Breaking news: More headache for Antonio Pierce ahead of Broncos clash as star DE is now ruled out due to injury.

Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams has been the subject of injury rumors, but missed last week’s action with a hamstring injury. Some have wondered whether it’s a ‘fake’ injury meant to preserve Adams’ value ahead of the November 5 NFL trade deadline, but a report from ESPN’s Dianna Russini cites sources who claim that Adams will not only miss Sunday’s tilt at the Broncos, but that his injury is “real.”

“Teams having conversations with the Raiders about Davante Adams have been informed his hamstring injury is expected to keep him sidelined 1-2 weeks. I’ve been told this is a real injury. He is expected to miss this week, but could be back next week if there are no snags,” Russini reported on X.

The Raiders could be poised to suffer an additional blow with Pro Bowl defensive end Maxx Crosby held out of Wednesday’s practice, according to The Athletic‘s Tashan Reed. The All-Pro is dealing with an ankle injury, which kept him out of Week 4’s action — the first missed game of his NFL career.

Crosby has a phenomenal track record vs. the Broncos and “hopes to return” in Week 5, so if the Raiders end up at Empower Field at Mile High without either Adams or Crosby, it’ll significantly favor the home team. While it’s too early to say for sure whether Crosby will pray, Russini’s report indicates that Denver can anticipate Adams being absent from the Raiders’ game plan.

Broncos Country is sick of the Raiders’ eight-game winning streak over the Broncos. It was one thing to suffer the indignity of Kansas City’s 16-game streak over Denver, but to suffer a mark that’s half of that to a team as hapless as the Raiders is beyond the pale.

Perhaps the stars are aligning for the 2-2 Broncos to get this Raiders monkey off their back.