A weekly update on the AFC West, to keep up with the Oakland Raiders and the rest of the division.
The AFC West took a bit of a beating in Week 14, with only the Chiefs coming out with a win.
That win was over the Oakland Raiders, and put the Chiefs in a tie with the Raiders for best record in the division at 10-3. The Chiefs swept the Raiders 2-0 this season, meaning they hold the tiebreaker and first place for the stretch run.
The Broncos could’ve taken advantage of the Raiders loss and crept closer to the top of the division. Instead, their offense stagnated and their defense couldn’t do quite enough to pull out a victory in Tennessee.
The Chargers — well, they dropped another one, this time in Carolina. It was an ugly game in which Philip Rivers turned the ball over multiple times. Shocking, I know. The Chargers also had two key players in Melvin Gordon and Joey Bosa go out with injuries. Again, shocking.
If there are two things you can count on in this crazy AFC West this year, it is this: Philip Rivers will throw interceptions, and Charger players will get injured in droves.
But let’s get back to the teams that matter in the race for the division title, namely two: the Raiders and the Chiefs.
The Chiefs have a perfect 4-0 divisional record, and own two wins over the Raiders. They’ve got the tiebreaker over the Raiders in any given scenario. The Raiders must finish with a better record to win the division.
The Chiefs, though, must match the Raiders win for win as both teams have identical records. Both have divisional games left; both have road games left.
Last week’s tilt was a hard-fought game, and the Chiefs seem to have the Raiders number recently. It’s only fitting that things in the AFC West are coming down to the wire, with two of the top five teams in football residing at the top.
Dec 8, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) is defended by Oakland Raiders linebacker Cory James (57) during a NFL football game at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Kansas City Chiefs
1st Place – AFC West
Record: 10-3
Last Game: defeated Oakland Raiders (10-3) 21-13 at home
Next Game: home to Tennessee Titans (7-6) Sun, Dec 18, 1 pm EST
The Chiefs defense and special teams have been unreal over the last month and a half. The Chiefs are getting 49% of their scoring from their defense and special teams. That is astounding.
And it was on display again against the Raiders in their all-important Thursday tilt last week. Without Tyreek Hill’s punt return touchdown, the Raiders likely win that game and seize control of the AFC West.
Instead, Hill took advantage of a tired Raiders punt coverage team who were on their second go-around in less than two minutes after a penalty forced a re-kick. That re-kick was poorly done by usually stellar Marquette King, who for some reason booted it right to the dangerous Hill in the middle of the field.
Hill did what he does, making the Raiders look slow and silly en route to a back-breaking punt return TD that put the Chiefs up 21-3 at the time and seemed to have them poised for a potential blowout.
Credit to the Raiders defense for holding the team in it all second half while two Raiders’ fingers caused myriad problems for the offense.
The Chiefs defense was decent but not dominant — it was Derek Carr’s obvious discomfort with his pinky finger and Michael Crabtree’s dislocated ring finger that caused much of the Raiders offensive woes.
The Chiefs, though, clamped down when needed. They are the very definition of a bend-but-don’t break defense. They rank near the bottom of the NFL in yards allowed — yet near the top in points allowed and red-zone defense. When it counts, their defense is stalwart.
Holding the Raiders to six points after three turnovers just proves that. The Chiefs have gotten where they are with special teams and defense, and an offense that does just enough to win but can turn it up If needed.
Their win over the Raiders put them at 10-3 and tied with the Raiders for record, but also gave them the sweep of the season series and any tie-breaker necessary. They’ll need to keep pace with the Raiders to maintain their divisional lead, and that may not be easy.
They welcome in a tough and growing Titans team this weekend, one that excels at running the ball. After that, in week 16, they get the Broncos at Arrowhead and they finish in San Diego.
The Broncos will be desperately clinging to a playoff spot as they are currently up only one game on the Dolphins, Titans and Ravens who are all playing good football right now. They will also have revenge on their minds. This will not be an easy game.
The Chargers may have packed it in by then, and the Chiefs likely win that one. But their next two are not easy, even though they are at home. A single loss gives the Raiders a window to regain the AFC West lead.
Dec 4, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) stands in the team huddle against the Buffalo Bills in the second quarter at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Oakland Raiders
2nd Place – AFC West
Record: 10-3
Last Game: lost to Kansas City Chiefs (10-3) 21-13 in Kansas City
Next Game: at San Diego Chargers (5-8) Sun, Dec 18, 4:25 pm EST
The Raiders blew a golden opportunity to seize control of the AFC West and possibly home-field advantage in the playoffs with their loss in Kanas City last Thursday.
It’s more apt to say they blew multiple golden opportunities, actually.
After being dominated in the first half, the Raiders came out and forced Alex Smith into a bad throw. Interception – turnover in Chiefs territory.
They got a Seabass field goal.
They got another huge play from Khalil Mack to turn the tide of the game and seize momentum on the very next series. Mack strip-sacked Alex Smith and the Raiders recovered in the red zone.
A holding penalty would make it first and goal from the 16 yard line. Three plays later, Marquette King continued possibly the worst game of his career with a fumbled snap on the field-goal attempt.
The Raiders got NOTHING from Mack’s potentially game-changing play.
Earlier in the game, they had recovered a muffed punt in Chiefs territory. They got a field goal out of that one too.
Three turnovers from a team that rarely if ever makes mistakes. Six points to show for it.
Not good enough.
If King maybe had the worst game of his career, Carr definitely did. Forget the numbers (please!) because they were terrible. I mean, less than three yards per pass attempt? Is that even possible with the FORWARD pass?
Apparently, because Carr rode a 2.6 YPA average to a sub-50 quarterback rating despite throwing no interceptions. His pinky finger was clearly bothering him in the bitter Kanas City cold, as he just flat missed numerous throws and sailed a few.
Crabtree’s finger has apparently been a problem for weeks, but was just revealed in this game. After catching a pass in the fourth quarter Crabtree immediately went to the sidelines with what we now know was a dislocated finger.
Though he returned, he hasn’t been that effective over the past five weeks and if his finger has been an issue that long, it makes sense. He’s dropped way more passes than usual — he currently leads the NFL with 12.
However, your MVP candidate QB has his worst career game — both by the eye-test and on paper. Your punter has his worst game of the year in all facets. Your special teams unit gives up a huge touchdown.
Yet you’re still in the game with a chance to tie right until the very end.
That’s growth from this team. That’s encouraging. What’s not is that they had multiple chances to win this very important game, and didn’t seize any of them. Some credit to the Chiefs, who definitely seem to have the Raiders’ number. But this young team squandered opportunity after opportunity.
They can’t do that in any of their remaining games. Being tied with the Chiefs, they need to win out to put pressure on Kansas City to hold the division lead. They’ve positioned themselves very nicely for a wild-card — win and their in — but they want the division.
That’s certainly possible, with a road tilt against the depleted and disinterested Chargers this weekend, a home game against the desperate but flawed Colts, and a season-ending road tilt in Denver against a Broncos team that doesn’t scare anyone but themselves these days.
Dec 28, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller (58) pass rushes past Oakland Raiders guard Austin Howard (77) in the third quarter at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos defeated the Raiders 47-14. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Denver Broncos
3rd Place – AFC West
Record: 8-5
Last Game: lost to Tennessee Titans (7-6) 13-10 in Tennessee
Next Game: home to New England Patriots (11-2) Sun, Dec 18, 4:25 EST
The defense did their job, holding a recently hot Marcus Mariota and Tennessee to only 13 points in Tennessee.
The offense did not do their job, scoring only 10 points and failing to move the ball on the ground yet again. Devontae Booker was supposed to supplant C.J. Anderson and become a break-out star.
In the seven games he’s been starter since Anderson went down in Week 6 against the Chargers, Booker has 115 carries for 290 yards and 2 TDs. That’s a paltry 2.5 YPC average, and a TD every 57.5 carries. Not good.
Consequently the Broncos have struggled a bit, losing three of their last five games while unable to find balance on offense. Trevor Siemian has played better than anyone could have expected, and he’s still a mediocre quarterback.
They have no exciting offensive players outside of Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas, and with Siemian barely able to throw them the ball it’s painful at times to watch. Paxton Lynch isn’t ready. The defense is still great but aging, and getting tired.
The team is in danger of collapsing at the moment. Justin Forsett looks like their best running back option. That says a lot about the state of the union in Denver right now.
And now they get to host the Patriots, perennial powerhouses and Broncos nemesis. Peyton Manning left and took the luster of this matchup with him. Brady-Siemian just doesn’t have the same cache, and neither does this Denver team.
Brady is a magician, and it’s because he’s adaptable. Gronk is his favorite receiver, then Julian Edelman, then whoever. Except, not anymore.
Gronk went out. Edleman has been hobbled — so enter Malcolm Mitchell. The kid is bigger, faster, more talented than Edelman — and taking his red-zone targets. Brady recognized this and said, I don’t care if you’re a rookie. Without Gronk, you’re my new go-to guy in crunch time. Sorry Jules.
Mitchell responded with a touchdown in four straight games and gives the Patriots a big-bodied vertical threat to go with their underneath waterbugs in Hogan and Edelman. Martellus Bennett is great when healthy, but he isn’t.
The Broncos have the D to hang with the Pats receivers — but then LeGarrette Blount comes on in with the hammer. And the Broncos don’t have the horses — hehe — healthy at linebacker to stop him.
The Patriots will probably win this game, making Denver 8-6 and likely tied with the Dolphins and/or Ravens/Steelers for the final wild-card spot.
Based on the way things are looking, 10 wins will be the wild-card cutoff. That means Denver has to win two of their final three games. Can they do it? Probably not, and here’s why:
After this game they get to travel to Arrowhead for a tilt with Kansas City before ending the season at home against the Raiders. So that means the Broncos final three opponents – are the top three teams in the AFC right now. Their combined record is 31-8.
Yikes. It may be a cliche, but it’ll take a miracle right now for that to happen.
Dec 24, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders running back Latavius Murray (28) carries the ball against San Diego Chargers cornerback Adrian Phillips (31) during the third quarter at O.co Coliseum. The Oakland Raiders defeated the San Diego Chargers 23-20. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
San Diego Chargers
4th Place – AFC West
Record: 5-8
Last Game: lost to Carolina Panthers (5-8) 28-13 in Carolina
Next Game: home to Oakland Raiders (10-3) Sun, Dec 18, 4:25 EST
Another game, another cadre of turnovers for Philip Rivers. Once a gunslinger who made more plays than mistakes, Rivers has become the West-coast version of Jay Cutler this season.
Only Rivers looks like he cares. You won’t see any “Smokin’ Philly Riv” memes out there. You may see “Evangelically Angry Philly Riv” memes. Or “Childish Gamesmanship Philly Riv.” But never apathy.
It’s too bad, because this season has gotta hurt. Injuries. Rejection from your city. Rejection from your fanbase. Interceptions. Fumbles. A real sense that nobody cares where the team goes, as long as it doesn’t affect their daily commute.
Shooting yourself in the foot repeatedly in the early parts of the season.
It all adds up to a rich tapestry of garbage for the Chargers, one which they could shroud the Raiders in this weekend if Oakland isn’t careful. It may look like San Diego has given up on their season – and who would blame them – but divisional games are not the norm.
Teams love to beat their rivals. Rivers hates the Raiders. Dean Spanos hates the Raiders. Boltman — the uglier, dumber-looking version of “Duffman” — hates the Raiders.
Raider Nation is indifferent to the Chargers in comparison to the Chiefs or Broncos. But compared to any of the other 28 teams? The Raiders hate the Chargers. Sometimes. When they’re good.
The Chargers this season are good. They’re just crazily depleted, snakebitten, and downright
The Raiders need to win all their remaining games to give themselves a good chance to win the division and at least hold on to the first wild-card spot. The Chargers would like nothing more than to contribute to their demise. They’re missing some key pieces, of course. Brandon Flowers is now on IR.
They get a chance to stick it to the Chiefs too, on the final week of the season. They play the Browns in between so they’ll likely get one more win. But then it’s the Chiefs at home to close things out.
Imagine they either beat the Raiders and lose to the Chiefs, or lose to the Raiders and beat the Chiefs? They can single-handedly determine the winner of the AFC West based on having games against those two in the next three weeks.
No team with so little to play for has so much influence over what may happen in January.
More from Just Blog Baby
This article originally appeared on 
