Going on the road in a short week is a tough task for any NFL team. Now the Denver Broncos get the reward for beating the division rival Oakland Raiders - three extra days of rest before their most important game remaining in the regular season. Peyton 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 Raiders on Thursday night. "These Thursday night games are tough, especially late in the year," Manning said. I know I'm tired. Denver now gets the extra rest before visiting the Ravens next week in a game that will help decide who gets a first-round playoff bye. "It means a lot," cornerback Champ Bailey said. We're probably going to need it. The more preparation you could have for a team like that, the better. It is the team's longest skid since also losing six in a row in 2007. Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning throws against the Oakland Raiders during the second quarter of an NFL football game in Oakland, Calif., Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012. The Broncos won 26-13. "I took my father off life support (voice cracking), and that's not easy to do," Allen said. So was it hard? Yeah, it was hard. But I know my father would want me to be here with this football team, and I wanted to be here with this football team. So I'm sure you guys can imagine it wasn't an easy situation. The Raiders' players talked during the week about rallying around their first-year coach, but came out flat against a fierce division rival and were swept in the season series by the Broncos for the first time since 2006. 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 trailing 13-7. McFadden, returning from a four-game absence for a sprained right ankle, broke off a 36-yard run on the first play from scrimmage, but the Raiders' drive stalled in Denver territory after that and the Broncos took the game over. McFadden later left the game after re-injuring the ankle. Matt Prater's 20-yard field goal made it 16-7. Mike Goodson then made the ill-advised decision to return a kick from 8 yards deep in the end zone, forcing Oakland to start a drive at their 8.