Losses don’t come any more devastating than the one the Broncos had to swallow on Sunday. They had the Bears beaten, only to implode down the stretch and lose in overtime, costing them their first three-game winning streak of the season.
So where do they go from here? That’s the good news for Bronco Nation.
They’re going to Oakland! And as every NFL fan knows, that’s almost as good as going to Disneyland.
In an era long since past, playing the Raiders on the road wasn’t exactly conducive to a team getting back on its feet after a gut-wrenching loss. But not in the 21st century, when Oakland has gone from No There There to No Hope There.
The Silver & Black won at Kansas City last weekend, snapping a nine-game losing streak to the Chiefs and a 17-game streak within the AFC West. A 17-game losing streak? No typo, just fact.
The only thing more shocking than the Raiders losing 17 straight within the West would be if they suddenly won two in a row within the division. The Broncos have beaten them five games in a row and four straight at Oakland.
It’s not just how often, but how the Broncos have beaten the Raiders in their own building. Talk about domination. The Raiduhs haven’t scored in 10 of their last 14 quarters when hosting Denver.
Look for that trend to continue Sunday, when Mike Shanahan will be looking for his ninth season sweep against his old team. If not, the Broncos can observe what has become a tradition in Oakland.
They can forget about the playoffs.
Follow Jim Armstrong’s daily Broncos commentaries on The Jimmy Page at 7 a.m. and noon, and read his columns on Sundays and the day after Broncos games at .
He can be reached at 303-954-1269 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com.
