Let’s start with the injury situation. As expected, Oakland will be without receiver Louis Murphy (groin), tight end Kevin Boss (knee) and safety Mike Mitchell (knee). These players have all be out for an extended period and none of them have been expected to play Monday. Boss was brought in to replace Pro Bowl tight end Zach Miller, who went to Seattle as a free agent.

For Denver, defensive starters Ty Warren (triceps), D.J. Williams (elbow) and Marcus Thomas (shoulder) all will not play. They’ve all been out awhile. Defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley and guard Chris Kuper are among the players Denver listed as probable.

This game will be the debut of two new head coaches in Oakland’s Hue Jackson and Denver’s John Fox. The Raiders have won seven straight games in the division dating back to 2009. And they have owned Denver recently, winning 59-14 and 39-23 last season. That 59-point game was the most the Raiders have scored in their history. Oakland RB Darren McFadden owned Denver last year, averaging 6.2 yards per carry against the Broncos (79 rushes for 487 yards). He had three TDs in that 45-point win.

The Denver defense was the worst in the league last season but moves to a 4-3 scheme under Fox. And the Broncos took pass-rushing stud Von Miller with the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft. Miller and a healthy Elvis Dumervil should vastly improve that defense in 2011.

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