Around the AFC West: A three-team race is developing
Nov 1, 2019, 6:09 AM
The Broncos are not going anywhere this season. After another loss in Week 8, this time to the Colts, the team is back home to face the Browns in Week 9. After that, they’ll have a much-needed bye week.
The rest of the AFC West has more intriguing storylines. In fact, there is a race for the Division title and two wild card spots that everyone in the AFC West is in – except for the Broncos.
Let’s take a spin around the AFC West to see what the competition is up to.
***
Kansas City Chiefs
Everyone is wondering whether or not Chiefs superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes can play this week or not. He has been practicing, but his status for Sunday’s game is unclear. Kansas City didn’t win last week with Mahomes out, but the offense didn’t sputter as much as some might have expected.
Chiefs backup quarterback Matt Moore completed 24 of 36 passes for 267 yards and two touchdowns against the Packers. Moore is a seasoned veteran with plenty of starting experience, so the Chiefs were able to move the ball but not secure the victory.
This week, the Chiefs are at home – likely with Moore starting again. Moore is going up against a tough Vikings defense that has premiere talent at all three levels. Anthony Harris and Harrison Smith are arguably the best safety duo in the NFL. Danielle Hunter and Everson Griffen make up one of the league’s most dangerous pass-rushing duos off the edge. In the middle of the field, Eric Kendricks is one of the best linebackers on the inside.
However, Minnesota’s corners are vulnerable (even though they are talented). Trae Waynes, Xavier Rhodes, and Mike Hughes are all posting career-low numbers so far in 2019. We’ll see if Moore and the Chiefs can take advantage and get the win to improve on their 5-3 record.
***
Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers beat the Bears in Week 8, but that didn’t stop them from making changes to their coaching staff. With a 3-5 record, the Chargers had seen enough struggles on offense and they had enough.
On Monday, the team fired offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt.
“This is not an easy decision and definitely not one that I take lightly,” Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn said. “You win as a team, and you lose as a team. It’s never about just one person. At the end of the day, however, I simply felt a change was needed at this time. I want to thank Ken for his years of service to the Chargers organization and wish him nothing but the best moving forward.”
Lynn, a former running back for the Broncos, is known to build an offense that runs the ball early and often. The Chargers were failing to do that with Whisenhunt, even after Melvin Gordon ended his holdout and returned to the team.
“There is a narrative that I want to run the ball all of the time. That’s not true. I want to win, and we need better balance. Believe me, I’ll throw it 50 times if that’s what it takes to win,” Lynn said.
Instead of Lynn calling the plays, quarterbacks coach Shane Steichen will have that job. We’ll see if Steichen can inject some life into this lethargic offense, especially when the team gets to the red zone.
***
Oakland Raiders
The Raiders have a 3-4 record and want to make a push for the postseason. There is a possibility they can do that if a couple of their star players stay healthy. Both wide receiver Tyrell Williams and running back Josh Jacobs are battling through injuries right now.
Williams caught three of his six targets for 91 yards and a touchdown in Week 8 against the Texans. In doing so, he tied a franchise record by catching a touchdown in his first five games with the team. He had missed a couple of games this year due to a foot injury, but did look back to his normal self in Week 8. Williams didn’t get his normal amount of snaps, but he still got plenty of targets and produced for his team.
Jacobs, one of Oakland’s 2019 first-round picks, has been a revelation as their starter. He’s tough and can wear down an opponent, but he’s currently limited in practice with a shoulder injury. This problem has been with him for a couple of weeks, and Jacobs ran the ball 15 times for 66 yards in Week 8 against the Texans. He also caught both of his targets for 15 yards. We’ll see if limiting him in practice helps him perform better in Week 9 against the Lions.
