By Russ Oates

– Senior Editor

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Nov 15, 2011 – The Denver Broncos should continue to rise when the Week 11 NFL power rankings come out now that the team is 3-1 since Tim Tebow became the starting quarterback. The Broncos went from being at the bottom of the heap to moving close to the middle third of the league last week. With a 17-10 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, it is entirely possible that the Broncos could move to No. 20 or higher.

If we think about the power rankings realistically, only the Oakland Raiders should rank above the Broncos among the teams of the AFC West. The Raiders delivered the San Diego Chargers their fourth straight loss and took control of the division. The Chargers, the Chiefs and the Broncos are now all tied for second place in the division at 4-5. The Chiefs will surely drop below the Broncos, especially with the potential loss of Matt Cassel for the remainder of the season. The Chargers, on the other hand, might have support to be ranked higher than the Broncos.

As has been mentioned in previous weeks, the Philadelphia Eagles continually rank higher in the power rankings than they actually should. They are now 3-6 with two straight losses, the latest happening against the lowly Arizona Cardinals. John Skelton wound up beating the Eagles since Kevin Kolb was unable to go.

But, in the end, if the Eagles are still higher than the Broncos this week, it’s good for a laugh. NFL power rankings are generally unimportant and meant to draw complaints like the above.

For more on the Broncos, visit Mile High Report. Check out SB Nation NFL for more on the league.

Read More: Tim Tebow (QB – DEN), Denver Broncos

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Read More: Wesley Woodyard (LB – DEN), Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos, Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs, Nov 13, 2011 11:00 AM MST

The Denver Broncos have finally seen their injury report slim down to a minimum, as the Broncos held out only one player from practice today, according to The Denver Post.

Unfortunately for the Broncos, that one player was LB Wesley Woodyard, who plays a keystone role in the Broncos defense and leads the team in tackles this year. If Woodyard is unable to go this Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Broncos will likely need to reassess their defensive scheme:

Should Woodyard not be able to play Sunday, the Broncos will have some major shuffling to do with its nickel (five defensive backs) defense. Woodyard played in that package as the linebacker often assigned to cover the opposing tight end or extra wide receiver.

Woodyard injured his knee in last Sunday’s win against the Oakland Raiders. Today constitutes the second straight practice he has missed.

For more NFL news and notes, head over to SB Nation Pro Football, and stay tuned to SB Nation Denver for more Broncos updates and analysis.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos are in contention at the halfway point of the season thanks to a middling AFC West and a return to health.

In their 38-24 win at Oakland on Sunday, the Broncos got key contributions from four players who had been sidelined for a combined nine games earlier this season: Eddie Royal, Willis McGahee, Elvis Dumervil and Champ Bailey.

Royal, who missed three games with a strained groin, caught his first touchdown pass of the year and returned his first punt 85 yards for another score.

McGahee returned from a one-week absence and ran for 163 yards and two TDs less than 10 days after undergoing surgery on his broken right hand.

Dumervil, dogged by a bum shoulder and high right ankle sprain, picked up his first sacks since 2009 and Bailey, who had been bothered by a hamstring injury, picked off his first two passes.

The foursome’s return to health is giving the Broncos hope they can make a second-half run and end their five-year playoff drought.

“I don’t know what it is,” Royal said, “but I’m happy it’s coming along right now at the right moment, and we just need to keep it going, stay focused and come out and get a win against Kansas City. We’ll see where we’re at after that.”

The Broncos’ win gives them a 3-5 mark, just a game back of the Chiefs, Raiders and Chargers, and they’re 2-1 since the unpolished but oddly effective Tim Tebow supplanted Kyle Orton at quarterback.

Tebow has yet to complete even half of his passes in any of his starts, but his frozen-rope TD tosses to Royal and Eric Decker on Sunday showed he’s making progress as a passer.

“The touchdowns kind of stick out in my mind,” coach John Fox said. “All in all, I think he progressed. I think, by far, it was his best game to date.”

Tebow, who ran the read-option for 117 yards, also was sacked just twice Sunday after going down 13 times in his first two starts — a comeback win at Miami and a mauling by the Detroit Lions.

“Tim understood better where to go with the ball faster,” Fox said. “I think the threat of the run we kept alive for four quarters, which I didn’t think was the case two weeks ago. Being down 24-3 against a very good defense two weeks ago isn’t an envied position, I don’t care who the quarterback is or the offensive line is.”

When the Broncos stormed back from a 10-point deficit in the second half, Dumervil and rookie Von Miller were able to finally unleash their 1-2 punch that Miller has dubbed “Batman and Robin.”

With Miller coming through the middle rather than around the edge and Dumervil finally playing like he did two years ago, the duo shared a sack and got to Carson Palmer five times combined.

“It was good to get Bruce Wayne back,” Miller said. “It was kind of weird. I was getting ready to get a sack, and I had slipped for a second, and Elvis got the sack. I wasn’t expecting it because he had been hampered with all these injuries, but it felt great to get Elvis back.

“He’s still the same guy that we had in practice; he’s still the same guy we had in two-a-days, and it feels like he’s coming into a little rhythm. Sacks, they just don’t come one at a time; they come in bunches. Hopefully this week Elvis can get three or four.”

Just three weeks ago, the Broncos were stumbling at 1-4 and in the Andrew Luck sweepstakes. Now, they’re talking about how lucky they are to be in contention.

“I was telling the guys it’s crazy because if we were in the AFC North, none of this would be going on and we wouldn’t be having a discussion about being one game out,” McGahee said. “The thing about it is, we’re in the AFC West, and the tables can turn either way.”

The road ahead is a rough one, though. They play three of their next four on the road with a home game against the New York Jets and then finish up against Chicago, New England, Buffalo and Kansas City.

“It beats the alternative, and we’ve kind of fought our way back into it,” Fox said. “We’re not exactly where we want to be. We’re halfway through the season at this point, and we still have a whole half left, so much like a game, it’s important how you finish.”

By ARNIE STAPLETON, AP Pro Football Writer

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

The Denver Broncos are the perfect remedy for the Kansas City Chiefs as they look to rebound from a humiliating loss. When the Chiefs were downed 31-3 at home by the winless Miami Dolphins Nov. 6, it was the third blowout of the year suffered by the Chiefs.

Now the Broncos come to Arrowhead Stadium in a key AFC West matchup Nov. 13. Three of the four teams in the AFC West are all tied at 4-4. Kansas City is about to enter its most brutal part of the schedule.

The perfect remedy, and the best send-off for the Chiefs, is a game against the Broncos.

The one thing Kansas City has done well this year is get to quarterbacks that are struggling. Against the Oakland Raiders Oct. 23, the Chiefs intercepted Carson Palmer(notes) and Kyle Boller(notes) three times each. Both men were adjusting to the offense after Jason Campbell(notes) went down with an injury.

The following week on Halloween, the Chiefs and their fans got to San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers(notes). He was sacked three times and had two interceptions. His fumble from center with 48 seconds to go was recovered by the Chiefs and allowed them to hang on for a 23-20 victory in overtime.

The Broncos had a quarterback controversy earlier this year before Tim Tebow(notes) took over the starting quarterback duties from Kyle Orton(notes). Tebow had 118 yards rushing for Denver in a 38-24 victory where he had touchdown passes. He is a second-year quarterback still learning how to play in the NFL.

The secondary of the Chiefs need to step up big and make it hard for Tebow to complete his passes early on. The sooner he gets flustered, the more he will panic and start to make more mistakes. Tamba Hali(notes) and the defensive line also need to get into Tebow’s backfield early as well. Head coach Todd Haley might consider trying to rattle the young quarterback with some blitzes on the first drive of the game for Denver.

Kansas City needs to stop Tebow early. If they can put him on ice, then they can focus on the running game of Denver which is the fifth-best in the NFL. Matt Cassel(notes), as the more experienced quarterback, should be able to use this game to get better this season as well. The Broncos give up 258 yards passing per game.

Bring on Tebow and the Broncos. They are the perfect remedy for the midseason blues of the Chiefs.

William Browning is a fan of the Kansas City Chiefs after latching on to the team during the lean years of St. Louis football. Born in the gateway city, he is also a lifelong St. Louis Cardinals fan. He currently resides in Branson, Mo.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – Tim Tebow is not a prototypical NFL passer and may never become one. So, the Denver Broncos used an unorthodox approach with their unconventional quarterback.

The Broncos confounded the Oakland Raiders with the same system that Tebow operated so successfully at the University of Florida: the read-option run strategy.

The result was his second win in three starts despite another up-and-down passing performance and a firmer grip on the starting job that seemed headed Brady Quinn’s way.

By putting the ball in Willis McGahee’s belly and then deciding whether to hand it off or keep it and run it himself, Tebow looked like he was running the Gators’ offence once again. And the results were similar, too.

Tebow threw two TD passes and ran for 117 yards, McGahee added 163 yards rushing and two more scores in the Broncos’ 38-24 win that shook up the middling AFC West, where Denver — yes, Denver — is just one game out of first place behind a pileup of three 4-4 teams.

“I was telling the guys it’s crazy because if we were in the AFC North, none of this would be going on and we wouldn’t be having a discussion about being one game out of it,” McGahee said. “The thing about it is, we’re in the AFC West, and the tables can turn either way.”

Especially with Tebow running around like he’s back in college.

“As I’ve said all along, we’re trying to put guys in positions where they can succeed. In his particular case, it’s something he’s more comfortable with, he has a lot of background in it, he’s got a lot of confidence in it,” coach John Fox said Monday. “We’re asking a lot, not just of Tim, but our entire offence, the coaching staff, everybody involved. We’ve kind of grown it as we’ve grown with Tim.”

Denver’s 298 yards on the ground were the fourth-highest total in team history and the most since 2000. Tebow became the 16th NFL quarterback since 1950 to rush for 100 yards and McGahee had his second-highest rushing total of his career.

But is this strategy sustainable?

“I mean, it can be something that can help us going forward, but we’ve got to do some other things like getting the ball to the receivers, we’ve got to get more passes,” McGahee said. “It’s good to run the ball. I’m a running back, I shouldn’t be saying this, but there’s going to be times where we need to pass.”

After all, Tebow was hit 17 times overall Sunday and sported a split lip afterward.

“I’ve spent a lot of time in the NFC South, and we competed against the Atlanta Falcons when they had Michael Vick,” Fox said. “Call it what you like, it was that quarterback having the ability to run that creates havoc on defences because they don’t count that guy as a runner.

“Whether it’s taking off or not, they led the league in rushing for about four straight years, and Michael had a lot to do with that. He’s grown as a passer. He’s in the West Coast Offence now, but he’s made some things happen in the Philadelphia Eagle offence, and that’s just the nature of his abilities. It’s kind of been done, but maybe not to the exact level where we’re kind of at right now.”

Vick also has paid a heavy price for his running style, sustaining a broken leg early in his career and a concussion this season.

Just last week, Fox was talking about how the spread offences so popular in college don’t translate well to the NFL, saying teams make a big investment at quarterback and are “leery of when he runs. It’s a bigger, stronger, faster league and the body types that play quarterback aren’t running back type builds and I think sometimes that’s hard to hold up for a season.”

Asked about his concern for Tebow’s health on Monday, Fox said: “Any time they cross that line, they are exposing themselves. It doesn’t matter what position. I have concern for all of them; obviously quarterback being one of them.”

Tebow has taken big hits in the pocket, too, with 15 sacks in his three starts. The Broncos figure they’ll play to his strengths as much as they can while seeing if he’s their quarterback of the future.

He had runs of 32, 28, 19, 12 and 12 yards while operating the read-option, where he would put the ball in McGahee’s belly and ride him for a step or two before deciding whether to let go for a run up the middle or pull the ball back and take the ball around the end himself.

“He’s reading the end man on the line of scrimmage whether it’s a D-end, a linebacker, a safety, whoever’s that free guy,” Raiders linebacker Aaron Curry said. “And the running back’s reading the linebackers. Whether he gets the ball or not, he knows where he’s going with it.

“I just feel like there’s some plays that just got out of our hands that we didn’t make the same read. We weren’t on the same page as Tebow was.”

McGahee acknowledged he wasn’t a fan of the run-option at first “until I figured out how to run it. .. When I realized it was working, I kind of got back in love with the read-option.”

Tebow also threw touchdown passes of 27 yards to Eric Decker and 26 yards to Eddie Royal, but he has yet to complete more than half of his passes.

In 3 1/2 games, Tebow has completed 45 of 97 passes (46 per cent) for 536 yards with six TDs and one interception.

“I think it was better,” Fox said of Tebow’s throwing. “I don’t know if it was light years better at this stage, but again, typically growth takes time. We’re in the process.”

Tim Tebow is not a prototypical NFL passer and may never become one. So, the Denver Broncos used an unorthodox approach with their unconventional quarterback. The Broncos confounded the Oakland Raiders with the same system that Tebow operated so successfully at the University of Florida: the read-option run strategy. The result was his second win in three starts despite another up-and-down passing performance and a firmer grip on the starting job that seemed headed Brady Quinn’s way. By putting the ball in Willis McGahee’s belly and then deciding whether to hand it off or keep it and run it himself, Tebow looked like he was running the Gators’ offense once again. And the results were similar, too. Tebow threw two TD passes and ran for 117 yards, McGahee added 163 yards rushing and two more scores in the Broncos’ 38-24 win that shook up the middling AFC West, where Denver — yes, Denver — is just one game out of first place behind a pileup of three 4-4 teams. “I was telling the guys it’s crazy because if we were in the AFC North, none of this would be going on and we wouldn’t be having a discussion about being one game out of it,” McGahee said. “The thing about it is, we’re in the AFC West, and the tables can turn either way.” Especially with Tebow running around like he’s back in college. “As I’ve said all along, we’re trying to put guys in positions where they can succeed. In his particular case, it’s something he’s more comfortable with, he has a lot of background in it, he’s got a lot of confidence in it,” coach John Fox said Monday. “We’re asking a lot, not just of Tim, but our entire offense, the coaching staff, everybody involved. We’ve kind of grown it as we’ve grown with Tim.” Denver’s 298 yards on the ground were the fourth-highest total in team history and the most since 2000. Tebow became the 16th NFL quarterback since 1950 to rush for 100 yards and McGahee had his second-highest rushing total of his career. But is this strategy sustainable? “I mean, it can be something that can help us going forward, but we’ve got to do some other things like getting the ball to the receivers, we’ve got to get more passes,” McGahee said. “It’s good to run the ball. I’m a running back, I shouldn’t be saying this, but there’s going to be times where we need to pass.” After all, Tebow was hit 17 times overall Sunday and sported a split lip afterward. “I’ve spent a lot of time in the NFC South, and we competed against the Atlanta Falcons when they had Michael Vick,” Fox said. “Call it what you like, it was that quarterback having the ability to run that creates havoc on defenses because they don’t count that guy as a runner. “Whether it’s taking off or not, they led the league in rushing for about four straight years, and Michael had a lot to do with that. He’s grown as a passer. He’s in the West Coast Offense now, but he’s made some things happen in the Philadelphia Eagle offense, and that’s just the nature of his abilities. It’s kind of been done, but maybe not to the exact level where we’re kind of at right now.” Vick also has paid a heavy price for his running style, sustaining a broken leg early in his career and a concussion this season. Just last week, Fox was talking about how the spread offenses so popular in college don’t translate well to the NFL, saying teams make a big investment at quarterback and are “leery of when he runs. It’s a bigger, stronger, faster league and the body types that play quarterback aren’t running back type builds and I think sometimes that’s hard to hold up for a season.” Asked about his concern for Tebow’s health on Monday, Fox said: “Any time they cross that line, they are exposing themselves. It doesn’t matter what position. I have concern for all of them; obviously quarterback being one of them.” Tebow has taken big hits in the pocket, too, with 15 sacks in his three starts. The Broncos figure they’ll play to his strengths as much as they can while seeing if he’s their quarterback of the future. He had runs of 32, 28, 19, 12 and 12 yards while operating the read-option, where he would put the ball in McGahee’s belly and ride him for a step or two before deciding whether to let go for a run up the middle or pull the ball back and take the ball around the end himself. “He’s reading the end man on the line of scrimmage whether it’s a D-end, a linebacker, a safety, whoever’s that free guy,” Raiders linebacker Aaron Curry said. “And the running back’s reading the linebackers. Whether he gets the ball or not, he knows where he’s going with it. “I just feel like there’s some plays that just got out of our hands that we didn’t make the same read. We weren’t on the same page as Tebow was.” McGahee acknowledged he wasn’t a fan of the run-option at first “until I figured out how to run it. .. When I realized it was working, I kind of got back in love with the read-option.” Tebow also threw touchdown passes of 27 yards to Eric Decker and 26 yards to Eddie Royal, but he has yet to complete more than half of his passes. In 3 1/2 games, Tebow has completed 45 of 97 passes (46 percent) for 536 yards with six TDs and one interception. “I think it was better,” Fox said of Tebow’s throwing. “I don’t know if it was light years better at this stage, but again, typically growth takes time. We’re in the process.”

By Jordan Sargent

– Newsdesk contributor

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Nov 7, 2011 – Sunday was a very, very good day for the Denver Broncos. After a humiliating loss to the Detroit Lions that had some Lions players savaging QB Tim Tebow in the press and openly wondering if he even belongs in the NFL, the Broncos rode into Oakland and defeated the Raiders 38-24. The victory brings Denver to 3-5 on the season, while Oakland, who has lost two in a row since acquiring QB Carson Palmer, falls to 4-4.

The Kansas City Chiefs, who entered Week 9 in first place, were embarrassed in Arrowhead Stadium by the formerly winless Miami Dolphins to the tune of 31-3, dropping them to 4-4 as well. The San Diego Chargers, fresh off a baffling loss themselves, saw QB Philip RIvers throw three interceptions in a 45-38 loss that also leaves them at 4-4.

Week 10 will be a pivotal one in the NFC West, as all four teams will take on divisional opponents: Oakland will travel to San Diego in the NFL’s first Thursday night game of the year and Denver will head east to visit Kansas City. Here’s how the standings look after Week 9.

1. Kansas City Chiefs: 4-4
2. San Diego Chargers: 4-4
3. Oakland Raiders: 4-4
4. Denver Broncos: 3-5

Read More: Carson Palmer (QB – OAK), Philip Rivers (QB – SDC), Tim Tebow (QB – DEN), Miami Dolphins, San Diego Chargers, Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions

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Broncos run past Raiders 38-24

By JOSH DUBOW

AP Sports Writer

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Tim Tebow took the snap, put the ball in Willis McGahee’s belly and decided whether to hand it off or keep it for his own run.

Those plays looked a lot like what he did so often in college – especially the results.

Tebow threw two TD passes and ran for 117 yards, McGahee added 163 yards rushing and two more scores and the Denver Broncos beat the Oakland Raiders 38-24 Sunday.

Even though he looked far from a prototypical NFL quarterback relying on his legs much more than his arm, Tebow still managed to win for the second time in three starts this season and put the Broncos (3-5) one game out of first place in the AFC West.

“Honestly it doesn’t necessarily matter too much how you drew it up as long as you get this feeling at the end, because it was pretty special,” he said.

It’s quite a turnaround from a week ago, when Denver was dismantled 45-10 by Detroit and some of the Lions were questioning Tebow’s ability to succeed in the NFL. Broncos coach John Fox was only willing to commit to Tebow for this week’s game. But after the coaches made a few tweaks to the offense, Tebow earned himself another start.

He threw touchdown passes to Eric Decker and Eddie Royal early in the game and then expertly ran the option game that helped the Broncos gain 298 yards on the ground, their highest total since a 300-yard game against Seattle in 2000, and most ever against the Raiders (4-4).

“As long as it worked, that’s all I care about,” McGahee said. “He did a great job as far as reading the ends on what he had to do as far as keeping it or giving it. When I got the ball it was my job just to get some yards.”

McGahee had a 60-yard touchdown run that tied the game on the first play after Carson Palmer threw his second interception for the Raiders, then added a 24-yarder to ice it in the closing minutes. Denver took the lead in between those big runs when Royal returned his first punt of the season 85 yards for a touchdown.

Tebow finished 10 for 21 for 124 yards, but took only one sack after taking 13 in his first two starts.

“I thought he improved throwing the ball,” Fox said. “I think he’s always run the ball pretty effectively. He’s very competitive by nature. You see evidence of that. Now it’s just learning how to be an NFL quarterback. In my opinion he’s gotten better each time out.”

Palmer looked much better in his first start with the Raiders than in his debut two weeks ago in a relief effort against Kansas City. Then, he threw three second-half interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown in a 28-0 loss five days after he joined the team.

With a bye week and this past week to get acclimated to his new team, Palmer showed why Oakland dealt a 2012 first-round draft pick and a conditional 2013 second-rounder to Cincinnati to acquire Palmer after starter Jason Campbell broke his collarbone.

Palmer was 18 for 34 for 312 yards with three touchdowns. But he threw three more interceptions, including one that provided a sudden change of momentum in the closing seconds of the third quarter.

“It’s kind of a crash course the last couple weeks,” Palmer said. “It’s like you’re jamming or cramming for a final or a test. But I just got to continue to work, continue to study, continue to have it down and learn from every opportunity I get.”

With the Raiders in Denver territory, Palmer threw high to Denarius Moore and Chris Harris intercepted the deflected ball. McGahee then ran through a big hole up the middle and outraced the Oakland defense for a 60-yard score. It tied the game on his longest run since a 77-yarder in Oakland in the 2009 season finale for Baltimore.

Tebow did little in the first half besides two big plays on one drive. First he ran 32 yards on an option keeper when former teammate Jarvis Moss bit on a fake.

“We knew exactly what they were going to do and we just didn’t stop it,” Raiders defensive tackle Richard Seymour said. “We knew exactly what was going to happen, and they ran exactly what we thought they were going to run and we didn’t get the job done. That’s the disappointing part.”

Tebow then hit Decker on a 27-yard touchdown pass to make it 7-3. Tebow missed his share of open receivers but didn’t miss Decker, who badly beat Michael Huff on a post route.

The Raiders capitalized on a botched punt to regain the lead. Britton Colquitt couldn’t handle the low snap from Lonie Paxton and threw the ball away to avoid a sack in the end zone. That gave the Raiders a first down at the Denver 14 and Palmer found Michael Bush on an 11-yard score for his first TD with the Raiders.

Palmer bounced back from an interception later in the second quarter with his best pass as a Raider, threading a 40-yard touchdown pass to fullback Marcel Reece.

The Broncos missed a chance at three points at the end of the half when Fox too a field goal off the board to accept a roughing the kicker penalty on Taiwan Jones. Matt Prater then missed a 43-yarder at the end of the half.

Notes: The only other Broncos QB to rush for at least 100 yards in a game was Norris Weese with 120 in 1976 against Chicago. … Denver DE Elvis Dumervil had his first sack since Dec. 27, 2009. He missed all last season with an injury. … Raiders MLB Rolando McClain dressed but did not play with a sprained left ankle. … Broncos S Rahim Moore left with a concussion after the first play from scrimmage.

Updated November 6, 2011

Tebow threw two TD passes and ran for 117 yards, McGahee added 163 yards rushing and two more scores and the Denver Broncos beat the Oakland Raiders 38-24 Sunday.

Even though he looked far from a prototypical NFL quarterback relying on his legs much more than his arm, Tebow still managed to win for the second time in three starts this season and put the Broncos (3-5) one game out of first place in the AFC West.

“Honestly it doesn’t necessarily matter too much how you drew it up as long as you get this feeling at the end, because it was pretty special,” he said.

It’s quite a turnaround from a week ago, when Denver was dismantled 45-10 by Detroit and some of the Lions were questioning Tebow’s ability to succeed in the NFL. Broncos coach John Fox was only willing to commit to Tebow for this week’s game. But after the coaches made a few tweaks to the offense, Tebow earned himself another start.

He threw touchdown passes to Eric Decker and Eddie Royal early in the game and then expertly ran the option game that helped the Broncos gain 298 yards on the ground, their highest total since a 300-yard game against Seattle in 2000, and most ever against the Raiders (4-4).

“As long as it worked, that’s all I care about,” McGahee said. “He did a great job as far as reading the ends on what he had to do as far as keeping it or giving it. When I got the ball it was my job just to get some yards.”

McGahee had a 60-yard touchdown run that tied the game on the first play after Carson Palmer threw his second interception for the Raiders, then added a 24-yarder to ice it in the closing minutes. Denver took the lead in between those big runs when Royal returned his first punt of the season 85 yards for a touchdown.

Tebow finished 10 for 21 for 124 yards, but took only one sack after taking 13 in his first two starts.

“I thought he improved throwing the ball,” Fox said. “I think he’s always run the ball pretty effectively. He’s very competitive by nature. You see evidence of that. Now it’s just learning how to be an NFL quarterback. In my opinion he’s gotten better each time out.”

Palmer looked much better in his first start with the Raiders than in his debut two weeks ago in a relief effort against Kansas City. Then, he threw three second-half interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown in a 28-0 loss five days after he joined the team.

With a bye week and this past week to get acclimated to his new team, Palmer showed why Oakland dealt a 2012 first-round draft pick and a conditional 2013 second-rounder to Cincinnati to acquire Palmer after starter Jason Campbell broke his collarbone.

Palmer was 18 for 34 for 312 yards with three touchdowns. But he threw three more interceptions, including one that provided a sudden change of momentum in the closing seconds of the third quarter.

Read More: Willis McGahee (RB – DEN), Tim Tebow (QB – DEN), Cassius Vaughn (CB – DEN), Quinton Carter (S – DEN), Julius Thomas (TE – DEN), Orlando Franklin (OT – DEN), Virgil Green (TE – DEN), Oakland Raiders, Denver Broncos, Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders, Nov 6, 2011 2:05 PM MST

The Denver Broncos official Twitter account has released their Week 9 injury report, confirming that running back Willis McGahee appears to be recovering and preparing for a possible start on Sunday against the Oakland Raiders. McGahee was among the six players listed on today’s injury report:

Full Participation:
TE Julius Thomas

Limited Participation:
RB Willis McGahee
RT Orlando Franklin

Did not Participate:
FS Quinton Carter
CB Cassius Vaughn
TE Virgil Green

The Broncos offense especially needs the recovery of right tackle Orlando Franklin. Quarterback Tim Tebow has been sacked on nearly 15% of all passing plays, by far worst of any starter in the NFL in 2011. For the Broncos to succeed, they will need to give Tebow more time and keep him from getting skittish.

Starting rookie free safety Quintion Carter missed practice again and will almost certainly miss Sunday’s game.

For more on Sunday’s game, check out Mile High Report, SB Nation’s Denver Broncos blog, and Silver And Black Pride, SB Nation’s Oakland Raiders blog.

Read More: Willis McGahee (RB – DEN), Cassius Vaughn (CB – DEN), Quinton Carter (S – DEN), Virgil Green (TE – DEN), Oakland Raiders, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions

The Denver Broncos recently released their full injury report for Wednesday practices, as they prepare to face the Oakland Raiders on Sunday. A total of six players are listed on the full report, and three players didn’t participate in practice on Wednesday. The full report can be found here, but the list is below.

Full Participation – 100% of a player’s normal repetitions

TE Julian Thomas

Limited Participation – Less than 100% of a player’s normal repetitions

RB Willis McGahee

OT Orlando Franklin

Did Not Practice – Didn’t participate in practice

S Quinton Carter

TE Virgil Green

CB Cassius Vaughn

It’s probably worth noting that it was reported earlier today that Green participated in practice, although the official report says otherwise. Green got hurt against the Detroit Lions last weekend, and still appears to be ailing from that injury.

For more on Sunday’s game, check out Mile High Report, SB Nation’s Denver Broncos blog, and Silver And Black Pride, SB Nation’s Oakland Raiders blog.

Read More: Willis McGahee (RB – DEN), Knowshon Moreno (RB – DEN), Orlando Franklin (OT – DEN), Virgil Green (TE – DEN), Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions

The Denver Broncos recently held their Wednesday practices, and running back Willis McGahee was among those participating. It’s a step forward for the veteran back, whose currently making his way back after having hand surgery recently.

There’s a chance that he could return to the field this week, giving the team more depth at the position after starting Knowshon Moreno at running back last week. Moreno had a season-high 14 carries against the Detroit Lions last week, covering 69 yards.

First reported by MaxDenver.com on their Twitter feed, McGahee was among three Broncos players to return to practice on Wednesday. The other two were tackle Orlando Franklin and tight end Virgil Green, both of whom have been banged up after getting hurt against Detroit.

For more on Sunday’s game, check out Mile High Report, SB Nation’s Denver Broncos blog, and Silver And Black Pride, SB Nation’s Oakland Raiders blog.

There are only six days left until the Denver Broncos come out to battle the Oakland Raiders in O.co Coliseum. The Silver and Black are back from their bye-week and at practice, getting into the rhythm of playing football after their time off.

Head coach Hue Jackson says they are all glad to be there again, working hard and getting on the road to excellence that they’d started, as well as putting the dismal game against the Kansas City Chiefs behind them. Though it’s still too early for any information on injured players, we should know more as it gets closer to the end of this week.

McFadden is a concern, but I still believe he’ll return in time to face the Broncos. The bigger issue is the quarterback situation. Did we get a glimpse of the real Tim Tebow(notes) in Denver’s loss to the Detroit Lions on October 30? He wasn’t able to do much of anything in that game, and as you probably know, the Broncos lost 45-10 after all the hype about Tebow being their latest savior.

The Broncos head coach, John Fox, said he still plans to start Tebow in Oakland. Maybe a piece of good news for the Raiders. The big comeback game that Denver fans got so excited about was a last minute win against the Miami Dolphins, one of two teams who haven’t managed to win a game so far this season.

Either way, I believe we’d still come out with a win, but this one is especially important in order to get that confidence back as well as to take over the lead in the AFC West. After the San Diego Chargers loss to Kansas City on Monday night, the Raiders, Chiefs and Chargers are all 4-3, with Denver sitting at the bottom with a record of 2-5.

I don’t believe we saw the real Carson Palmer(notes) in that second half against Kansas City either. The rumor is that Palmer was only familiar with 15 plays, having been in Oakland for just a few days and he hadn’t expected to be on the field at all. Their newest quarterback had almost no time to get to know the players, let alone get in sync with them.

It’s certainly nice to see another team put in the spotlight after a horrible performance (Broncos/Lions), to get the focus off Oakland’s loss, and now it’s time to move on from the game in week seven. Get ready for the Raiders to come back and shine.

K.C. Dermody grew up in the Bay Area of California, and has been an Oakland Raiders fan from the time she could walk. She has continued her loyalty to the team through its many ups and downs over the decades, and has been privileged to meet several of her favorite players, including famed quarterback, Jim Plunkett .

More from this contributor:

Oakland Raiders Fan: Silver and Black Coming Back Together

Oakland Raiders Fan: A Look Back at the Last Three and the Next Three Scheduled Games

Oakland Raiders Fan: Terrell Owens Doesn’t Belong on the Silver and Black

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For the record:Denver is 2-5, last place in the AFC West. Oakland is 4-3. The Raiders are tied for first place with Kansas City and San Diego after the Chiefs’ 23-20 overtime win over the Chargers on Monday night.

Last week: The Raiders were off. Before the bye, Oakland was blown out 28-0 at home by Kansas City.

Who’s hot: The Raiders’ running game. Oakland is No. 2 in the 32-team NFL in rushing, averaging 159.3 yards per game. That should come as no surprise to the Broncos, who gave up 190 yards on the ground to the Raiders in Week 1. Darren McFadden gained 150 yards on 22 carries.

Who’s not: Veteran quarterback Carson Palmer will make his first start for the Raiders after joining the team in a high-profile trade that could deliver two first-round draft picks to Cincinnati. Palmer, 31, and Kyle Boller each threw three interceptions against Kansas City.

Key stat: Oakland’s defense has 16 sacks in seven games, including five against the Broncos in the season opener. Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow has been sacked 13 times in his two starts this season.

FYI: McFadden had only two carries before suffering a sprained foot against Kansas City. He didn’t practice Monday.

Coachspeak: “I don’t care about Denver’s record. I know they’re a good football team. They’ve got a very good head coach. They’re well-coached. They’ll play hard. Last time when we were in that stadium, we didn’t get it done against a division opponent, so we understand what’s at stake and we’re looking forward to playing.” — Oakland coach Hue Jackson, on his team’s return from the bye week.

Lindsay H. Jones, The Denver Post