How can the Raiders maintain their momentum after a win over the Broncos in NFL Week 4?

The Raiders’ first win of the 2022 NFL season could turn into a building block as the schedule rolls along.

Las Vegas, thanks to a strong defensive presence and an equally productive running game led by Josh Jacobs, picked up a 32-23 victory over the Broncos in an NFL Week 4 game Sunday at Allegiant Stadium.

And don’t forget solid special teams play, including punt coverage as Mack Hollins batted a ball back toward the field of play at the 1-yard line where teammate Matthias Farley was able to down it to pin the Broncos deep.

The Raiders got the ball back after a Denver punt and it led to a field goal and a 25-16 lead.

It was a win the Raiders needed after an 0-3 start and before they face the AFC West-leading Kansas City Chiefs in a Monday night matchup Oct. 10 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

The Raiders showed how dangerous they can be when playing an almost clean game while mixing it up on offense.

Such was the case against Denver, as they ran the ball 38 times and passed it 34.

The Raiders need to keep giving the ball to Jacobs, who’s shown consistency through the first four weeks, rushing for an NFL fifth-best 336 yards. He picked up his first two touchdowns of the season against the Broncos.

“He’s one of the best runners I’ve ever been around,” Raiders coach Josh McDaniels said. “I’ve been around some good ones and he has a great ability to make yards after contact. Has great ability to make yards, even if there is not a whole lot there right away.”

A play here or there and maybe the Raiders could have been 4-0, but they sit at 1-3 with the game against the Chiefs next before the bye week.

Running the ball effectively is a key ingredient in the recipe for success for the Raiders, who boast other key weapons on both sides of the ball that they can lean on to turn around the young season.

On the upcoming schedule, they have a run of what should be favorable matchups after the bye, with games against the Houston Texans at home before hitting the road to play the New Orleans Saints and Jacksonville Jaguars.

“Huge relief,” Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams said after Sunday’s result broke the season-opening skid. “I mean, I don’t think anybody was panicking too much, but once you start to lose a certain amount of games, you make it tougher on yourself down the road when you have a hiccup where you know you kind of want to build up some slack early on.

“It’s good to put that behind us a little bit. You still got to go win some games. The standard is to win games. It’s hard to do, but I think we’re headed in the right direction.”

Going the right way eventually will require building a win streak. The Raiders are more than capable of doing that this season.

Raiders sign Blake Martinez

The Raiders signed veteran middle linebacker Blake Martinez to the practice squad on Tuesday.

Martinez reunites with defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, when both were in Green Bay and the New York Giants.

Martinez only played three games for the Giants last season because of a torn ACL.

He has 686 career tackles, along with 13 sacks, three fumble recoveries, four forced fumbles, four interceptions, 18 quarterback hits

Martinez plays middle linebacker, but can play outside as well.

According to Pro Football Focus, Martinez has 50 total pressures with 34 hurries. His highest-pass rushing grade was 77.5 in 2019 with the Packers. In 2020, he had a tackling grade of 81.9. In fact, he played well under Graham that year, finishing with an overall grade of 75.9. His other grades were 75.2 (run defense) and coverage 73.9.

He had a coverage grade 82.6 in 2018 with the Packers..

“He’s one of the smartest guys I’ve ever been around,” Graham said. “He works extremely hard and just developed a great relationship so when the opportunity came in New York, we got a chance to sign him there. He did a great job for me in terms of running the defense, echoing the message from the coaching staff and I just got a lot of respect for him.

“Just to see his growth as he’s gotten older, that’s one of the benefits of our job is you get to see these young men grow up on and off the field. And so, we’ve always stayed close, even when I left Green Bay, we stayed close. When I left the Giants, we stayed close. So, just really proud of him and his development as a man.”

Raiders’ upcoming schedule

Oct. 10 at Kansas City, 5:15 p.m. (ESPN)

Oct. 23 vs. Houston, 1:05 p.m. (CBS)

Oct. 30 at New Orleans, 10 a.m. (CBS)

Nov. 6 at Jacksonville, 10 a.m. (CBS)

Nov. 13 vs. Indianapolis, 1:05 p.m. (CBS)

Nov. 20 at Denver, 1:05 p.m. (FOX)

Nov. 27 at Seattle, 1:05 p.m. (CBS)

Dec. 4 vs. Los Angeles Chargers, 1:25 p.m. (CBS)

Dec. 8 at Los Angeles Rams, 5:15 p.m. (Amazon Prime)

Dec. 18 vs. New England, 5:20 p.m. (NBC)

Dec. 24 at Pittsburgh, 5:15 p.m. (NFL Network)

Jan. 1 vs. San Francisco, 1:05 p.m. (FOX)

Jan. 7 or 8 vs. Kansas City, TBD