AFC West – Week Six Divisional Recap
It was a topsy-turvy weekend for the AFC West. The winning Chiefs lost and the losing Chargers won. The Raiders continued their downward spiral. The Broncos came back from their bye week to give the Giants their first win. Here is how the AFC West stands after week six.
Kansas City Chiefs 5 and 1
Denver Broncos 3 and 2
Los Angeles Chargers 2 and 4
Oakland Raiders 2 and 4
The Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers at Arrowhead Stadium. The undefeated Chiefs, playing at home, were favored to win, but things didn’t go quite that way.
What Went Wrong
The Chiefs’ offense fell apart. Alex Smith was the second leading rusher with 13 yards, almost half of their total 28 rushing yards. The Defense did not excel either. They allowed almost as many passing yards (245) than the 251 yards the Chiefs had in total offense.
What Went Right
The Chiefs did have some things going for them. Both Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill came back after undergoing concussion protocol. Kareem Hunt led the team in both receiving and rushing. Akeem Hunt collected more yardage returning kickoffs than the team had in rushing yards. He may be underutilized as a running back. In times of difficult you must adapt. This week Kansas City did not adapt.
What is Next
Next week that Chiefs take on their AFC West rivals Oakland Raiders. Will it be another week of David and Goliath with the struggling team finding rejuvenation? Or will the Chiefs feel the need to prove something and destroy the next team in their path?
The Denver Broncos
The winless New York Giants came to the Mile High City. The Giants were without one of their stars Odell Beckham, Jr. The week before the Giants had suffered a brutal loss to the Chargers who had gone into the game without a win. The Broncos were well rested coming off their bye week. Denver had their very special homefield advantage that includes opponents adapting to the high altitude. The Denver Broncos were favored to win. The old adage about “any given Sunday” rang true.
What Went Wrong
Denver was dominated by the Giants defense. Trevor Siemian was sacked three times by Jason Pierre-Paul and a fourth time for a total of 28 lost yards. Siemian also suffered some minor injuries that brought in the once and future Bronco, Brock Osweiler for a few plays. Osweiler collected 18 yards on two out of four passes. Siemian gave up two interceptions, one a pick-six. Add a fumble to the two interceptions and Denver gave away the ball three times to no turnovers by the Giants. You cannot will games if you are giving away the ball.
What Went Right
The highly touted Denver defense lived up to their reputation. They allowed only 266 total offensive yards by the Giants. In spite of his struggles, Trevor Siemian did pass for 376 yards. While ten of the thirty-one passes did go to Demaryius Thomas, the other twenty-one were spread out over nine other players. Denver will keep players fresh and keep defenses guessing by mixing things up like this
What is Next
The Broncos leave Denver and travel to Los Angeles to take on the Chargers. Are the Chargers on a roll and roll over the Broncos? Or will Denver find the team that team we saw in the first five weeks of the season?
The Oakland Raiders
Heading into the game on a three game losing skid, the Raiders felt confident. They were playing a team with only one win and that was against a team with no wins. Their franchise quarterback was back off an injury. It should have been a slam dunk but apparently the stars were not aligned for the Raiders.
What Went Wrong
Taking it by the numbers: There was one rushing touchdown by Cordarelle Patterson and one receiving touchdown by Michael Crabtree. Two interceptions thrown by Derek Carr. Three fumbles. Four punts and five penalties for a loss of forty yards.
What Went Right
With only two players rushing for positive yardage Patterson and Marshawn Lynch ran for more yards than the entire Charger offense. If the Raiders can get more running backs engaged their season will look brighter. Derek Carr completed 70% of his passes. The Raiders managed to keep the game close and spread their scoring out over three quarters. This close loss was a difficult one but showed improvement over the previous three weeks.
What is Next
The Raiders face the Chiefs on Thursday night. Many are still calling the Chiefs the best team in the league. If Carr stays healthy and finds his groove the Raiders stand a chance. This game may tell who is the best in the West, the AFC West that is.
The Los Angeles Chargers
Chargers went to Oakland. They finally had a win under their collective belt and came in confident and prepared. The confidence showed as the Chargers left the game with a 2-4 record.
What Went Wrong
The Chargers passing game was not up to par. Overall this was an abysmal game for rushing. The Chargers only had one player run for more than a yard. With 83 yards, Melvin Gordon accounted for all but one of the Chargers rushing yards. With essentially all the rushing and a lot of the receptions, Charger fans should be sending best wishes to Gordon. If Melvin Gordon goes down the Chargers will be in trouble. Their biggest failure this week was the failure to show any diversity.
What Went Right
The Chargers won two in a row. After four straight losses two consecutive wins is big. Philip Rivers was solid passing for 268 yards with no interceptions including one touchdown pass. Hunter Henry had five catches for ninety yards. Rivers’ favorite target of the day was Melvin Gordon who caught nine passes for sixty-seven yards and the receiving touchdown. The Chargers kept penalties to a minimum and played a respectable game.
What is Next
The Chargers will host the Broncos. Will their momentum continue? Will the Broncos come back strong still feeling the sting of their embarrassing loss? Is it really a home field advantage when the Chargers have not had time to make StubHub Center their home? This could be anyone’s game and it promises to be interesting.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.