Raiders vs Broncos: position-group matchup

The biggest mismatch: the Raiders pass coverage (2nd) against the Broncos quarterback play (24th).

On paper

4 games in. Samples are still small, so a rank can move a lot in a week. Ranks are out of 32 teams and 1st is always best, on offense and defense alike.

Raiders

pairings with the edge

Broncos

pairings with the edge

of 8

On paper, the Raiders hold the edge across the position groups.

Raiders big edge
Raiders pass coverage (2nd) against the Broncos quarterback play (24th)
Raiders edge
Raiders pass coverage (4th) against the Broncos receiving corps (15th)
Broncos edge
Broncos pass coverage (7th) against the Raiders quarterback play (14th)

Position group by position group

Each offense against the other team's defense, one position group at a time. Circle: the offense. Diamond: the defense. Whoever sits further right wins that pairing.

Raiders offense vs Broncos defense

Pass protection vs pass rush
Even
WeakestBest
The Raiders pass protection ranks 16th. The Broncos pass rush ranks 13th.
Raiders report: Jackson Powers-Johnson (G, out, groin)
The numbers and the players
Raiders pass protection
- Sacks allowed per dropback3.3% (3rd)
- Pressure allowed per dropback26% (28th)
- Spencer Burford (G) 100% of snaps
- Delmar Glaze (T) 100% of snaps
- Tyler Linderbaum (C) 100% of snaps
- Kolton Miller (T) 100% of snaps
- Jackson Powers-Johnson (G) 98% of snaps
Broncos pass rush
- Sacks per dropback5.3% (20th)
- Pressure per dropback22% (20th)
- Quarterback hits per dropback19.1% (6th)
- Zach Allen (DL) 13 pressures, 3 sacks
- Nik Bonitto (LB) 5 pressures, 1 sacks
- Malcolm Roach (DT) 4 pressures, 1 sacks
Run game vs run defense
Even
WeakestBest
The Raiders run game ranks 30th. The Broncos run defense ranks 31st.
Raiders report: Jackson Powers-Johnson (G, out, groin)
The numbers and the players
Raiders run game
- Points added per run−0.20 (28th)
- Runs that keep the drive on track34% (27th)
- Rushing yards after contact1.7 (15th)
- Runs of 10+ yards7.5% (20th)
- Rushing yards before contact1.4 (32nd)
- Runs stopped at or behind the line27% (32nd)
- Ashton Jeanty (RB) −0.28 per run on 77
- Mike Washington Jr. (RB) −0.09 per run on 24
- Spencer Burford (G) 100% of snaps
- Delmar Glaze (T) 100% of snaps
- Tyler Linderbaum (C) 100% of snaps
- Kolton Miller (T) 100% of snaps
- Jackson Powers-Johnson (G) 98% of snaps
Broncos run defense
- Points allowed per run+0.08 (31st)
- Runs stopped at or behind the line15% (22nd)
- Runs of 10+ yards allowed11.3% (25th)
- Missed tackles14.9% (32nd)
- Alex Singleton (LB) 47 tackles, 6 missed
- Justin Strnad (LB) 19 tackles, 2 missed
Quarterback vs coverage
Broncos edge
WeakestBest
The Raiders quarterback play ranks 14th. The Broncos pass coverage ranks 7th.
The numbers and the players
Raiders quarterback play
- Points added per dropback+0.15 (11th)
- Completions above expected+1.9 (15th)
- Interceptions per throw2.7% (25th)
- Passes of 20+ yards per dropback8.6% (11th)
- Kirk Cousins (QB) +0.15 per dropback on 148
Broncos pass coverage
- Points allowed per throw−0.03 (10th)
- Completions allowed above expected−2.9 (7th)
- Interceptions per throw2.8% (10th)
- Riley Moss (CB) 91.9 passer rating allowed on 22 targets
- Patrick Surtain II (CB) 68.5 passer rating allowed on 18 targets
Receivers vs coverage
Even
WeakestBest
The Raiders receiving corps ranks 13th. The Broncos pass coverage ranks 9th.
The numbers and the players
Raiders receiving corps
- Points added per target+0.24 (14th)
- Yards after the catch4.0 (25th)
- Drops per target2.2% (7th)
- Tackles broken per catch5.4% (11th)
- Ashton Jeanty (RB) −0.06 per target on 25
- Brock Bowers (TE) +0.57 per target on 24
- Michael Mayer (TE) +0.26 per target on 24
Broncos pass coverage
- Passes of 20+ yards allowed7.9% (16th)
- Passer rating allowed83.5 (6th)
- Points allowed per throw−0.03 (10th)
- Riley Moss (CB) 91.9 passer rating allowed on 22 targets
- Patrick Surtain II (CB) 68.5 passer rating allowed on 18 targets

Broncos offense vs Raiders defense

Pass protection vs pass rush
Raiders edge
WeakestBest
The Broncos pass protection ranks 6th. The Raiders pass rush ranks 2nd.
The numbers and the players
Broncos pass protection
- Sacks allowed per dropback3.5% (5th)
- Pressure allowed per dropback22% (15th)
- Garett Bolles (T) 100% of snaps
- Mike McGlinchey (T) 100% of snaps
- Ben Powers (G) 100% of snaps
- Luke Wattenberg (C) 100% of snaps
- Quinn Meinerz (G) 99% of snaps
Raiders pass rush
- Sacks per dropback8.2% (5th)
- Pressure per dropback38% (2nd)
- Quarterback hits per dropback21.9% (2nd)
- Maxx Crosby (DE) 18 pressures, 2 sacks
- Kwity Paye (DE) 7 pressures, 2 sacks
- Malcolm Koonce (DE) 6 pressures, 2.5 sacks
Run game vs run defense
Even
WeakestBest
The Broncos run game ranks 14th. The Raiders run defense ranks 20th.
The numbers and the players
Broncos run game
- Points added per run−0.02 (8th)
- Runs that keep the drive on track39% (16th)
- Rushing yards after contact1.5 (19th)
- Runs of 10+ yards7.1% (22nd)
- Rushing yards before contact2.1 (25th)
- Runs stopped at or behind the line13% (5th)
- J.K. Dobbins (RB) −0.17 per run on 46
- RJ Harvey (RB) −0.04 per run on 12
- Garett Bolles (T) 100% of snaps
- Mike McGlinchey (T) 100% of snaps
- Ben Powers (G) 100% of snaps
- Luke Wattenberg (C) 100% of snaps
- Quinn Meinerz (G) 99% of snaps
Raiders run defense
- Points allowed per run−0.15 (8th)
- Runs stopped at or behind the line18% (16th)
- Runs of 10+ yards allowed11.6% (27th)
- Missed tackles9.4% (23rd)
- Nakobe Dean (LB) 33 tackles, 7 missed
- Quay Walker (LB) 30 tackles, 2 missed
Quarterback vs coverage
Raiders big edge
WeakestBest
The Broncos quarterback play ranks 24th. The Raiders pass coverage ranks 2nd.
The numbers and the players
Broncos quarterback play
- Points added per dropback−0.04 (22nd)
- Completions above expected−3.6 (27th)
- Interceptions per throw2.1% (21st)
- Passes of 20+ yards per dropback7.0% (21st)
- Bo Nix (QB) −0.04 per dropback on 140
Raiders pass coverage
- Points allowed per throw−0.15 (3rd)
- Completions allowed above expected−4.1 (4th)
- Interceptions per throw2.9% (7th)
- Eric Stokes (CB) 87.5 passer rating allowed on 22 targets
- Hezekiah Masses (CB) 42.9 passer rating allowed on 20 targets
Receivers vs coverage
Raiders edge
WeakestBest
The Broncos receiving corps ranks 15th. The Raiders pass coverage ranks 4th.
The numbers and the players
Broncos receiving corps
- Points added per target+0.08 (23rd)
- Yards after the catch6.2 (8th)
- Drops per target3.2% (11th)
- Tackles broken per catch3.8% (20th)
- Jaylen Waddle (WR) +0.08 per target on 27
- RJ Harvey (RB) +0.05 per target on 21
- Courtland Sutton (WR) −0.71 per target on 20
Raiders pass coverage
- Passes of 20+ yards allowed6.2% (7th)
- Passer rating allowed88.9 (12th)
- Points allowed per throw−0.15 (3rd)
- Eric Stokes (CB) 87.5 passer rating allowed on 22 targets
- Hezekiah Masses (CB) 42.9 passer rating allowed on 20 targets

Tale of the tape

Every unit on its own, side by side.

RaidersBroncos

14th
QuarterbackOffense
24th
29th
Offensive lineOffense
9th
13th
ReceiversOffense
15th
24th
Run gameOffense
15th
2nd
Pass rushDefense
13th
20th
Run defenseDefense
31st
4th
Pass coverageDefense
8th

Longer bar is better. Each unit is graded on the stats shown in the pairings above, ranked among all 32 teams.

How these grades are calculated

Each position group is judged on three to five plain stats, listed below. All of them are per play or per throw, never season totals.
Every stat is ranked across all 32 teams, 1st to 32th, the right way round (fewer drops is better, more pressure is better for a pass rush).
A rank becomes a score from 0 to 100, with 1st at 100 and last at 0. The group's grade is the average of its stats' scores.
Teams are ranked by that grade, and that rank is the number on the cards.

For example, the Broncos run defense is 31st. Its stats rank 31st (points allowed per run), 22nd (runs stopped at or behind the line), 25th (runs of 10+ yards allowed), and 32nd (missed tackles). Averaged, that is a grade of 15 out of 100, which is 31st among the 32 teams.

This is why a grade can disagree with a total or with another site's rating. A team can rank high in rushing yards because it carries the ball a lot or trails late, and still rank low here because each run adds little. Film grades, like PFF's, come from watching every player on every snap, and these do not. Early in the season a few plays can move a rank a lot.

Quarterback: points added per dropback, completions above expected, interceptions per throw, passes of 20+ yards per dropback
Offensive line: sacks allowed per dropback, pressure allowed per dropback, rushing yards before contact, runs stopped at or behind the line
Receivers: points added per target, yards after the catch, drops per target, tackles broken per catch
Run game: points added per run, runs that keep the drive on track, rushing yards after contact, runs of 10+ yards
Pass rush: sacks per dropback, pressure per dropback, quarterback hits per dropback
Run defense: points allowed per run, runs stopped at or behind the line, runs of 10+ yards allowed, missed tackles
Pass coverage: points allowed per throw, completions allowed above expected, passes of 20+ yards allowed, interceptions per throw, passer rating allowed

The coaches

Records are regular-season games since 1999, against the spread as listed by the games file. A new coach has no history here yet.

Measure	Raiders	Broncos
Head coach	Klint Kubiak	Sean Payton
Record as a head coach	3-1 in 4 games (first year)	186-110 in 296 games
With this team	3-1 since 2026	34-21 since 2023
Against the spread, this season	4-0	2-2
Against the spread, career	4-0	160-132-4
Against the spread as an underdog	3-0	55-42-2
Against the spread as a favorite	1-0	105-90-2
Coming off a bye	none yet	12-6
Head coach against head coach	Have not met	Have not met
Team against team since 1999	23-31	31-23

Last meetings, newest first: Raiders 17-24 (2025 Wk 14) · Raiders 7-10 (2025 Wk 10) · Raiders 19-29 (2024 Wk 12) · Raiders 18-34 (2024 Wk 5) · Raiders 27-14 (2023 Wk 18)

How each team plays

Not good or bad, just the style. Ranks go from the highest rate down, so a 1st means the most of it in the league.

How the offenses like to play

Pass rate over expected
Raiders −2.8 pts (19th highest)
Broncos −2.7 pts (18th highest)
Play-action share of dropbacks
Raiders 25% (13th highest)
Broncos 22% (22nd highest)
Plays with pre-snap motion
Raiders 66% (6th highest) — moves players before almost every snap
Broncos 57% (18th highest)
No-huddle plays
Raiders 4% (22nd highest)
Broncos 7% (10th highest)
Plays from the shotgun
Raiders 51% (26th highest) — stays under center
Broncos 67% (10th highest)

How the defenses like to play

Blitz rate
Raiders 25% (23rd highest)
Broncos 39% (6th highest) — sends extra rushers often
Pass rushers sent
Raiders 4.3 (24th highest)
Broncos 4.4 (9th highest)
Runs against a loaded box (8+)
Raiders 9% (15th highest)
Broncos 16% (5th highest) — stacks the box against the run

Who is missing

The latest injury report for each team, sorted by position group. A starter averaged more than half the team's snaps in the games he played.

Raiders

Jackson Powers-Johnson GStarterOut · groin · offensive line
Aidan O'Connell QBQuestionable · not injury related - personal matter · quarterback
Brock Bowers TEStarterLimited in practice · receivers
Cody White WRLimited in practice · receivers

Broncos

Dondrea Tillman LBOut · hamstring · run defense

← All 32 teams

Data: nflverse play-by-play, CC BY 4.0. Ranks use the 2026 regular season through Week 4. Also FTN charting, Pro Football Reference advanced stats, snap counts and injury reports, all through nflverse. Calculations and charts by Raiders Rundown.

Raiders vs Broncos: position-group matchup

On paper

Raiders pass coverage (2nd) against the Broncos quarterback play (24th)

Raiders pass coverage (4th) against the Broncos receiving corps (15th)

Broncos pass coverage (7th) against the Raiders quarterback play (14th)

Position group by position group

Raiders offense vs Broncos defense

Pass protection vs pass rush

Run game vs run defense

Quarterback vs coverage

Receivers vs coverage

Broncos offense vs Raiders defense

Pass protection vs pass rush

Run game vs run defense

Quarterback vs coverage

Receivers vs coverage

Tale of the tape

The coaches

How each team plays

Who is missing

Raiders

Broncos