An eight-year run of opening game futility ended as the Oakland
Raiders continued their dominance of their own division with a
23-20 win over the Denver Broncos on Monday night. Quarterback
Jason Campbell threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to fullback Marcel
Reece, scored on a 1-yard run and Sebastian Janikowski had a
record-tying, 63-yard field goal included among his three in the
game as Oakland opened the season 1-0 for the first time since
2002
Jerry McDonald, The Oakland Tribune
DENVER
An eight-year run of opening game futility ended as the Oakland Raiders continued their dominance of their own division with a 23-20 win over the Denver Broncos on Monday night.
Quarterback Jason Campbell threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to fullback Marcel Reece, scored on a 1-yard run and Sebastian Janikowski had a record-tying, 63-yard field goal included among his three in the game as Oakland opened the season 1-0 for the first time since 2002.
The Raiders last won their opener in 2002, a 31-17 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in a game that began an AFC title run. They also broke a streak of 11 consecutive defeats in prime time, with the last win also coming in Denver in 2004.
Running back Darren McFadden rushed for 150 yards on 22 carries, and the Raiders proved more opportunistic and careful with the ball than an erratic Broncos team, much to the displeasure of a home crowd of 74,793.
Oakland has won its last eight games against the AFC West, with the next test being a three-game run against three AFC East teams that all won their openers in impressive fashion. The Raiders travel to Buffalo on a short week before returning home to host the Jets and Patriots.
Oakland’s defense kept the Broncos offense under control, pressuring quarterback Kyle Orton, forcing three turnovers and shutting off Denver’s attempt to establish a running game.
The Broncos finally scored an offensive touchdown with 3:43 to play when Orton directed an 80-yard drive that ended in a 9-yard pass to Lance Ball, but the Raiders held on for a victory that was satisfying if not dominant.
An unforced Denver error — Orton simply dropped the ball on a second-down play in Raiders territory — resulted in a Lamarr Houston recovery at the 35 and led to Oakland’s second touchdown on a 1-yard sneak by Campbell early in the fourth quarter.
McFadden, who already had a pair of 20-yard runs, burst 47 yards to the 1-yard line before he was tripped up by Champ Bailey to set up Campbell’s run. On the sneak, the Raiders executed their own “Bush push,” with running back Michael Bush shoving Campbell forward into the end zone.
The Broncos closed to within 16-13 in the third quarter on the strength of a ridiculously easy 90-yard punt return by Eric Decker and a 30-yard field goal from Matt Prater with 1:55 left in the quarter.
Decker fielded a 57-yard punt from Shane Lechler and raced 90 yards untouched for a touchdown through a huge hole in the right side to make the score 16-10 with 12:52 left in the third quarter.
Late in the quarter, Denver drove to the Oakland 5-yard line with the help of a pair of personal fouls, one on a retaliatory shove by Rolando McClain, the other on Matt Shaughnessy — both on third-and-10 — but came up with only three points when Richard Seymour sacked Orton on third-and-goal.
Janikowski’s record-tying, 63-yard field goal on the last play of the first half sent the Raiders into intermission with a 16-3 lead.
The kick was made possible by a diving interception by safety Matt Giordano against Orton with 24 seconds to play, putting Oakland at its own 24-yard line.
From there, a 15-yard personal foul on the Broncos’ Kevin Vickerson for a face mask on a 2-yard loss by Bush, followed by a 16-yard swing pass from Campbell to Reece put Oakland at the Denver 45 with nine seconds left.
Bush carried for no gain into the center of the line, setting up Janikowski to join New Orleans’ Tom Dempsey (1970) and Denver’s Jason Elam (1998) in the record book for the longest field goal in NFL history.
The kick barely carried the distance, tucking inside the corner of the crossbar and right upright.
The Raiders had only 141 yards of total offense in the first half, but out-rushed the Broncos 92-17 with McFadden gaining 70 yards on 13 carries. Campbell had only 49 yards passing at halftime, completing 8 of 13 passes, but avoided sacks and threw no interceptions.
Although not explosive, the Raiders were opportunistic and did enough damage with good field position to control the first half.
Besides Giordano’s interception, Quentin Groves forced a fumble from Knowshon Moreno that was recovered by Tyvon Branch, setting up Janikowski for a 37-yard field goal. A missed 56-yard field goal attempt by Matt Prater led to a 51-yard drive and a 21-yard Janikowski field goal.
Oakland’s own turnover on their first offensive snap, after Campbell hit Ford with a quick pass that came loose after a helmet-on-the-ball hit from Broncos rookie linebacker Von Miller, resulted in only a 28-yard Prater field goal despite Denver opening at the Oakland 20 on its second possession.
The Raiders defense consistently got off the field, with the Broncos converting only one of seven third down opportunities in the half.
