Raiders at Broncos

For all the potential reasons for concern going into Sunday’s game (slow starts the two previous weeks against Atlanta and Houston, a decimated linebacking core that would be charged with slowing a tailback who has run roughshod over the Denver defense in recent years, and a four-game winless streak at home against the Raiders), the Broncos handled business on Sunday like a team whose fans should have nary a care.   

After a dominating first half that resulted in just a four-point lead, the Broncos offense erupted in the third quarter, en route to a 37-6 win over the Raiders at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.  Denver quarterback Peyton Manning, who threw a career high 26 incompletions in week three against the Texans, was remarkably efficient, completing 30-of-38 passes for 338 yards and three touchdowns.  Running back Willis McGahee ran for 112 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries and Demaryius Thomas caught five passes for 103 yards, giving the Broncos their first 300 yard passing, 100 yard rushing, 100 yard receiving performance since opening day 2007. 

While Denver’s balanced attack was beyond effective, the Raiders offense, lacking a down-the-field receiving threat in the absence of Darrius Heyward-Bey, struggled to find a rhythm. Although thin in the middle due to Joe Mays’ one-game suspension, the Broncos defense proved up to the task of stopping Darren McFadden.  McFadden, who had rushed for 508 yards in the two teams’ previous four meetings, was held to 34 yards on 13 carries.  Thanks to a barrage of Denver points in the third quarter, the Raiders were forced to take almost exclusively to the air, essentially eliminating McFadden from the offense. 

The 31-6 lead Denver built in the third, thanks to two Manning touchdown passes and a McGahee two-yard scoring run, allowed the Broncos to showcase a pass rush that most consider to be the team’s strongest piece on that side of the ball.  It was the exact scenario that many believed Denver would present often during the course of the season: build a big lead behind the arm of Manning and allow the likes of Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil to “pin their ears back” and apply pressure to opposing quarterbacks, showing no regard for the opponent’s rushing attack.

Two early losses to the (still undefeated) Falcons and Texans, though forgivable, certainly created a sense of urgency last week at the Broncos training facility.  Denver broke the (hardly forgivable) four-game home losing streak to the Raiders, soundly defeated an inferior divisional opponent, and played the complete game that the Mile High faithful have been awaiting since the arrival of #18.

Chargers at Chiefs

In 2011, three teams finished 8-8 in the AFC West.  Had the Chiefs managed a win on Sunday against the Chargers, three teams in the division would sit at 2-2 a quarter of the way through 2012.  Parity appears to have taken a back seat, however, as San Diego posted a convincing 37-20 win at Arrowhead giving the AFC West a definite feel of “haves” and “have nots”, with the 3-1 Chargers and 2-2 Broncos falling into the former category.  

Following their first win of the season, a come-from-behind overtime victory in New Orleans, Kansas City came out flat to start Sunday’s contest.  After allowing the Chargers to march 76-yards for a touchdown and an early 7-0 lead, the Chiefs committed the first of six turnovers (five coming in the first half), as Matt Cassel was intercepted by Eric Weddle. San Diego converted the Cassel miscue into a Nick Novak field goal, the first of 24 Charger points off of KC turnovers. 

Kansas City running back Jamaal Charles, coming off a 233-yard rushing performance against the Saints in week three, had a two-touchdown day overshadowed by two lost fumbles. One Charles touchdown came on a spectacular 37-yard run that started to the right and concluded over the left pylon after the fifth year back out of Texas reversed his field and, in the process, eluded multiple would-be Charger tacklers.  Wide receiver Dwayne Bowe also posted a solid line in the box score, catching seven passes for 108 yards and a score. 

While the Chiefs followed up a noteworthy win last week with an uninspired performance on Sunday, the Chargers did just the opposite, atoning for a 27-3 home loss to the Falcons the week before.  Philip Rivers continued to make a strong case that his interception-marred 2011 was an anomaly, completing 78 percent of his passes for 209 yards and two scores.  Rivers has now posted a quarterback rating of 100 or higher in three of four games this season. 

San Diego running back Jackie Battle, who played his first four NFL seasons with the Chiefs, ran for a touchdown and caught another.  Linebacker Donald Butler intercepted a Cassel pass and returned it 21 yards for his first touchdown as a pro, giving the Chargers a 27-6 lead they would take into the half. 

Statistical Source: www.nfl.com