ALAMEDA, Calif. -- Call it the first impression the Denver Broncos didn't want to make in the football new year, but after an offseason of planning, adding new players like quarterback Joe Flacco and saying better days were ahead on offense the first play from scrimmage in the new season went for ... minus-5 yards.
And while the Broncos did eventually scratch and claw in the second half to show a little backbone in a 24-16 loss to the Oakland Raiders, their inability to close the deal for touchdowns is now more than just last year's problem and one that's carried over from the preseason.