PRO FOOTBALL : Offensive Line Rises to the Occasion : Raiders: After failing to open holes this season, it dominates the Broncos and gives Hostetler some breathing room.

DENVER —  If the Denver Broncos did not have an inferiority complex in regard to the Raiders before Sunday, they sure have one now.

“We didn’t need any added motivation to get ready to play them,” Denver tight end Shannon Sharpe said after the Raiders’ 48-16 victory. “There’s really no excuse the way they beat us. They straight out kicked our butts in our own back yard in every phase of the game.”

After the Raiders handed the Broncos their worst home defeat in 28 years, Denver fans rained boos on their beloved Broncos as they left the field mixed with a chant of “Wade must go!” throughout the fourth quarter.

“Obviously, I don’t have the answers or we would be doing better,” Denver Coach Wade Phillips said. “This is certainly the low point for me.”

And losing to the Raiders, which the Broncos (0-3) have done in 10 of their last 11 meetings, is something Bronco owner Pat Bowlen rates with losing four Super Bowls.

After losing three times to the Raiders last season, including a season-ending wild-card playoff game, Denver spent the entire off-season committed to defeating its arch-rivals this year.

From trying to steal Tim Brown from the Raiders, to signing proven veterans such as wide receivers Anthony Miller and Mike Pritchard, and running back Leonard Russell, the Broncos believed that they had upgraded their offense.

To combat the Raiders’ big-play offense, Denver went out and added hard-hitting defensive players such as cornerback Ray Crockett, safety Ben Smith and defensive tackle Ted Washington.

So why did the Raiders dominate so thoroughly Sunday?

“I won’t know until we get to look at the film,” Crockett said. “But I do know they just came out and took it to us.”

When they sit down today and review the game, Crockett and his teammates will find the answer in the Raiders’ offensive line. From the Raiders’ first possession, Don Mosebar, Steve Wisniewski, Kevin Gogan, Gerald Perry and Bruce Wilkerson took matters upon themselves and controlled the game.

After being criticized for a poor rushing attack, the Raiders ran for 53 yards on a seven-play, 58-yard scoring drive. They opened hole after hole for Tyrone Montgomery and Tom Rathman as they gained more yards on the first drive than they had all season.

“We knew they were going to come out and try to run the ball,” Phillips said. “We just didn’t stop them. We just didn’t match up well.”

With the Broncos’ defensive front on the ropes, the Raiders changed things up with play-action passes on running downs. Quarterback Jeff Hostetler had plenty of time to find open receivers, thanks to his front line.

“Our offensive line was determined to establish some kind of running game,” said Brown, who caught seven passes for 136 yards. “They were really gung-ho.”

Once the Raiders’ rushing game started rolling, Denver found itself searching for defensive answers. The Raiders took a 21-3 first-quarter lead and never looked back.

“We played terrible football in the first half and once we tried to fight back, mistakes certainly hurt us,” Phillips said. “We started out playing bad and we lost our poise.”

Said Raider defensive lineman Nolan Harrison: “They hate us and we hate them. I don’t buy the psychological stuff. They came out and tried to beat us. If a team comes out and beats us all the time, our number one priority would be to come and beat the hell out of them. So, it’s better them than us.”