Broncos Romp, Taking Edge in Race for a Bye After overwhelming another overmatched division rival, Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos can turn their attention to more meaningful opponents. Manning threw for 310 yards and had his 30th touchdown pass of the season on the game's opening drive to help the Broncos roll to their eighth straight victory, 26-13 over the Oakland Raiders on Thursday night. Knowshon Moreno ran for 119 yards and a touchdown on a career-high 32 carries, and Matt Prater kicked four field goals to help the visiting Broncos (10-3) move a half-game ahead of New England and Baltimore for the second-best record in the A.F.C. Denver visits Baltimore next week in a game that will help decide who gets a first-round playoff bye. Carson Palmer threw one interception that thwarted a possible scoring chance for the Raiders (3-10) and lost a fumble that set up a touchdown for the Broncos as Oakland lost its sixth straight game, the team's longest skid since it lost six in a row in 2007. Raiders Coach Dennis Allen's father, Grady, died earlier in the week from cardiac arrest. Allen was away for two days but returned Wednesday and coached the game. The game was mildly competitive for only a brief time as the Raiders got on the board late in the first half on a touchdown pass from Palmer to Darren McFadden and then started with the ball in the third quarter down, 13-7. McFadden, returning from a four-game absence to recuperate from a sprained right ankle, broke off a 36-yard run on the first play from scrimmage, but the Raiders" drive stalled in Denver territory and the Broncos took the game over. ROETHLISBERGER TO PLAY The Pittsburgh Steelers are not taking any chances with Ben Roethlisberger's sprained right shoulder and dislocated rib. Although the Steelers confirmed that Roethlisberger would return as the starting quarterback Sunday against the San Diego Chargers after missing three weeks because of injury, he will take the field with a little extra protection. Roethlisberger will play with a custom-fit rib/chest compression shirt and a layer of Kevlar-lined composite in his shoulder pads to help absorb hits to his clavicle and shoulder-joint regions. The padding, made by Unequal Technologies, has grown popular across the N.F.L.