Miles
Well-known member
- Mar 18, 2019
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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Broncos’ playoff chances ended in Week 15 with a loss to the Chiefs, but Denver will have a chance to play spoiler to an AFC West rival in Week 17.
The Raiders (7-8) will need a win on Sunday to keep their slim playoff hopes alive — as well as losses from the Steelers and Titans and a win from the Colts.
The rest of the results, though, won’t matter if the Broncos knock off the Raiders.
And though Head Coach Vic Fangio said Monday he wouldn’t emphasize that angle to his team this week, several Broncos’ players seem motivated enough on their own.
“There is motivation anyway, any time that you play the Raiders,” running back Phillip Lindsay said Tuesday. “That is a [rivalry] game. Second of all, we lost to them when we went there, now it’s time for them to come to us. If they think they’re going to come in here and try to clinch the playoffs, they’ve got something coming because we’re here to win the game. That’s what it is. We’re here to end our season on a right note for next year and they want to try to get to a playoff game, so it’s going to be a battle. You can say this is like a little playoff game for them because if they think they’re going to come in here and just get one, they’re sadly mistaken.”
Lindsay could earn more than the win Sunday, as he needs just 42 yards to reach the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the second consecutive season. He would be the first Bronco since Clinton Portis to achieve the feat.
Guard Dalton Risner agreed with Lindsay’s premise that the team needs to even the score after a Week 1 loss, but he said Sunday’s game against Oakland is just as much about the Broncos.
“They started our season and they beat us pretty good at their home to start the year this year,” Risner said. “I’ve never been a fan of the Raiders. I know they’re a rivalry game, an AFC West game. We want to be able to win, we want to be able to spoil their chances at the playoffs and end our season on a high note.
“It’s not always about the other team. It’s a lot about us here at Denver. We want to win. We want to be a seven-win team, have Drew [Lock] sitting at 4-1 heading into next season. A lot of the guys on the team, a lot of the talk is there’s something special getting built around here. And I’ve bought into that and I think a lot of guys have as well. So let’s end the season strong and get ready for next year to do something really special.”