Chiefs and Chargers jockey for playoff seeds; Raiders found a QB?

The Denver Broncos have one game left in their lost season. If they lose on Sunday to the Los Angeles Chargers, the Broncos will have lost more games (13) than any season since they came into the NFL. The Broncos are playing better football under interim head coach Jerry Rosburg, and a win over the Chargers would feel good after a year of mostly losing.

The Chargers may not be able to improve their playoff positioning with a win. Thus, they may choose to rest some of their starters as they prepare for what they hope is a deep postseason run. A win is a win, so if the Broncos beat a Chargers team resting starters it all looks the same in the record book. Meanwhile, the Chiefs are getting playmakers back before the postseason and the Raiders are trying to figure out what they have in a young quarterback.

Let’s take a spin around the AFC West to see what the competition is up to.

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Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs are going to be playing on Wild Card Weekend. They won’t be able to catch the Buffalo Bills for the No. 1 seed, so the Chiefs will be hosting a playoff game. The Broncos played them tough last week, and Chiefs fans should hope that other teams don’t try to emulate with the Broncos did on defense to slow down the high-powered Chiefs offense.

WR Kadarius Toney was back in action last week against the Broncos. The former first-round pick is one of the most explosive players in the league. He made it through the game against the Broncos, and he’s looking to finish the season on a high note. If healthy, Toney will be a dangerous weapon for the Chiefs.

Chiefs WR Mecole Hardman (pelvis) was activated from the Reserve/Injured list on Wednesday, Jan. 4. The activation comes right on time as the Chiefs prepare for the postseason. The Chiefs designated Hardman for return from IR on December 14th, with his activation coming right at the 21-day deadline. Hardman plays a role like Toney, so the Chiefs can ease him into action so long as Toney (who seems to battle hamstring problems often) is healthy.

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Las Vegas Raiders

Did the Raiders find a quarterback in Jarrett Stidham? A fourth-round pick of the New England Patriots in the 2019 NFL Draft, Stidham is now starting for the Raiders since they told QB Derek Carr to stay away. Stidham was drafted by a team with Josh McDaniels on staff (as the Patriots OC), so he knows the system and what is expected of him as the starter. He’s barely played during his pro career, with only 100 snaps played (including zero snaps in 2021) entering the 2022 season. His 70 snaps in Week 17 as the Raiders’ starter almost doubled the number of snaps he’s been on the field for in the NFL.

Stidham went 23-of-34 passing for 365 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. He did flash during that game against the San Francisco 49ers, but it was a bad throw that led to a winning field goal for the 49ers late in the game. Stidham was on the injury report to begin the week, but he’s expected to start in the season finale against the Chiefs. If he plays well, cutting down on the turnovers, Stidham could work himself into a competition for the starting job in training camp next year. It helps the young quarterback that one of the Raiders’ top targets wants to stick around next season.

Raiders WR Davante Adams said he wants to return to the team next season regardless of the status of Carr. ‘Yeah, absolutely, I wouldn’t have been here or ended up here, originally, probably if Derek wasn’t here,’ Adams said Wednesday, Jan. 4. ‘But that doesn’t necessarily mean that I won’t be here in the event that he’s not here.’ Adams and Carr were college teammates at Fresno State, so it’s a bit surprising the superstar wide receiver wants to stay with an unknown quarterback situation facing him currently.

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Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers seem to be surging at the right time. They have not lost since Week 13, and the Chargers were easily able to beat the Los Angeles Rams in Week 17 by a score of 31-10. While the Rams waxed the Broncos in Week 16, the Chargers were able to do whatever they wanted to against their defense.

With a weapon like RB Austin Ekeler, the Chargers can beat you on the ground or through the air. They have a collection of talented wide receivers like Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, but it’s Ekeler’s ability that makes them go. Ekeler may be the best running back in the league, and he is certainly one of the most explosive players on their roster. With Ekeler gashing opponents as a runner or receiver out of the backfield, it sets up the rest of the offense to thrive.

Chargers QB Justin Herbert (shoulder) fully participated in practice Wednesday, Jan. 4. If he does play against the Broncos, and if there’s nothing to play for, the Chargers may choose to shut down Herbert at some point in the second half. In fact, Herbert may only play a quarter if the team wants him to get more rest before they make a run at the Super Bowl. With the way the Chargers are built, they can hang with the best of the best in the AFC. They are a team nobody wants to face because they’re tough to slow down if they get hot.

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