos on "Monday Night Football" to close out Week 1.



Just months after acquiring Antonio Brown from the Pittsburgh Steelers for a third- and a fifth-round pick, the Raiders released Brown on Saturday afternoon, just days before their season opener. This happened after the Raiders took away Brown's guaranteed money and fined him more than $200,000 after an altercation between him and general manager Mike Mayock.

Now Oakland will have to find a way to put the distraction behind them as they will try to pick up their first win of the new campaign.



As for the Broncos, things have been a lot quieter this summer for them as they have a new head coach in Vic Fangio. He is taking over for Vance Joesph, who was fired after Denver went 6-10 last season. The Broncos already have a game-changing defense led by seven-time Pro Bowler Von Miller. The key is can the offense improve enough to get them in contention in a difficult AFC West?



Monday night will be the Raiders' final home opener in Oakland as the team is set to move to Las Vegas in 2020. This also will be their 118th meeting all-time against Denver with the Raiders holding a 63-52-2 advantage. The teams split their two meetings last year with the home team winning each game.

Denver at Oakland


Kickoff: Monday, Sept. 9, 10:20 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Spread: Broncos -2



Three Things to Watch


1. How will Brown saga affect Raiders offense?

For months, the Raiders have been preparing to have Antonio Brown part of their offense against the Broncos. Now that the team released him days before their opener, Oakland head coach Jon Gruden and his staff will have their hands full coming up with a new gameplan to use against the Broncos. An area the Raiders could focus on is their running game.



Oakland selected Josh Jacobs in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Gruden hasn't unlashed Jacobs as of yet since he played limited snaps during the preseason, but he could be the secret weapon the Raiders have been missing. Jacobs' versatility will be a bonus to the as he can not only be productive as a runner in the backfield but as a receiver out of the backfield as well.



With pass rushers like Von Miller and Bradley Chubb lined up on the other side, expect Derek Carr to get the ball out of his hands quickly, which could mean Jacobs should see a lot of targets.



2. Joe Flacco

Since Peyton Manning retired after Denver's victory in Super Bowl 50, the Broncos have been searching for stability at the quarterback position. The team hopes they have that in Flacco, who is a former Super Bowl MVP himself.



The Baltimore Ravens shipped Flacco off to the Broncos back in March. Flacco became expendable after the Ravens benched him midway through last season as first-round pick Lamar Jackson helped lead the team to an AFC North title. Judging by his stats over the years, Flacco's numbers have never been impressive. However, Flacco has gotten the job done in the playoffs (10-5 record, 25 touchdowns, 10 interceptions).

Denver just needs Flacco to take care of the ball and help them drive down the field. The Broncos can rely on Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman on the ground, which will take pressure off of their passing game. If he can do that, maybe Flacco and the Broncos could be a surprise in the AFC.



3. Raiders defense
After the 2018 season, Oakland desperately needed to improve its defense. So the team went out and used two of their three first-round picks on that side of that ball.



At No. 4 overall, the Raiders selected Clemson defensive end Clelin Ferrell. They also drafted safety Jonathan Abram out of Mississippi State with the 27 pick (acquired in the Amari Cooper trade with Dallas). Both players should see a tremendous amount of playing time on a young Raiders defense. They also need each to come up big on Monday night.



Oakland also signed veteran Lamarcus Joyner to a four-year, $42 million deal. Joyner played last season for a Rams team that won the NFC championship and lost in the Super Bowl to the New England Patriots. Joyner will play both at safety and at a slot nickel position for the Raiders, which has become more common among NFL defenses.



Final Analysis


Both the Broncos and Raiders come into Monday night's game with a ton of questions. This game will likely come down to which team can stop the other from running the ball effectively.



Oakland was one of the worst teams in the league at stopping the run a season ago. That doesn't bode well considering the Broncos will likely feature Phillip Lindsay a lot, mixed in with a dose of Royce Freeman. However, this is a different Raiders defense that should improve in that area.



If the Raiders can get pressure on Joe Flacco, that will limit the Broncos offense and keep their defense fresh throughout the game. Oakland has had a ton of distractions during the last week, but expect Jon Gruden and Derek Carr to overcome that and win a division game in front of their home fans.



Prediction: Raiders 23, Broncos 20