Around the AFC West: Wins are starting to pile up in the division
Dec 22, 2022, 6:33 AM
The Denver Broncos are feeling better after beating the Arizona Cardinals in Week 15. The result doesn’t matter in the big picture, as many expect big changes to be made to the coaching staff at the end of the regular season. However, it’s nice to get a win and it shows how this team is still fighting with just a few weeks left in the 2022 season.
There’s a good chance the Broncos could win back-to-back games for only the second time this season (Week 2 and Week 3 were victories) as they travel to face the Los Angeles Rams on Christmas Day. Like the Broncos, the Rams have a 4-10 record. The defending Super Bowl champions are out of the playoff picture, and they become the first defending champion since the 1999 Broncos to lose 10 games the following season to winning a title.
Let’s take a spin around the AFC West to see what the competition is up to.
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Kansas City Chiefs
It’s been an interesting two-week span for the Chiefs. They had a tougher-than-expected game against the Broncos in Week 14, and in Week 15 against the Houston Texans (with only one win in 2022), the Chiefs had to go down to the wire to win.
The Chiefs put up 502 total yards to Houston’s 223, but a pair of fumbles by K.C. receivers, a couple of key sacks by the Texans, 102 yards of penalties for the Chiefs, and some missed kicks sent the game to overtime. They won, but the Chiefs continued to show some flaws they need to clean up before the postseason.
Rookie RB Isiah Pacheco has been a fine starter for the Chiefs over the last several weeks. A seventh-round pick the Broncos should have drafted, Pacheco took over in the backfield and now gives the Chiefs a nice 1-2 punch with RB Jerick McKinnon. There also might be more help on the way with the Chiefs lined up for another deep postseason run. Chiefs coach Andy Reid told reporters RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire (ankle/IR) is “close” to a return from injured reserve but is “not ready.”
They got WR Kadarius Toney back in action last week, but he didn’t do much (one catch for five yards against the Texans). They’ll continue to ease him into action, but there’s another wide receiver coming back soon – perhaps as soon as this week. Reid said there’s a “good chance” Mecole Hardman (abdomen) will play in Week 16 against the Seattle Seahawks.
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Las Vegas Raiders
They may still be in the playoff picture, but the Raiders’ chances are slim to none. Out of the seven spots available, the Raiders are 6-8 and ranked no.11 in the AFC. Their playoff hopes are still alive, but they’re hanging on by a thread.
The passing game has some weapons back, more on that in a bit, but things are a bit off track for QB Derek Carr. Raiders WR Davante Adams caught 4-of-8 targets for 28 yards in the Raiders’ Week 15 win over the Patriots. Adams has now been held below 75 yards receiving in three of his past four games and has just seven catches over the past two weeks.
It was good to see TE Darren Waller out there last week – from a fantasy football perspective since tight end help has been nearly impossible to find this year. Waller caught 3-of-4 targets for 48 yards and a touchdown in the Raiders’ Week 15 win over the Patriots. He’s still splitting time with Foster Moreau, but as Waller gets more work he should produce at a higher level – right in time for the fantasy playoffs! The fantasy playoffs may be the only playoff games the Raiders play in this season.
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Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers are the type of team nobody wants to face in the postseason. It seems like they are getting hot at the right time. They have an 8-6 record, and they are no.2 in the AFC West behind the Chiefs. That means the Chargers are going to play on Wild Card Weekend, but any team they face is unlikely to have the weapons they do on offense.
Third year QB Justin Herbert is a superstar. Herbert completed 28-of-42 passes for 313 yards and two interceptions in the Chargers’ 17-14, Week 15 win over the Titans. This is the type of game that the Chargers in the past would lose. For years, the Chargers have been known as ‘chokers’ because of their inability to close out close games with a win. I thought things were shaping up that way for them against the Titans last week, but Herbert led his team to a win. Hell, I thought the week before that against the Dolphins (a 23-17 Chargers win) we’d see Herbert and company find a way to lose. Instead, this team is finding a way to win.
The Chargers have a ton of talent, and if Herbert is healthy, they can go further in the playoffs than some will give them credit for. If they learn how to win close games, the Chargers can be one of the most dangerous teams in the NFL.
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