Probably not, considering the way the offense floundered and the defense failed to stop the run. Yet nothing the Broncos did in the special-teams phase of the game helped their cause.

Kicker Matt Prater missed two field-goal attempts in the first half and the Broncos surrendered a touchdown on a punt return for the first time in nearly a year, adding to the misery of a 31-10 loss to Oakland.

"A couple of missed field goals and a punt return - obviously, that doesn't help your Football team win," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said. "We moved the ball fairly well, and we missed a couple of field goals."

Adding the six potential points the Broncos could have gained off Prater's misses would have made little difference in the deficit, yet both occurred when three points would have provided needed jolts of momentum.

After the Broncos' first drive was thwarted by a muffed handoff to Peyton Hillis, Denver marched to the Oakland 29-yard line to set up a 47-yard attempt by Prater that would have given the Broncos a 3-0 lead had it not sailed wide right.

Prater connected from 44 yards to cap the Broncos' next possession, but in the final minutes of the half, the Broncos lost sideline containment against Oakland punt returner Johnnie Lee Higgins.

His 89-yard romp gave the Raiders a seven-point lead and was the first punt return for a touchdown surrendered by the Broncos since Chicago's Devin Hester in November 2007.

"That was big on their part. It gave them momentum over us," Broncos tight end Daniel

Graham said. "We just had to play better than we did (Sunday). It's just disappointment."

The Broncos still had an opportunity to recapture some of that momentum before halftime, moving into position for another Prater attempt from 43 yards on the final play of the second quarter. But it missed wide left, continuing an odd trend for the Broncos kicker.

Prater, who declined comment, remains perfect from 50 yards and beyond, making all five of his attempts. Yet Sunday's effort left Prater 3-for-7 on attempts from 40 to 49 yards.

"He's really disappointed. It looks like he's lost some of his confidence," Shanahan said. "Young kickers go through that every once in awhile, and he's going through that right now.

"He was perfect in practice this week, so, obviously, he has to take it from the practice field to the game field. Hopefully, he gets that confidence back."