Parker Gabriel, Post Broncos reporter
Hey, it can’t hurt, right? It does feel like one of those weeks where a loss hurts more than a win helps, but head coach Nathaniel Hackett and his group will take any positive at this point. In the locker room after Sunday’s loss to Tennessee, linebacker Josey Jewell said, “It’s Raiders week now, right?” The rivalry still matters, and Denver has lost five straight to the Raiders. The Broncos, of course, have also struggled mightily in AFC West play, so putting one in the “W” column might serve as a bit of a boost. This is more about those elements — and not losing to a team that just lost to a listless Colts team with an interim coach who’s never been a coach before — than it is about playoff viability, which is a longshot.
Kyle Newman, Post Broncos reporter
Exactly, Parker — the only way a win this Sunday over the Raid-uhs means anything is if the Broncos go on a serious run over the final eight games. Unless that unlikely scenario happens, a win over Las Vegas is just window dressing, even if it does snap that five-game losing streak to their rivals and also digs the hole deeper for former Denver coach and first-year Raiders boss Josh McDaniels. But if you’re Nathaniel Hackett, window dressing is exactly what you need right now: A win at home to provide evidence that the team is on the right track, and not veering toward the abyss. For the fans, beating the silver and black would be a nice respite from the disappointment that has been this Broncos season. For Hackett, it could be a turning point as to whether he’s back in 2023 or not.
Sean Keeler, Post sports columnist
In the short term, it might help prevent a full-scale mutiny. Or a mass walk-out. Or a ton of empty seats at Empower Field in December and January, although that last one feels kind of inevitable. So maybe not so much “good” as “how much it would prevent chaotic harm and total community meltdown.” If the Raiders come out of Week 11 with three wins, and two of them are over you, I wouldn’t blame Broncos management for pulling the plug on coach Nathaniel Hackett and/or his offensive assistants right then and there. A win at least cools the temperature some, the way winning in London did, if only for a minute. If Hackett wants to make any kind of case to return in 2023, it starts Sunday. Because the alternative is the Walton-Penner group watching, firsthand, as a fan base leaps fist-first into collective anger. Then apathy. Which is worse.
