Tough loss in the snow. I’d like to blame the MasterMind for not having the Broncos ready to play. But after review, I attribute this loss to bad luck in bad weather.

On offense, conditions negated the rushing game. The Broncos rely upon a strong cutback move by the running back. In the snow, the offensive line wasn’t able to reliably create the hole and the Droughns was unable to exploit it when it was there. Although he rushed for 102 yards on 28 attempts, the Broncos were unable to sustain drives with the rush.

On defense, Champ Bailey had a tough day as Jerry Porter had several big catches against him. I attribute that more to good play by the Raiders than bad play by Bailey. If the receiver can make his move and the QB can place the ball then there isn’t much that a defensive back can do in the snow.

I think that the bottom line is that the Raiders did a better job of adapting to the conditions and making the plays. The offensive line gave Collins time to throw and Collins made enough good throws to win. On the other side, the Broncos had opportunities to put the game away and were unable to seal the deal.

Next week a must win game in San Diego. With a win the Broncos will lead the AFC West (tied with the Chargers at 8-4, but with a 2-0 head to head record). With a loss, they’ll be 2 games back in the division and scrambling for a wild card spot.

PS My apologies for missing Week 11. I did not see the game.