NUMBERS TO KNOW
15: Quarterback hits by Broncos defensive end Derek Wolfe and Raiders defensive end Khalil Mack this season, the second-most in the league behind Los Angeles’ Aaron Donald (17). The Broncos lead the league with 75 QB hits.
4.9: Career QB pressures per game by outside linebacker Von Miller, . With a league-high 45 pressures already this season, Miller is on pace to finish with an average of 5.6 per game.
73.9: Red-zone touchdown percentage by the Raiders, the best in the league.
183.9: Passing yards allowed per game by the Broncos, the fewest in the NFL — and 15.7 yards fewer than their average last season (199.6).
6.46: Yards allowed per play by the Raiders, the most of any team in the NFL.
86: Penalties by the Raiders, for a loss of 728 yards, by far the most of any team in the league. The second-most penalized teams, Washington and Jacksonville, have 66 penalties.
27: Consecutive games won by the Broncos when they win the turnover battle.
9: Defensive touchdowns (six interception returns, three fumble returns) by the Broncos since the start of the 2015 season, tied for the most in the league during that span.
20: Tackles for loss by safety T.J. Ward since 2013, the fourth-most among defensive backs in that time.
83.3: Field-goal percentage by kicker Brandon McManus (55-of-66), the best career mark in Broncos history.
15.7: Kickoff return yards allowed per game by the Broncos, the fewest of any team this season.
MILESTONE WATCH
2: Catches needed by Demaryius Thomas to become the fourth Broncos player in history with at least 500 career receptions. Thomas also needs one more 100-yard game to tie Calvin Johnson (34) for the most in the league since 2011.
1: Sack needed by outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware (136.5) to tie Richard Dent and John Randle for the eighth-most on the NFL’s all-time list. Ware needs three sacks to tie Julius Peppers and Jason Taylor sixth place on the list.
1: Catch needed by Emmanuel Sanders to tie Eric Decker (222) for the 14th-most receptions in Broncos history
THE LAST TIME
Last meeting: The Broncos and Raiders last played each other in Denver on Dec. 13, 2015. Khalil Mack had five sacks of quarterback Brock Osweiler, and the Raiders beat the Broncos, 15-12, with only 126 net yards of offense.
Last meeting in Oakland: The last time the two met in Oakland, on Oct. 11, 2015, safety Charles Woodson earned his first two career interceptions against Peyton Manning, but Broncos cornerback Chris Harris returned a fourth-quarter interception 74 yards to lead the Broncos to a 16-10 victory.
THEY SAID IT
Gary Kubiak, on the Broncos’ rivalry with the Raiders: “I’ve been a part of it forever. I’ve been a part of it in the Coliseum in front of 100,000 people. Itap always been a great matchup and obviously playing twice a year makes it even bigger. Thatap whatap fun about this league. Two 6-2 teams going at it on Sunday night in a tough place to play. Thatap why you coach and why you play.”
T.J. Ward, on the Raiders: “I just don’t like them. They’re from Oakland. I just don’t like the Raiders. I couldn’t even tell you. Itap probably something thatap bred in me, probably because I had a lot of friends that are Raider fans and we used to just argue all the time. Two teams I really hated growing up were the Cowboys and the Raiders.”
Raiders coach Jack Del Rio, on Von Miller: “He’s a special, special talent. I don’t think anybody can run and bend and turn the corner the way that he can and he’s an amazing talent and he’s playing well like he always does.”
Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, on the Broncos’ secondary: “They’re great cover guys. They’re very smart and they know where their help is. You can see it. You can see them talking on film. They know where their help is. If a ball gets completed, they’re looking at each other correcting it themselves as players. Thatap a credit to them. Being able to play in the same system for a couple of years, being around each other and growing together. Itap things like that that we look forward to as an organization, playing together for a long time and being on that same kind of level. You just respect them and look forward to playing against them.”
