Raiders at Broncos Game Notes

RB Darren McFadden has racked up 508 yards and three touchdowns on the ground in his last four games against the Broncos. Photo by Tony Gonzales.

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THIS WEEK’S NOTABLE STORYLINES:

The Raiders travel to Denver for their first AFC West road contest of the season on Sunday.
Both head coaches in Sunday’s game have previously served as defensive coordinator for their opponent. Raiders Head Coach Dennis Allen was defensive coordinator for the Broncos in 2011 and Denver’s John Fox was defensive coordinator for the Silver and Black from 1994-95.
The Raiders have won their last four contests in Denver, marking the longest streak for the Silver and Black since winning four straight from 1974-77. The current stretch includes a 23-20 victory in the 2011 season opener and a record-breaking 59-14 win over the Broncos on Oct. 24, 2010.
RB Darren McFadden has totaled 508 yards on 70 carries with three touchdowns in his past four games against the Broncos, all Raider victories.
QB Carson Palmer enters Week 4 among the NFL’s passing leaders, ranking second in attempts (128), third in completions (80) and seventh in passing yards (879).
Sunday’s game will feature quarterbacks Carson Palmer and Peyton Manning, two No. 1 overall draft picks playing for their second teams. Palmer was drafted No. 1 overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2003 and Manning was selected first by the Indianapolis Colts in 1998.
Oakland and Denver enter Sunday’s game with identical 1-2 records, with each team having defeated Pittsburgh at home so far this season.

RAIDERS TRAVEL TO DENVER: The Raiders travel to take on AFC West division rival Denver at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on Sunday. The Broncos enter the Week 4 contest with a 1-2 record, while the Raiders will be looking for their second straight win after defeating Pittsburgh last week, 34-31. Both the Raiders and Broncos have defeated the Steelers at home this season. The Raiders have won their last four meetings with the Broncos in Denver, including last year’s 23-20 victory in the 2011 season opener.

THE SERIES: The Raiders and Broncos own a rivalry that dates back to the formation of the American Football League (AFL) in 1960. The Raiders lead the all-time regular-season series, 59-42-2, and the two teams have met twice in the playoffs, with each team winning once. The series has been evenly matched as of late, with the Raiders posting a 6-4 record over their last 10 games against Denver.

MILE-HIGH SUCCESS: The Raiders have won their last four meetings with the Broncos in Denver, including a record-setting 59-14 victory on Oct. 24, 2010. The four straight victories in the Mile High City are the most in the series for the Silver and Black since Oakland went undefeated in Denver from 1963-77.

McFADDEN RUNS WILD: RB Darren McFadden has had great success against Denver recently, racking up 508 yards and three touchdowns on the ground in his last four games against the Broncos, all Raider victories. McFadden has averaged 7.26 yards per carry during that stretch and has added seven receptions for 76 yards with one touchdown. He did not play against the Broncos on Nov. 6, 2011, due to a foot injury.

FAMILIAR PLACES: Head Coach Dennis Allen and Broncos head coach John Fox have each spent time with their respective AFC West rivals as defensive coordinators. Allen served as defensive coordinator on Fox’s staff with the Broncos last season, guiding a highly-regarded defensive unit that improved 12 spots over 2010 in overall defensive ranking (32nd to 20th). Fox was the Raiders’ defensive coordinator for two seasons from 1994-95, leading an overall defense that ranked 10th in the NFL in 1994 (308.9 ypg) and 11th in 1995 (319.0 ypg).

PALMER AMONG THE LEADERS: Through three regular-season contests, QB Carson Palmer is among the NFL’s leaders in several passing categories. Palmer ranks second in the league in attempts (128), third in completions (80), seventh in passing yards (879) and tied for seventh with five touchdown passes.

SUPER BOWL XLIV REUNION: Sunday’s game will feature some key figures from the New Orleans Saints’ victory over the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV. Raiders Head Coach Dennis Allen served as secondary coach for the Saints and helped prepare for current Broncos QB Peyton Manning, who piloted the Colts’ offense. In addition, Raiders LB Philip Wheeler started Super Bowl XLIV as a member of the Colts’ defense.

RAIDERS vs. PEYTON MANNING: Denver Broncos QB Peyton Manning is in his first season in the AFC West, but faced the Raiders five times during his 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. The Silver and Black has gone 2-3 against teams quarterbacked by Manning, including a 2-1 record on the road.

INDIVIDUAL HIGHLIGHTS vs. DENVER: T Joe Barksdale made his NFL debut at Denver on Sept. 12, 2011...T Khalif Barnes made his NFL debut against Denver as a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars on Oct. 2, 2005...S Tyvon Branch made his NFL debut against Denver on Sept. 8, 2008...Branch has two career fumble recoveries against Denver, both coming in Raider wins...S Matt Giordano recorded an interception at Denver on Sept. 12, 2011...TE Richard Gordon made his NFL debut at Denver on Sept. 12, 2011...DE Lamarr Houston recovered a fourth-quarter fumble by QB Kyle Orton to set up a touchdown at Denver on Sept. 12, 2011...S Michael Huff recorded his first career sack at Denver on Sept. 16, 2007...K Sebastian Janikowski tied the NFL record with a 63-yard field goal at Denver on Sept. 12, 2011...Janikowski tied NFL records with eight PATs and eight touchbacks on kickoffs at Denver at Oct. 24, 2010...RB Taiwan Jones made his NFL debut at Denver on Sept. 12, 2011...DT Tommy Kelly recorded sacks against Denver on Oct. 24, 2010, Dec. 19, 2010 and Sept. 12, 2011...P Shane Lechler tied the Raiders’ franchise record (later broken) with a 77- yard punt at Denver on Sept. 12, 2011...LB Rolando McClain got his first career sack at Denver on Oct. 24, 2010...RB Darren McFadden made his NFL debut against Denver on Sept. 8, 2008...McFadden rushed for a career-high 165 yards and tied a franchise record with four total touchdowns on Oct. 24, 2010...WR Denarius Moore made his NFL debut at Denver on Sept. 12, 2011...QB Carson Palmer posted his first 300-yard passing game (332) as a Raider against Denver on Nov. 6, 2011...FB Marcel Reece rushed a career-high seven times and scored his first career rushing touchdown at Denver on Oct. 24, 2010...Reece had a career-long 73-yard touchdown reception against Denver on Dec. 29, 2010...DT Richard Seymour tied a career high with two sacks at Denver on Sept. 12, 2011...DE Matt Shaughnessy had 1.5 sacks against Denver on Dec. 19, 2010...In five career games against the Broncos, Shaughnessy has totaled 3.5 sacks...C/G Stefen Wisniewski made his NFL debut at Denver on Sept. 12, 2011.

Notable connections: Raiders Head Coach Dennis Allen served as defense coordinator for the Broncos in 2011...Broncos head coach John Fox served as defensive coordinator for the Silver and Black from 1994-95...G Cooper Carlisle was a Broncos fourth-round draft pick in 2000 and played for the Broncos from 2000-06...QB Carson Palmer lived in Colorado Springs, Colo., during junior high school...G Mike Brisiel attended Colorado State...DE Lamarr Houston is from Colorado Springs, Colo. ...Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio is from Hayward and attended Hayward High School... Broncos tight ends coach Clancy Barrone is from Red Bluff and served as an assistant at American River Junior College and Sacramento State...DT Richard Seymour played with Broncos CB Champ Bailey at the University of Georgia...LB Miles Burris played with Broncos LS Aaron Brewer and RB Ronnie Hillman at San Diego State...TE Richard Gordon played at Miami with Broncos T Orlando Franklin...WR Juron Criner played with Broncos RB Chris Gronkowski at Arizona...Defensive line coach Terrell Williams coached at Texas A&M while Broncos LB Von Miller played there...Broncos TE Julius Thomas is from Stockton and attended Tokay High School in Lodi...Raiders defensive assistant Travis Smith was an offensive technical intern at Colorado last year...Smith’s father, Richard, is the Broncos’ linebackers coach.

Last meeting at Denver - Oak. 23, at Den. 20 (Sept. 11, 2011): The Raiders traveled to Denver for their regular-season opener on ESPN’s Monday Night Football and fought for a 23-20 win. RB Darren McFadden rushed 22 times for 150 yards and FB Marcel Reece added three receptions for 23 yards and a TD. K Sebastian Janikowski kicked a 63-yard field goal, tying the record for longest field goal in NFL history. DT Richard Seymour recorded two sacks and S Matt Giordano forced a fumble and intercepted a pass.

IRON MEN: Several Raiders look to extend personal games played/games started streaks this week. DT Tommy Kelly has the longest streak on the offense or defense, having played in 67 straight games with 67 straight starts for the Silver and Black. On special teams, P Shane Lechler has played in 145 straight contests and Jon Condo has played in 83 consecutive games since joining the team in 2007.