After nine games so far this season, every team in the AFC West has five wins now. Let’s get into a more in-depth analysis of each of the four teams!
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders come into another tough week not only on the field but off of it as well, as 2020 first-round pick WR Henry Ruggs got into a fatal car crash last week and has since been released. This comes only weeks after the departure of former HC Jon Gruden, leaving the Raiders organization stunned as they continue to fight through this season.
However, heading into Week 9, the Raiders were atop the AFC West and also three-point favorites heading to New York to take on the Giants. That seemed to be true in the first half, as Las Vegas went into the half up 13-10. However, QB Derek Carr’s two interceptions (one of which was returned for a touchdown) in the second half ultimately trumped the rest of the Raiders’ efforts. LB Denzel Perryman led the way on defense with 10 total tackles and DE Yannick Ngakoue finished off an impressive day with two sacks as the defense only allowed two touchdowns on the day. Carr showed his leadership in the loss after the game by saying that it is “on him” and that he has to be “a better player”. The loss drops Las Vegas to 5-3 and second place in the AFC West with a 2-2 record within the division. They’ll have a chance to improve that division resume next weekend against the Chiefs. Final Score: 23-16, L.
New Injury Report– 1. Questionable for Week 10: DB Keisean Nixon (ankle) and LB Nick Kwiatkoski (ankle). 2. DL Darius Philon (ankle) also left the game but he should be good to return next week without an injury designation.
*Breaking News*: CB Damon Arnette becomes the latest Raiders-related issue for fans to deal with, as he has been released after a video surfaced of him making death threats while handling a gun. Additionally, he will face some lawsuits regarding a car accident that he was also involved in. What a tumultuous few weeks (almost a month) it has been for the Raiders, yet they are continuing to put up a great fight on the field!
Next Game: Las Vegas Raiders vs. Kansas City Chiefs- Sunday, November 14 at 8:20 PM ET.
Denver Broncos
On Sunday, the Broncos ran wild through Texas as they made a stop in Dallas to handle some Cowboys. QB Teddy Bridgewater outdueled fellow QB Dak Prescott in an improbable win, leaving a nasty taste in the mouth of the Dallas fans. The offense was churning on all cylinders as the Broncos went up by 16 in the first half (16-0), adding another two scores in the second half en route to a second straight win. RB Javonte Williams carried the ball 17 times for 111 yards, while RB Melvin Gordon picked up 80 yards on the ground, another 15 through the air, and one rushing TD. The defense, who were supposed to take a step back after losing all-time Bronco great LB Von Miller, shut down the Cowboys and did not give up any points until the end of the fourth quarter. This may be slightly due to the fact that this was Prescott’s first game back after injury, but the Broncos just made it that much harder for other teams to win the AFC West as they now sit in third place with bad intentions for first place! Final Score: 30-16, W.
New Injury Report– 1. Questionable for Week 10: CB Patrick Surtain II (knee), DT McTelvin Agim (knee), OLB Malik Reed (hip), T Garett Bolles (ankle). 2. QB Drew Lock (illness) was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list. 3. G Graham Glasgow (ankle) will be expected to return in Week 13. 4. T Bobby Massie (ankle) is doubtful for Week 10.
Next Game: Denver Broncos vs. Philadelphia Eagles- Sunday, November 14 at 4:25 PM ET.
Kansas City Chiefs
In the game of the week on Sunday night, the Chiefs took on the Rodgers-less Packers in a low-scoring affair. The big thing that sticks out in this game was the Chiefs defense, which only allowed seven points (at the end of the game, at that), to the high-powered offense of Green Bay. The running game was obviously the main focus of the Packers game plan, and the Chiefs took advantage of that by limiting RB AJ Dillon to only 53 rushing yards (he did also have 44 receiving yards) and RB Aaron Jones to 46. Veteran safety Tyrann Mathieu had the only sack of the day for the Chiefs, but the defense proved that they weren’t pushovers against a young QB like Jordan Love.
The offense, however, continued to struggle, as they only scored one touchdown and gained 237 yards of total offense in the entire game. It is hard to direct the blame to just one player when the entire offense just seems too unproductive. TE Travis Kelce and WR Tyreek Hill have only had two games with 100+ receiving yards this season, a stat in which Kelce led all TEs last season. QB Patrick Mahomes looked a little more comfortable behind his atrocious offensive line but he only ended up throwing for 166 yards and one touchdown. A win is a win, however, and the Chiefs will certainly use it to carry momentum into the tough division matchup they have in Week 10. Final Score: 13-7, W.
New Injury Report– RT Lucas Niang (ribs) left the game in the first half. He is questionable for Week 10.
Next Game: Kansas City Chiefs @ Las Vegas Raiders- Sunday, November 14 at 8:20 PM ET.
Los Angeles Chargers
Coming off of a much-needed bye week, the Chargers flew to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles. This game came down to the second-year QBs and who had the ball last. QB Jalen Hurts dissected the banged-up LA secondary in the second half, as he answered two Charger touchdowns. That being said, newly-signed K Dustin Hopkins finished the game that was not of the typical Chargers’ playing style by hitting a go-ahead, game-winning field goal (making up for an earlier missed extra point). The Chargers’ run defense didn’t look up to par, as they gave 176 rushing yards. DE Joey Bosa made some noise with a sack (as well as the team’s only TFL and QB hits), but the rest of the d-line has to step up if they want to do more than win the AFC West. QB Justin Herbert and the offense rekindled the flame that they had earlier in the season with 445 total yards.
HC Brandon Staley proves his confidence in the offense every week by going for it on fourth down and, after missing two early on in the game, the Chargers converted the final two in the crucial closing minutes of the game. Herbert bounced back from his previous underwhelming performance with 356 passing yards and three total touchdowns, giving him more 300-yard games in his first two seasons than any other NFL QB. With two early divisional wins against the Chiefs and the Raiders, the Chargers are sitting at the number one spot in the AFC West. Final Score: 27-24, W.
New Injury Report– 1. CB Ryan Smith (knee- ACL) left the game in the fourth quarter. While he is listed as ‘out for Week 10’, it has been confirmed that he will miss the rest of the season, even if he hasn’t been placed on IR yet. 2. DB Alohi Gilman (ankle) is questionable for Week 10.
Next Game: Los Angeles Chargers vs. Minnesota Vikings- Sunday, November 14 at 4:05 PM ET.
Sources
- https://www.espn.com/nfl/boxscore/_/gameId/401326460
- https://www.espn.com/nfl/game/_/gameId/401326461
- https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/K/KelcTr00/gamelog/2020/
- https://www.espn.com/nfl/boxscore/_/gameId/401326455
- https://www.espn.com/nfl/boxscore/_/gameId/401326459
Edited By: Rupayan “Abs” Samanta.
