MNF Week 1: Oakland Raiders vs Denver Broncos | Raiders win 23-20

Monday Night Football Week 1 – Watch Oakland Raiders vs Denver Broncos Live on ESPN

Week 1 – Oakland Raiders vs Denver Broncos
When: Monday, 10:15 PM ET, September 12, 2011
Venue: Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, CO

Raiders vs Broncos Preview

Hue Jackson was named coach of the Oakland Raiders in the offseason after spending his first year with the team in 2010 directing a surprising offense that proved to be one of the most prolific in the league.

Of course, some of that had to do with two games against the Denver Broncos’ woeful defense.

In their first return to the site of the highest-scoring game in franchise history, Jackson’s Raiders hope their offense can pick up where it left off a year ago in Monday night’s season opener against the rival Broncos, who are hoping for significant defensive improvements under new coach John Fox.

Oakland is coming off an 8-8 finish in 2010, ending seven straight years of at least 11 losses. The Raiders were the lone NFL team to finish 6-0 within their division, but it wasn’t enough to save Tom Cable’s job, and Jackson was named coach in January.

With Jackson as coordinator last season, the offense flourished. Oakland vaulted from 31st in the league with 197 points in 2009 to sixth with 410 points, with 98 of those coming in two wins over the Broncos.

In Denver on Oct. 24, the Raiders trounced the Broncos 59-14. They led 21-0 before Denver ran a play that didn’t result in a turnover and took a 38-0 lead midway through the second quarter.

Denver has lost three straight home games to Oakland for the first time since dropping four in a row from 1974-77, but could have an edge under the lights.

The Raiders have lost 11 straight prime-time games since Nov. 28, 2004, when they defeated the Broncos 25-54 on a Sunday night in Denver. (Source preview: ESPN)

Next week on Monday Night Football Week 2 (September 19, 2011) is St. Louis Rams at New York Giants. Game Time at 8:30 PM ET. Watch out for it still on ESPN.

You can watch Monday Night Football live Week 1 Game Oakland Raiders vs Denver Broncos Live on ESPN.

UPDATE: Oakland Raiders defeated Denver Broncos 23-20.

GAME RECAP

Sebastian Janikowski tied an NFL record with a 63-yard field goal and the Oakland Raiders beat the Denver Broncos 23-20 Monday night in a chippy and clumsy game between the AFC West rivals.

The Raiders (1-0) won in Denver for the fourth straight season in coach Hue Jackson’s NFL head coaching debut, and handed the Broncos (0-1) their first loss in a home opener since 2000.

John Fox lost his debut as Denver’s coach, and he lost at least two playmakers in the process.

Pass-rusher Elvis Dumervil (shoulder) was relegated to situational duty for three quarters, and perennial Pro Bowl cornerback Champ Bailey injured his left knee making a touchdown-saving tackle of Darren McFadden, who ran 22 times for 150 yards.

The Broncos cut the deficit to 23-20 on Kyle Orton’s 9-yard TD toss to Lance Ball with both Brandon Lloyd and Knowshon Moreno on the sideline, apparently with cramps, with 3:43 left.

The Raiders salted away the win by controlling the clock and were able to line up in victory formation after Michael Bush’s 12-yard run to midfield for the first down at the 2-minute warning.(via ESPN)