NFL Standings, Week 4: Broncos trail Chargers by 1 game in AFC West

The Broncos moved into second place in the AFC West on Sunday with a win over the Raiders.

Raiders vs. Broncos 2012: Denver wins over Oakland of big importance

The Denver Broncos steamrolled the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, not only winning their first AFC West game but winning it in style. Peyton Manning and the Denver attack were fantastic, piling up over 500 yards of total offense and not forcing Britton Colquitt to make a single punt all game long.

It was a big win in the AFC West, and a big game for a Broncos fanbase that had their worries after two straight losses. Getting the win over the team's biggest rival didn't hurt matters, either.

Broncos blog Mile High Report went so far as to say that the games against the Raiders were of special importance over just about every other game this season:

Sure, this was just the first Division game on the Broncos schedule, but it would be extremely disappointing to lose to the Raiders. I would even go so far as to say it would be a consolation if the only two victories the Broncos got in a 2-14 year, were over the Raiders. That is how important a game this is.

They'll get their second shot against the reeling Raiders on Dec. 6 in Oakland.

NFL Injury Report: Broncos lose J.D. Walton in win over Raiders

The Denver Broncos put together a big division win over the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, but may have lost an important piece of their offensive line for a long time during the process.

Starting center J.D. Walton suffered what appeared to be a fractured left ankle early in the game. Walton needed to be helped off the field with assistance, and a fractured could end his season. Walton was the only player to suffer a major injury for the Broncos during the Raiders game.

Walton is not the only Bronco to suffer major injury news recently, though. On Saturday, the Broncos put safety Quinton Carter on Injured Reserve with a knee injury.

Beyond those two, the Broncos official injury report is populated mostly with minor injuries -- everyone on it except for wide receiver Matthew Willis (hamstring) practiced in some capacity prior to the win on Sunday.

Broncos vs. Raiders final score: Peyton Manning shines in 37-6 Denver rout

Peyton Manning was in top form on Sunday, shredding Oakland's defense for 338 yards and three touchdowns in Denver's 37-6 win.

Raiders vs. Broncos score update: Denver leads Oakland in fourth quarter, 31-6

The Broncos added a few touchdowns in the third quarter to give themselves some separation from the Raiders.

Raiders vs. Broncos score update: Denver leads Oakland at halftime, 10-6

Peyton Manning has been sharp for Denver on Sunday, leading the Broncos to a halftime lead over the Raiders.

J.D. Walton injured leg, won't return for Broncos vs. Raiders

Broncos C J.D. Walton suffered an ankle injury late in the first half in Sunday's game against the Raiders, and will not return.

Raiders vs. Broncos score update: Denver leads 10-3 after first quarter

The Denver Broncos took an early 10-3 lead against the Oakland Raiders.

Raiders Vs. Broncos inactives: Knowshon Moreno won't go for Denver

Denver Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno is again on the inactive list for today's game against the Oakland Raiders after first appearing on the list last week against the Houston Texans. He'll be joined by guard Chris Kuper, defensive tackle Sealver Siliga, quarterback Caleb Hanie, receiver Matthew Willis, linebacker Nate Irving and center C.J. Davis.

The Raiders have listed backup quarterback Terrelle Pryor, cornerback Shawntae Spencer, tackle Khalif Barnes, guard Lucas Nix, tight end Richard Gordon, receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey and defensive end Andre Carter as their inactives for Sunday's 4:05 p.m. ET kickoff in Denver.

Moreno, the Broncos' backup running back to Willis McGahee, fell out of favor and has been replaced by rookie Ronnie Hillman.

Heyward-Bey was hospitalized after a vicious hit last week, and he's been ruled out with a concussion. Gordon will be missed as a tight end and special teams player for the Raiders and their multiple tight end sets.

Oakland signed Carter to the roster this past week to add another body to a struggling defensive front.

This story originally appeared on SBNation.com.

Raiders vs. Broncos: Game time, TV schedule, injury updates and more

The Broncos will host the Oakland Raiders on Sunday at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.

Quinton Carter placed on injured reserve

Broncos S Quinton Carter's season ended on Saturday, as the Broncos placed the second-year defender on injured reserve.

Joe Mays suspension upheld

Denver Broncos linebacker Joe Mays will miss the team's Week 4 game against the Oakland Raiders as he serves a one-game suspension for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub last Sunday.

Broncos sign Mike Mohamed to practice squad

Denver re-signed second-year linebacker Mike Mohamed Thursday, waiving tight end Cornelius Ingram.

Raiders vs. Broncos: Carson Palmer comfortable in Oakland

Carson Palmer is set to lead the Oakland Raiders against the Denver Broncos in Week 4.

Week 4 NFL picks and predictions: Raiders vs. Broncos

Experts weigh in on who will win the Week 4 showdown between the Broncos and Raiders -- and it doesn't look good for Oakland.

NFL odds, Week 4: Raiders vs. Broncos

The Denver Broncos will be playing as favorites when the Oakland Raiders come to Denver.

Willis McGahee injury: Broncos running back says 'all systems go' for Sunday

The Broncos running back practiced on Wednesday, saying he's good to go for Sunday's game against the Raiders.

Keith Brooking to start in place of suspended Joe Mays

Veteran linebacker Keith Brooking will start on Sunday, after Mays was suspended one game for his hit on Matt Schaub.

Broncos injury report: Chris Kuper returns to practice

Denver Broncos guard Chris Kuper returned to practice Wednesday after suffering a fractured forearm back in training camp.

Raiders vs. Broncos: Darren McFadden will be trouble, says John Elway

Stopping Darren McFadden will be a big key to a Broncos win on Sunday against the Oakland Raiders, according to John Elway.

NFL 2012 Schedule, Week 4: Broncos host Raiders, Chargers visit Chiefs

Week 4 of the 2012 NFL schedule sees a pair of AFC West matchups as the Denver Broncos take on the Oakland Raiders, and the San Diego Chargers face the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. San Diego and Kansas City are scheduled to kick off at 11 a.m. MT, while Denver and Oakland meet at 2:05. Both games take place on CBS.

The AFC West race is tight, with the Chargers possessing the only winning record at 2-1. The Broncos, Raiders, and Chiefs are all one game back at 1-2. Week 4 could start to see some teams separate, or bring them even closer together.

Elsewhere around the league, the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens meet at 6:20 p.m. Thursday night in Baltimore on the NFL Network. The Sunday night prime time matchup features the New York Giants visiting the Philaelphia Eagles at 6:20 on NBC. Monday night brings together the Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys in an old-school NFL pairing at 6:30 on ESPN.

For a complete listing of all the games, be sure to check out S.I.'s NFL schedule page.

For more on the Broncos, check out Mile High Report and stick with SB Nation Denver.

Joe Mays suspended, fined for hit on Matt Schaub

Denver Broncos linebacker Joe Mays will miss one game and lose $50,000 for taking off a piece of Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub's ear.

Raiders vs. Broncos: Denver still aims for defensive third down improvement

The Denver Broncos have lost back-to-back games, and if they want a different result against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, one of the things they need to fix is the defense's ability to make a stop on third down, points out Jeff Legwold of the Denver Post.

In its first three games, Denver allowed the Pittsburgh Steelers to convert 57.9 percent of their third downs, held the Atlanta Falcons to 38.5 percent, and struggled again against the Houston Texans, allowing them to convert 50 percent of the time. That leaves them with a 50 percent average, tied for 30th in the league. That's a far cry from what the team was capable of in 2011, when it allowed a conversion on only 33.5 percent of third downs.

Denver's pass rush is a key source of trouble, points out Legwold:

The Broncos have seven sacks this season, and just two have come on third down in anything but an opponent's last possession of the game. Von Miller had a third-down sack and Wesley Woodyard had a fourth-down sack in the Broncos' three-sack flurry on the Steelers' final four offensive plays of the opener.

They sacked Ryan just once -- on a third-and-5 early in the fourth quarter -- and Derek Wolfe sacked Ben Roethlisberger on a third-and-13 in the opener. Those two sacks are still the Broncos' only ones on third down before a game has long been decided.

Elvis Dumervil is one member of the Broncos' defense who could step up the pass rush game. Dumervil led the league in sacks in 2009, but in recent years has struggled with a slow start. He went without a sack for the first five games of the 2011 season and has only one through Week 3 of 2012.

Stick with this StoryStream for more coverage of the Broncos as they prepare for the Raiders. For more insight and analysis, check out Broncos blog Mile High Report. For the perspective from Oakland, check out Raiders blog Silver and Black Pride.

Raiders vs. Broncos: Denver seeks better performance against Raiders

The Denver Broncos and Peyton Manning can return to the winning track with a victory this Sunday against the Oakland Raiders.