Raiders Vs. Broncos: Denver Falls Short In Sloppy Game, 23-20

As halftime approached in the Monday Night Football game between the Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos, K Sebastian Janikowski lined up for a 63-yard field goal, which would tie the NFL record set by two people: former Broncos K Jason Elam at the old Mile High Stadium in 1998 and New Orleans Saints K Tom Dempsey in 1970.

As yo can see in this video of Sebastian Janikowski's field goal, he drills it. 63 yards and he clears the uprights by about a yard. 

But was it really 63 yards? Or was it 64 yards? The San Francisco Chronicle has this: 

He and his teammates celebrated on the field, and they might have more to scream about today. The Raiders will appeal the spot of the ball and are arguing that it was a record-breaking 64-yarder.

We'll see, but I doubt this gets overturned, which would result in a new record.

Tying the field goal record was one of three goals Janikowski says he had coming into the league. The other two are playing for 10 years, which he's done, and winning the Super Bowl.

The Denver Broncos have a problem, and a bit of a ridiculous one at that. At this point, it's almost as if Broncos fans are on an endless search for a reason to justify playing Tim Tebow. And on Monday night, during Denver's season-opener, the fans found just the reason, all of 50 minutes into the year.

Kyle Orton didn't have a great game by any means. He struggled at times, most notably with a back-breaking fumble in which the ball slipped out of his hands as the Broncos were driving for what could have been a go-ahead touchdown. And while Orton passed for 304 yards and a touchdown, he also turned the ball over twice in the Broncos' loss.

As the game wore on, the boo birds reach full-throat at Mile High Stadium. It got ugly, with unwarranted, vocal hate aimed squarely at the starter. At one point in the fourth quarter, "We want Tebow" chants were picked up on the ESPN broadcast, despite the fact the former Florida Gator remains buried on the depth chart.

Rarely does a third-string quarterback command the attention Tebow has seen, and it's a bit of a mystifying phenomenon. Despite some of his flaws, Orton made throws Tebow simply cannot. Despite the "he's a winner" argument and his likability, Tebow has yet to separate himself and seize the opportunity to move up the depth chart. In fact, he moved down it.

And so the problem will persist. Tebow will continue to be polarizing, even in Denver, and fans will still clamor for him. No matter what he does, it's unlikely Orton will win over fans dead-set on Tebow. It's a difficult situation that will only intensify as the season goes on, especially if Orton hits a rough patch.

For more on the Raiders head over to Silver and Black Pride. For more on the Broncos, check out Mile High Report. Follow the rest week one of the regular season at SB Nation NFL.

Turns out Sebastian Janikowski's lengthy field goal before the half wasn't just for show. When the Oakland Raiders trotted Janikowski out to attempt a 63-yard field goal in the waning seconds of the half, we laughed and expected he'd make it. He did, of course, capping a 16-point quarter to give the Raiders a 13-point lead.

While the Broncos did mount a charge late, earlier mistakes were too much to overcome. Kyle Orton hit Lance Ball for the touchdown late in the fourth, but it was the throw he didn't make earlier in the quarter that proved costly. As the Broncos were driving early in the fourth, Orton had a man wide open on a throw-back, but he never got the chance to make the throw as the ball slipped out of his hands.

The Raiders recovered and quickly found the end zone, thanks to a 47-yard run from Darren McFadden, setting up a Jason Campbell quarterback sneak for the score. It was, perhaps, a 14-point swing as the Broncos lost a chance to tie or take the lead, falling behind even further at the time.

On a sloppy, slippery field the Broncos and Raiders played a game that was far from pretty, but Oakland escaped with the win. And Janikowski got the last laugh in some indirect way.

For more on the Raiders head over to Silver and Black Pride. For more on the Broncos, check out Mile High Report. Follow the rest week one of the regular season at SB Nation NFL.

At the time, it seemed like a basic play: Kyle Orton rolled to his right and was supposed to throw back to his left. The play itself was wide-open and the Denver Broncos were poised to make a big play. But without any real pressure, Orton watched the ball squirt out of his hands, the result of a re-grip gone wrong.

All of a sudden, the Broncos went from driving for the tie to handing the ball over to the Oakland Raiders. And the Raiders took advantage.

Darren McFadden ripped off a long run, setting up the Raiders at the one-yard-line after being stopped just short of the end zone. On the next play, Jason Campbell took it himself, lunging into the end zone with a push from Michael Bush. In mere moments, Denver watched the tide turn as the Raiders made it a two score game.

With 9:27 to go, the Raiders lead the Broncos, 23-12. And, of course, the "We want Tebow" chants are out in force.

For more on the Raiders head over to Silver and Black Pride. For more on the Broncos, check out Mile High Report. Follow the rest week one of the regular season at SB Nation NFL.

If only the Oakland Raiders had been able to keep the momentum that Sebastian Janikowski and his record-tying 63-yard field goal gave them before the half going. Instead, they came out flat to open the second half and gave the Denver Broncos an easy opportunity to steal back the momentum on Monday Night Football.

The Raiders had a chance to close the door by opening the third quarter with the ball. A four-and-out saw them punt the ball away to Broncos' return man Eric Decker. Decker took the ball from his own ten-yard-line and then ran roughshod through the Raider coverage team for the touchdown.

With 12:31 left in the third quarter, the Raiders lead the Broncos 16-10.

The Broncos are back in the game in spite of themselves. Unlike the Raiders, they're moving the ball. They just can't seal the deal. It's turning into the kind of game where special teams will win or lose it so perhaps that's just how it's going to be.

For more on the Raiders head over to Silver and Black Pride. For more on the Broncos, check out Mile High Report. Follow the rest week one of the regular season at SB Nation NFL.

On the same night when New England Patriots QB Tom Brady tied an NFL record with a 99-yard touchdown pass, Oakland Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski just tied the NFL record with a 63-yard field goal as the second quarter wound down to extend Oakland's lead over the Denver Broncos to 16-3 on Monday Night Football.

Janikowski has been a busy boy in the second quarter, kicking three field goals (37, 21, 63) as the Raiders slowly but surely continued to pull away from the Broncos. Add that to the extra point he kicked after Jason Campbell's touchdown pass and, well, I just hope you have him on your fantasy football team this week.

Meanwhile, Kyle Orton and the Denver Broncos are putting up good stats, they're just unable to convert anything out of it. Orton's interception and Knowshon Moreno's fumble have a lot to do with that.

For more on the Raiders head over to Silver and Black Pride. For more on the Broncos, check out Mile High Report. Follow the rest week one of the regular season at SB Nation NFL.

The Oakland Raiders have taken the lead against the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football on a Jason Campbell TD pass with 13:28 to go in the 2nd quarter to make it 7-3.

Oakland started their scoring drive in the first quarter on the Denver 42. Despite back-to-back penalties, Darren McFadden continued to churn up yards and drive the Raiders down the field.

By the time the Raiders got down to the Denver 10-yard-line, Jason Campbell took over. The QB rushed seven yards up the gut to get down to the 3. From there, he dropped back and hit Marcel Reece for a touchdown catch on the right. A Sebastian Janikowski extra point later and it was 7-3 Oakland.

Campbell is 4-of-5 for 16 yards and touchdown on the night. McFadden leads the Raiders with 40 yards on six carries.

For more on the Raiders head over to Silver and Black Pride. For more on the Broncos, check out Mile High Report. Follow the rest week one of the regular season at SB Nation NFL.

The Denver Broncos got right to work in their Monday Night Football match-up with the bitter rival Oakland Raiders. Though, they took a roundabout way to scoring the opening points of the game, a field goal to make it 3-0.

The Broncos took the ball from their own 20 and drove it up to their own 46 but no further, punting it away to the Raiders. Jason Campbell opened the Oakland drive with a pass to Jacoby Ford, who promptly fumbled and gave the ball right back to Denver on the Raiders 15-yard-line.

The Broncos continued to struggle on offense, moving up to the 10-yard-line before they reached fourth down once again. Matt Prater come out to kick a 28-yard field goal, making it 3-0 and providing a modicum of momentum to Denver.

If they could actually get their offense working...look out.

For more on the Raiders head over to Silver and Black Pride. For more on the Broncos, check out Mile High Report. Follow the rest week one of the regular season at SB Nation NFL.