Mixing up the Raiders receivers

Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly said "it's got to be multiple guys" to replace Jakobi Meyers' production following his trade to Jacksonville.

While Tre Tucker leads the team in receiving yards (427) and receiving touchdowns (four), there will be a trio of other receivers expected to see more targets.

Tyler Lockett, who has a career 8,664 receiving yards and 61 touchdown grabs, and rookies Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr. will have more opportunities to prove themselves after seeing inconsistent playing time throughout the first eight games of the season.

"I don't look at WR1s or WR2s or WR3s," Kelly said. "We're trying to figure out whoever catches the ball and runs really fast with it in the direction of the end zone is really good for us. So, wide receiver one and all that other stuff, I don't think we've ever looked at it like that as a staff."

While Bech and Thornton have combined for only 12 catches for 167 yards, they're both averaging over 10 yards a reception.

"I want him to just play football. Just keep growing," Pete Carroll said about Thornton. "He's growing every day we're together. He gains more experience and more confidence to do things exactly the way we want him to. He always has played hard, and we're just counting on him to just keep going. This is a great chance for him to answer. It's a great chance for Lock [Tyler Lockett] to go ahead and answer too and help us out."

"Jack's going to get more turns, and Jack's been working really hard to get it done," Carroll added. "His role is becoming clear. And so, you'll see that as we get moving forward.

Two No. 1 tight ends

All signs point to Brock Bowers continuing to be a prominent piece within the passing attack after recording 127 yards and three touchdowns against the Jags. Bowers is on a 22-game streak with multiple catches, which is also the longest streak to start a career in NFL history among tight ends. Additionally, he's averaged 2.2 yards per route since the start of his rookie season, the second-most among tight ends with 200+ routes in that span, per Next Gen Stats.

Behind Bowers, Michael Mayer will also play a factor in the passing game. He tied a season-high seven targets against the Jaguars. With the two fully healthy, they'll equally play into the equation of being pass catchers for Smith along with the wide receiver room.

"The fact that we have two, we've always felt like we have two number one tight ends in Mike and Brock, is a good deal," Kelly said. "But how we use them, how we deploy them each week will really depend on who our opponent is."

Who steps up in Broncos secondary?

Broncos starting cornerback Patrick Surtain will miss Thursday's game with a pectoral injury.

The reigning Defensive Player of the Year was instrumental in the Broncos' two victories against the Raiders last season. In Week 5, he recorded two interceptions – one of which returned 100 yards for a touchdown. In Week 12, he primarily shadowed Brock Bowers in coverage, and limited the tight end to 38 receiving yards on four catches.

As the Raiders try to establish their new "WR1," the Broncos will depend on Riley Moss and 2025 first-rounder Jahdae Barron as their top outside cornerbacks.

Lonnie Johnson Jr. to make anticipated return

While the Broncos will be without one of their top defensive backs, the Raiders will be getting one of theirs back.

Safety Lonnie Johnson Jr. will be active and ready to play for his first game this season, per Carroll. Johnson was a regular playmaker for the defense throughout training camp and was expected to see a lot of reps this season. However he suffered an injury in a live scrimmage at Allegiant Stadium, forcing him out for the first eight games of the season.

He's had two weeks of full participation in practice, and shouldn't have any limitations in Denver as he's looking to bring "a spark" to the secondary.

"Honestly [for] myself, it's just to help turn it around in any way possible," Johnson said Wednesday. "Help these guys any way I can. I've been a part of some losing teams, and been a part of some teams that were pretty good. So, just go out there and do what I can to help this team elevate in a different way that we probably haven't been."

Trying to turn the tide

The Denver Broncos are riding a six-game winning streak, having allowed an average of 17 points to opposing offenses since Week 4. This is their longest-active win streak since winning seven straight to start their 2015 Super Bowl winning season.

As for the Las Vegas Raiders, they'll try to end their two game losing streak and reverse their fortunates after being swept by their division rivals in 2024.

In the air Thursday night

For the first time this season, weather could play a factor for the Raiders.

At kickoff at Empower Field in Mile Stadium, it's expected to be 58 degrees with up to 10 mph wind gusts. It could drop to as low as 51 degrees during game action. While this is the fourth open stadium the Raiders have played in this season, this will be the coldest climate up to this point.

The Silver and Black also must account for the altitude in Denver, which could affect conditioning throughout the contest. However, it could also be beneficial for kicker Daniel Carlson who happens to be a Colorado native. He's 11-of-14 on field goals at Mile High in his career.