The Oakland Raiders (7-8) head to the Mile High City to take on their fellow AFC West rival Denver Broncos (6-9) in Week 17 NFL action. Here are my three keys to victory for the silver and black:

Limit Lindsay

One of the biggest strengths that the Broncos have on offense is the explosiveness of running back Phillip Lindsay. The second-year pro is 42 rushing yards shy of 1,000 on the season (he finished with 1,037 as a rookie in 2018), so you know he’s going to be hungry to eclipse that on Sunday against the silver and black. The stats show that Denver typically wins when they get Lindsay going, as they’re 4-1 when he averages 4.6+ yards per carry & 3-0 when he rushes for 90+ yards.

The Raiders enter the game ranked 8th in the NFL against the run, giving up just 4.0 yards per carry. If they can limit Denver’s rushing attack on the early downs, it’ll put rookie quarterback Drew Lock in some third-and-long situations that would give Oakland’s defense the advantage.

Tyrell Williams

He’s not your ideal “WR1”, but when wide receiver Tyrell Williams is healthy and contributing, it certainly helps. When he plays and records 80+ receiving yards, the Raiders are 3-1 and average over 22 points scored per game. When he’s out or falls short of that mark, the Raiders are 4-7 and average just 19 points scored per game.

It won’t be easy, as the Broncos boast the NFL’s 8th best pass defense, but it’ll make life easier on quarterback Derek Carr if Tyrell is making an impact.

Speaking of Derek Carr…

COLD WEATHER BE DAMNED

There’s a lot of people who have questioned DC’s ability to play well in cold weather. The numbers would point to that being an accurate assessment. He says it doesn’t bother him.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Bottom line – Oakland, against all odds, has a shot to make the playoffs. This is a game where a franchise quarterback steps up and delivers for his team, cold weather be damned. It’s not ALL on Carr to get this win, but he needs to be firing on all cylinders (just like he was last week) to help his team do its part in this crazy scenario that involves them squeaking into the postseason. Not turning the ball over will be a key part in that, as Oakland is 1-5 and averages just 12.8 points scored per game when Carr throws an interception. When he doesn’t, they’re 6-3 and average 24.5 points scored per game.

Anyways, it’s crunch time for the 2019 Oakland Raiders. Three famous words come to mind: Just Win, Baby.

PREDICTION: Raiders 20, Broncos 17