• Walker Among Inactives (full inactive list)

Oakland Raiders wide receiver Javon Walker will not suit up for Monday Night’s game, set to start in just under an hour. He was listed as Questionable on the injury report.

The Raiders’ other former Broncos WR, Ashley Lelie, will get the start in Walker’s stead.

Among the Denver Broncos‘ inactives are DE Jarvis Moss. Quite a surprise there.

BRONCOS INACTIVES: DB Calvin Lowry, RB Ryan Torain, LB Louis Green, OT Erik Pears, C Tom Nalen, G Dylan Gandy, DE Jarvis Moss and DT Josh Shaw.

RAIDERS INACTIVES: QB Marques Tuiasosopo, WR Todd Watkins, S Rashad Baker, DE Kalimba Edwards, C John Wade, OT Mario Henderson and WR Javon Walker.

vs.
Raiders (0-0) vs. Broncos (0-0)
McAfee Coliseum
Mon, Sep 8, 2008
7:15 PM PDT ESPN

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?! Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders. The staff will be having a live blog throughout the game, SO STAY RIGHT HERE for all the updates you can handle. Kyle will also be chatting with Rocky Mountain News columnist Sam Adams and MHR blogger John Bena live on the RMN’s web site – check that out here, starting an hour before kickoff.

If you missed a minute of BroncoTalk’s game coverage throughout the week, these links are for you. See you before kickoff with all the information you need and the LIVE BLOG!  LEAVE YOUR GAME PREDICTIONS HERE.  Go Broncos!

• Broncos Raiders preview
• Broncos Raiders injury report
• A rivalry for the ages…
• Some crucial matchups for tonight’s game.
• But how do the lines stack up?
• We’re not the only site with a preview or two.
• More on the Oakland Raiders in the archives.

Breaking down the most important part of a football game – the anonymous battles that persist play after play among opposing linemen. Because in the NFL, games are won and lost in the trenches…

Broncos Offensive Line vs. Raiders Defensive Line

The Denver Broncos‘ remodeled offensive line makes its debut tonight, with new starters across the board. The team’s bookend tackles consist of true rookie Ryan Clady and virtual rookie Ryan Harris. Inside, veteran Casey Wiegmann takes over for the injured Tom Nalen, while a healthy Ben Hamilton returns to LG and Chris Kuper shifts over to RG. On paper, the youth and inexperience look like they could be a problem for the Broncos. In reality, the offensive line has looked very strong throughout training camp and preseason, with Clady even earning some (very premature) Rookie of the Year buzz.

With 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year players starting on the offensive line, expect the Raiders to test the Broncos in several positions, looking for a chink in the armor. Defensive end Derrick Burgess, the team’s undisputed best pass rusher, will move from one side to the other throughout the night in an attempt to do the most damage. The Broncos aren’t afraid to help their tackles out, however, and have good insurance in blocking tight end Daniel Graham.

The Raiders are thin across the defensive line, with only seven guys expecting to suit on Monday – three defensive tackles and four defensive ends. DE Kalimba Edwards is listed as questionable – see the Broncos Raiders Injury Report – meaning the Raiders could be using a 6-man rotation for the game, tiny in NFL standards.

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Schadenfreude. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Your wittiest, most cleverest captions in the comments.

Yesterday’s winner – Boisebroncoguy:

“I never showed ’em this move while I was in Denver. I call it the ‘slot machine’.”

Remember to leave your caption for the top photo. Happy captioning!

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Raiders (0-0) vs. Broncos (0-0)
McAfee Coliseum
Mon, Sep 8, 2008
7:15 PM PDT ESPN

Your Daily Blitz gets a makeover for game day, which some long time readers might recognize as an old feature we called “Around the Web.” Let’s take a trip around the Internet to see what the experts, beat writers and soothsayers are saying about the upcoming game.

Sporting News —

This is a classic rivalry that dates to the AFL days and doesn’t lose any intensity or meaning when one or both teams aren’t faring well. The intensity level should be even higher than usual, given that the teams play in a prime-time setting, on Monday night, with a chance to seize an early lead in the AFC West race. Neither team has made the playoffs the past two seasons — make it six for the Raiders — and each likely views this as a game it should win.

Rocky Mountain News —

Here is a take from (former Raiders defensive tackle Warren) Sapp on Denver’s running game: “Shanahan’s going to get into that nasty little double tight end set that he likes, put it in motion, find out if you’re in man-to-man defense or Cover 3 because those are the basic coverages that you get, and then he’ll attack — run the ball.” Sapp also said, “I know the system Oakland plays . . . (the Raiders) are in trouble.”

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Panthers TE Dante Rosario seals a 26-24 win. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

Can you imagine it now? Denver Broncos, 2-0. San Diego Chargers, 0-2.

After falling to the Carolina Panthers in the final seconds of their Week One game, the San Diego Chargers join fellow AFC West rivals Kansas City Chiefs in the winless column. Both stand at 0-1.

This makes tomorrow’s Broncos Raiders game on Monday Night Football all the more important. With a victory in Oakland, the Broncos would have a one-game lead on every other team in the division.

A win against San Diego in the team’s home opener next week would give the Broncos valuable momentum and a 2-game cushion against the reigning division champs.

I chatted with Sam Adams, columnist for the Rocky Mountain News, who was quick to point out the opportunity the Broncos are facing. “The opportunity to go up two games on the favorites to win the division is huge. The Broncos have to realize they have a huge opportunity awaiting them.”

If the Broncos are to contend for the division, a fast start will be crucial. Forcing the other teams in the AFC West to play catchup, particularly the Chargers, will pay huge dividends all season long. Losing either of these first two games – or worse, both – would leave the Broncos scrambling. Huge questions would remain on the rest of the 2008 campaign, particularly on how such a young team would rebound from such a slow start.

It’s hard to peg a game in September a “Must Win” affair. For the Broncos, they just may be facing two.

How do you think the Broncos will fare in this 6-day stretch? Dish it out in the comments and take the poll.

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Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan is a notorious work-a-holic, rumored to research opponents weeks, if not months ahead of time. Instead of covering the entire NFL, what we at The Denver Bronco Talk Blog are doing is covering the NFL that you should care about. Every opponent the Denver Broncos face this season will get full weekly coverage from the first Sunday until the Broncos play them. As fans you will be able to focus on which player/team did what from week-to-week. Heck, you might even look better than Shanahan when the Broncos face off against a team that you’ve been scouting for the last six weeks.

Week 1 @ Oakland Raiders
Javon Walker will suit for Monday night’s game, coach Lane Kiffin forced him to practice Saturday or else… Here are a few Raider/Bronco historical facts. (Warning: these facts are a little Raider-sided.)

Week 2 San Diego Chargers
LaDainian Tomlinson was rendered virtually useless (sorry to anyone who drafted him number 1, me), for most of the game. Though he did finish with 97 yards rushing, no touchdowns. Philip Rivers threw for three touchdowns, with Antonio Gates being most productive of his receivers (four catches, 64 yards and one touchdown). Shawn Merriman had one tackle.

Week 3 New Orleans Saints
Drew Brees, my science, we may have a problem. Good news is the Saints still haven’t figured out who to give the rock to. Deuce McAllister was out and Pierre Thomas was in(effective). The Saints’ offense made Tampa Bay’s defense look very good at some points though, don’t know which is accurate– is New Orleans’ offense one-sided or are the Buccaneers a legitimately dominate defense? Reggie Bush finished with 112 receiving yards.

Week 4 @ Kansas City Chiefs
Come on, who wasn’t impressed by the Chiefs today? Could there be a renewed quarterback controversy in Kansas City? Starter Brodie Croyle went down in the third quarter and Damon Huard came in to replace him, throwing a touchdown in the process. That’s 100% more efficient than Croyle was. Also, just a bit impressive was Larry Johnson and cornerback Patrick Surtain.

Week 5 Tampa Bay Bucaneers
Great defense at times, but not enough to stop the juggernaut arm of Drew Brees. Earnest Graham had a jaw dropping 46-yard touchdown run, that accounted for more than half of his total on the day. If the Bucaneers realize that running the ball (7.3 yards per carry) proves far more productive for their offense than passing (4.7 yards per pass), they may be in for a serious playoff run. They lost, but could have won this one, had Jeff Garcia not thrown an interception on a deep drive inside Saints’ territory.

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A quick apology… The hamsters that turn the wheels behind this thing told me that they’re performing a “hardware upgrade” today.  Bigger hamsters maybe.  The problems appear to be taken care of; sorry for the inconvenience.  We’re going to explode tomorrow as the Broncos kick off the 2008 campaign against the Raiders.  Get started with our Broncos Raiders preview.  Get pumped with a look at the rivalry!

What a football Sunday, eh?  Tom Brady goes down to a knee injury against the Chiefs… who still manage to lose against Matt Cassell.  NFL Week 1 is already considered a success, as far as I’m concerned.

ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson reported that the Denver Broncos and the agent of linebacker D.J. Williams are in serious talks, regarding a contract extension.

Williams, last season at middle linebacker finished second in the NFL in tackles (141). He was recently voted defensive captain alongside Champ Bailey.

If all goes will with Williams, the Broncos could look to extend wide receiver Brandon Marshall and defensive end Elvis Dumervil— both will be free agents following the 2009 season.

UPDATE: According to Adam Schefter at NFL Network the deal is done. Five-years, 32 million and 16 million guaranteed dollars. This deal puts him amongst the highest paid “non-pass rushing” linebackers in the NFL.

In an NFL where players are holding out and complaining about the disloyalty their teams are showing them, by not offering contract extensions following a good season. It’s nice to see that Denver is holding true to character and acting as the first-class organization they’re known as in the NFL.

There’s not a player more deserving, in Denver, of an extension than D.J. Williams. He’s gone from position to position without a single word in the media. A true leader in Denver who leads by, well, leading.