Only one game separates the top three teams in this division from each other. The Chiefs are behind the Broncos by only one game, and the Chargers sit in third behind the Chiefs by only one game; then theres the Raiders at 0-9, but I digress. This division that was expected to be dominated by the Broncos is home to three teams looking to make another playoff appearance this winter. It’s hard to believe there is only six weeks of regular season football left to be played after this Sunday, and each game is now more crucial than the last.
So, lets take a look at how these AFC West teams will matchup in Week 11.
Denver Broncos at St. Louis Rams, Sunday, 1:05pm EST
The Denver Broncos are coming off a 41-17 win over the Oakland Raiders in a game that quickly became one-sided and dominated by the Broncos. Quarterback Peyton Manning was taken out of the game early after throwing five touchdown passes in a matter of only 17 minutes. Now, the future Hall of Famer had a slow start to Sunday’s game, throwing two interceptions, but was able to bounce back quickly and recover from a rocky start. The Denver defense also picked up a few turnovers of their own as Derek Carr threw two picks, and Khalif Barnes fumbled in only a play the Raiders would fall victim to. After last week’s rout of the Raiders, the Broncos improved to 7-2 on the year and have maintained their lead in first place of the West.
St. Louis lost their Week 10 matchup to the best team in the NFL, the Arizona Cardinals. The Cards handed the Rams a 31-14 loss as they fell to 3-6. It can be argued that the Rams record doesn’t fit the talent on their team or the way they have played this year. They are in one of the toughest divisions in football, and have come up with some big wins this season, for example, when they beat the usually unbeatable Seahawks in Seattle 28-26. The Rams have also made a change at the quarterback position for this week's game, as Shaun Hill will start over Austin Davis. Hill had been named the starter after Sam Bradford suffered a season ending knee injury in the preseason, then Hill was injured in Week 1, which is when Davis took over. Davis has shown talent on the field, but has also made a few big mistakes including three fourth-quarter turnovers in Sunday's loss to Arizona.
In this particular matchup, the Broncos are the clear favorite. Denver has played extremely well all season behind another great year from their future Hall of Fame quarterback.
Final Prediction: Broncos 35 Rams 21
Seattle Seahawks at Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, 1:05pm EST
The Seattle Seahawks improved to 6-3 after a big 38-17 victory over the New York Giants. Marshawn Lynch had a career game on Sunday with a career-best four touchdowns and a season high 140-yards rushing. The Seahawks did turn the ball over three times, including two interceptions by Russell Wilson, and the Seattle secondary was picked apart by Eli Manning as he threw for 283 yards. There has been a lot of talk about the Seahawks struggles and locker room drama. They were in need of a big win, and a few key performances, and were able to achieve just that last Sunday.
KC maintained their second place lead and has kept pace with the Broncos after a slow start. The now 6-3 Chiefs are coming off a 17-13 win against the Buffalo Bills on the east coast. The Chiefs were down 13-3, but were able to rally for the win behind two key touchdowns, both via the run. KC has won four in a row and are only one game out of first in the West.
The Chiefs have the best passing defense in the league, but are ranked 18th against the run allowing 1,040 yards rushing, and 4.7 yards per carry. Last week the Seahawks won with the run game as both Lynch and Wilson were able to execute on the ground against the Giants defense. Seattle has the fourth-best rushing defense in the league allowing only 3.2 yards per carry, which will bring an interesting matchup with Jamaal Charles.
Overall, this is an intriguing matchup for both sides. The Seahawks have been facing quite a bit of adversity this season, and are looking to build off wins and put the tough times behind them. As for the Chiefs, they are right in the thick of this AFC West race, and a win against the defending Super Bowl Champs would prove they are the real deal and will be a true factor in the AFC moving forward. Homefield advantage could potentially be the difference maker in this one.
Final Prediction: Seahawks 13 Chiefs 10
Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers, Sunday, 1:25pm EST
Everything that could have gone wrong for the silver and black in Week 10 did. After starting off strong, rattling Manning and coming up with a big interception, courtesy D.J. Hayden, the Raiders found themselves with a 10-6 lead well into the second quarter. Then it all went downhill after a 51-yard touchdown on a short pass from Manning to C.J. Anderson. With the Raiders run game nonexistent, as they are ranked 32nd in rushing with only 165 attempts for 559 yards, defenses can now solely prepare for the passing game; and Carr is struggling. The rookie will continue to learn from his mistakes, but he seems to be making more and more rookie mistakes with a subpar offense and poor play calling. Carr threw two picks Sunday afternoon and had trouble moving the offense. Defensively, the Raiders did well for the first half of the game, but wore out towards halftime. Oakland continues to search for their first win of the year at 0-9 with 15 consecutive losses in a row.
The Chargers are coming off a much needed bye week after losing three in a row and falling to 5-4 after an impressive 5-1 start. Philip Rivers has severely struggled the last few weeks, but even more so in Week 9 against the Dolphins where he threw three interceptions as the Chargers went on to lose 37-0, the first time the Chargers have been shutout since 1999. Rivers was benched in the third quarter, which ended his streak of at least one touchdown pass in 28 consecutive games, a San Diego record.
Now, they return home to face a winless Raiders team in hopes of getting back on track and making a run for the playoffs. The last time these two teams faced each other, the Chargers played the Raiders in a close game, but came out on top 31-28. The Chargers are ranked 13th in pass defense, despite being without some of their top corners for a few weeks, which is an advantage for them in this matchup with the Raiders a pass happy team. Qualcomm is home to the Chargers, but there are always quite a few black jerseys in the stands as well. This game is crucial for the Chargers, they cannot lose to the Raiders and fall farther behind in the division. Oakland would love to go into San Diego and take a game from the Chargers as revenge for a game they felt they should have won in Week 6. The Chargers are down right now, and the Raiders will look to take advantage of that, but they have had time to rest up with the bye and will come out swinging to take a must-win game.
Final Prediction: Raiders 17 Chargers 21