After six games we were talking about the Denver Broncos as being the cream of the crop in not just the AFC West, but also, potentially, in the NFL. Eight games later, Denver has not only lost the division title to the San Diego Chargers, again, but are flirting with major disaster. Sunday’s 20-19 stunning loss at home to the Oakland Raiders won’t do anything to squash fear of yesteryear with a tough road game at Philadelphia on the docket this week.

Passing offense: B-
Kyle Orton was an efficient 19-of-34 for 278 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. The touchdown, along with six other passes, went to standout wide receiver Brandon Marshall. But the Broncos still need to find a consistent secondary target to go with Marshall. Without one, teams can double-team Marshall and force Orton to throw into coverage.

Rushing offense: D
Knowshon Moreno may be a first-round draft pick, but when he’s forced to carry the load, like he was Sunday, he hasn’t always been productive. That was the case against the Raiders. Moreno got just 42 yards on 19 carries, a 2.2 yards-per-carry average. Lamont Jordan averaged 5.4 yards per carry, but he only got five carries. Peyton Hillis remains, whether Josh McDaniels will say so or not, in the doghouse.

Passing defense: B-
Denver’s secondary certainly didn’t play poorly against the pass, not with the likes of Charlie Frye, Jamarcus Russell and J.P. Losman heaving the ball. Oakland was just 14-of-29 passes for 115 yards and an interception. But the one pass everybody will remember is Russell’s 10-yard strike to Chaz Schilens with 35 seconds remaining that gave the Raiders a second straight win at Invesco Field.

Rushing defense: F
The Broncos were obliterated by Oakland’s ground attack -- no two ways about it. Be it Michael Bush (18 carries, 140 yards, TD), Darren McFadden (12-74), Frye (1-26) or Justin Fargas (3-8), the Raiders had their way with Denver’s front seven. It was Oakland’s run that set up the Raiders to pull another stunning upset, like they did against Cincinnati, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh earlier this season. Denver’s defense, be it against Baltimore and Pittsburgh to name two teams, has struggled to stop the run.

Special teams: B
Maybe the lone highlight of Denver’s game was the play of Matt Prater. Because Denver couldn’t punch the ball into the end zone, the Broncos kicker was called on to boot four field goals, including chip-shots of 21 and 23 yards. He also booted 43 and 51 yarders. Mitch Berger was his typical OK punting the ball, averaging 36 yards. Kenny McKinley and Eddie Royal combined to average 11 yards on four punt returns, but Denver had few opportunities, thanks to four Sebastian Janikowski kickoffs into the end zone, to do much on kick returns.

Coaching: F
Yes, the Raiders have those previously-mentioned wins over the Eagles, Bengals and Steelers, but they also have losses to the Washington Redskins and Kansas City Chiefs. A game the Broncos needed, expected, to have is now a very crucial setback with two weeks remaining. Denver still controls its own destiny to get one of the two wild card spots in the AFC, but Josh McDaniels, the hot-shot coach to start the year, is starting to show his inexperience as of late, and the Broncos, as a result, are flirting with another late-season collapse that cost the team a postseason spot in 2006 and 2008.

-- MICHAEL HICKS