Before the Raiders and Broncos face off during Monday Night Football, take a look back at some of their matchups over the years.
A series of photos from past contests between the Raiders and Broncos leading up to their last matchup in Week 2 of the 2018 season, which the Raiders lost 20-19.
A series of photos from past contests between the Raiders and Broncos leading up to their last matchup in Week 2 of the 2018 season, which the Raiders lost 20-19.
A series of photos from past contests between the Raiders and Broncos leading up to their last matchup in Week 2 of the 2018 season, which the Raiders lost 20-19.
A series of photos from past contests between the Raiders and Broncos leading up to their last matchup in Week 2 of the 2018 season, which the Raiders lost 20-19.
A series of photos from past contests between the Raiders and Broncos leading up to their last matchup in Week 2 of the 2018 season, which the Raiders lost 20-19.
A series of photos from past contests between the Raiders and Broncos leading up to their last matchup in Week 2 of the 2018 season, which the Raiders lost 20-19.
A series of photos from past contests between the Raiders and Broncos leading up to their last matchup in Week 2 of the 2018 season, which the Raiders lost 20-19.
A series of photos from past contests between the Raiders and Broncos leading up to their last matchup in Week 2 of the 2018 season, which the Raiders lost 20-19.
A series of photos from past contests between the Raiders and Broncos leading up to their last matchup in Week 2 of the 2018 season, which the Raiders lost 20-19.
A series of photos from past contests between the Raiders and Broncos leading up to their last matchup in Week 2 of the 2018 season, which the Raiders lost 20-19.
A series of photos from past contests between the Raiders and Broncos leading up to their last matchup in Week 2 of the 2018 season, which the Raiders lost 20-19.
A series of photos from past contests between the Raiders and Broncos leading up to their last matchup in Week 2 of the 2018 season, which the Raiders lost 20-19.
A series of photos from past contests between the Raiders and Broncos leading up to their last matchup in Week 2 of the 2018 season, which the Raiders lost 20-19.
A series of photos from past contests between the Raiders and Broncos leading up to their last matchup in Week 2 of the 2018 season, which the Raiders lost 20-19.
A series of photos from past contests between the Raiders and Broncos leading up to their last matchup in Week 2 of the 2018 season, which the Raiders lost 20-19.
A series of photos from past contests between the Raiders and Broncos leading up to their last matchup in Week 2 of the 2018 season, which the Raiders lost 20-19.
A series of photos from past contests between the Raiders and Broncos leading up to their last matchup in Week 2 of the 2018 season, which the Raiders lost 20-19.
A series of photos from past contests between the Raiders and Broncos leading up to their last matchup in Week 2 of the 2018 season, which the Raiders lost 20-19.
A series of photos from past contests between the Raiders and Broncos leading up to their last matchup in Week 2 of the 2018 season, which the Raiders lost 20-19.
A series of photos from past contests between the Raiders and Broncos leading up to their last matchup in Week 2 of the 2018 season, which the Raiders lost 20-19.
A series of photos from past contests between the Raiders and Broncos leading up to their last matchup in Week 2 of the 2018 season, which the Raiders lost 20-19.
A series of photos from past contests between the Raiders and Broncos leading up to their last matchup in Week 2 of the 2018 season, which the Raiders lost 20-19.
A series of photos from past contests between the Raiders and Broncos leading up to their last matchup in Week 2 of the 2018 season, which the Raiders lost 20-19.
A series of photos from past contests between the Raiders and Broncos leading up to their last matchup in Week 2 of the 2018 season, which the Raiders lost 20-19.
A series of photos from past contests between the Raiders and Broncos leading up to their last matchup in Week 2 of the 2018 season, which the Raiders lost 20-19.
A series of photos from past contests between the Raiders and Broncos leading up to their last matchup in Week 2 of the 2018 season, which the Raiders lost 20-19.
A series of photos from past contests between the Raiders and Broncos leading up to their last matchup in Week 2 of the 2018 season, which the Raiders lost 20-19.
A series of photos from past contests between the Raiders and Broncos leading up to their last matchup in Week 2 of the 2018 season, which the Raiders lost 20-19.
A series of photos from past contests between the Raiders and Broncos leading up to their last matchup in Week 2 of the 2018 season, which the Raiders lost 20-19.
A series of photos from past contests between the Raiders and Broncos leading up to their last matchup in Week 2 of the 2018 season, which the Raiders lost 20-19.
A series of photos from past contests between the Raiders and Broncos leading up to their last matchup in Week 2 of the 2018 season, which the Raiders lost 20-19.
A series of photos from past contests between the Raiders and Broncos leading up to their last matchup in Week 2 of the 2018 season, which the Raiders lost 20-19.
A series of photos from past contests between the Raiders and Broncos leading up to their last matchup in Week 2 of the 2018 season, which the Raiders lost 20-19.
A series of photos from past contests between the Raiders and Broncos leading up to their last matchup in Week 2 of the 2018 season, which the Raiders lost 20-19.
Los Oakland Raiders tienen dos partidos por disputar en el 2018.
Después de 14 partidos de temporada regular y con solo tres victorias, el Plata y Negro tienen solo dos oportunidades más para demostrar el tipo de equipo que pueden ser en el futuro.
Por ahora la realidad es que aun si Derek Carr y compañía logran derrotar a los Broncos en Nochebuena y después terminan la temporada venciendo a los Chiefs en partido de gira, Oakland terminaría la temporada seis partidos debajo de un porcentaje de victoria de .500, pero considerando que la NFL solo te permite demostrar lo mejor de ti una vez a la semana, un buen cierre al 2018 sería algo muy bueno para la franquicia.
"Quiero seguir luchando, seguir jugando," dijo Jon Gruden, Entrenador en Jefe de los Raiders, después de la derrota ante los Cincinnati Bengals. "Estábamos a una posesión de desventaja faltando cinco o seis minutos por jugar en el partido. Quiero ver que terminemos con autoridad, con todo el ímpetu que tenemos, con todo el corazón y alma que podamos mostrar."
En efecto los Raiders tienen marca de 3-11 y no han terminado ningún cuarto de la temporada 2018 con marca positiva, pero ahora con marca de 1-1 en el ultimo cuarto de la temporada, un par de victorias más no solo les daría marca de 3-1 en esta ultima fase del año, sino que también les daría ánimos previos al receso de la temporada el cual ya se anticipa con mucho optimismo.
"Tenemos que empezar bien y terminar fuerte," dijo el veterano Doug Martin. "nos quedan dos partidos y sé que vamos a jugarlos de la mejor manera posible."
Es bien sabido que las lesiones han mermado mas de la cuenta al equipo de Gruden en comparación con otros en la NFL. Los receptores del equipo han tenido una rotación constante las ultimas semanas y el pasado domingo ante una buena presión de la defensiva contraria, el equipo no tenía a sus guardias titulares.
Pero a pesar de la rotación de jugadores por lesiones u otras causas, el rendirse nunca ha sido opción para los Raiders del 2018 considerando los diferentes resultados obtenidos con las múltiples alineaciones, por lo que Gruden está contento con el esfuerzo realizado por el equipo ante los Bengals.
"Es difícil operar con tantas partes movibles," explicó Gruden. "Es crédito del equipo mover el balón y mantenernos competitivos en el partido."
En varias ocasiones durante su conferencia de prensa posterior al partido, Gruden mencionó el tema de "terminar" y cuando se el preguntó a Carr que quería decir con eso su entrenador, él comentó que aunque ciertamente ganar los dos últimos partidos era importante, el concepto de "terminar" es algo que el equipo ha buscado aplicar en todo lo que hacen.
"Nuestro esfuerzo, el como entrenamos, el como practicamos, el como jugamos," explicó Carr. "Ni como negar que Gruden es un entrenador ofensivo a fondo, habla con nosotros en particular y nos dice que nuestro esfuerzo, cierre e ímpetu obviamente no esta en una situación ideal hoy en día, pero quiere que terminemos fuerte dando todo de nosotros."
"Somos guerreros," añadió Doug Martin. "Este equipo tiene muchos jugadores Buenos y estamos jugando para ganar. No puedo esperar por ver que haremos en los siguientes dos partidos."
Dos victorias para cerrar la temporada no cambiarán mucho la historia de los Raiders del 2018. De nueva cuenta están fuera de la postemporada, pero con un buen cierre a la temporada regular ayudará mucho para mantener los ánimos positivos en vísperas del 2019.
"No tenemos jugadores que se rindan," dijo Carr. "Tenemos muchos jugadores Buenos y vamos a cerrar bien la temporada. Cada equipo que enfrentamos, nos queda dos, saben que vamos a dar todo nuestro esfuerzo. Saben que vamos a jugar y eso es lo que espera Gruden de nosotros."
El primero de esos dos partidos será en horario estelar en partido de Lunes de por la Noche en Nochebuena en lo que podría ser el ultimo partido de los Raiders en el Coliseo de Oakland en su historia.
