Last week, the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs battled it out on Sunday Night Football in what was the most anticipated game of the season. The Broncos ended the Chiefs undefeated season, beating them 27-17. The Oakland Raiders beat the Houston Texans on the road 28-23, and have created a quarterback controversy in the process. The San Diego Chargers fell to the Miami Dolphins in a tight 20-16 game. This week will bring some interesting matchups as all four teams look to keep playoff hopes alive.
The 4-6 Chargers will face the 9-1 Chiefs in Kansas City this Sunday. The Chiefs had their biggest test of the season last week when they played the Broncos; their toughest opponent thus far. They fell short, but still played well.
The Chargers lost a tough one last week and will look to rebound this Sunday. Not only do the Chargers have to play the Chiefs, but they have to play them at Arrowhead, which is undoubtedly a tough environment for opposing teams; especially division rivals.
After the Chiefs first loss of the season, they will aim to get right back in the win column, and this isn’t a bad week to do just that. With the talent of the Chiefs and the home field advantage this should be an easy win for the Chiefs.
The 4-6 Raiders will host the 4-6 Tennessee Titans this week. Matt McGloin has more than earned the start this week, as Dennis Allen announced on Wednesday that McGloin will get the start. Terrelle Pryor has been back at practice after resting his knee, but McGloin continues to get starting reps; Allen stated that they will monitor Pryor to see if he can be active for this week’s matchup, but McGloin will start either way.
Miles Burris has also been activated from the PUP list for the silver and black, which will add some depth to their defense. The win in Houston was huge for this Raiders team that has struggled on the road for years now, and the victory against one of the top ranked defense, undoubtedly gave them some confidence heading into Week 12.
The Raiders have been a broken record with the fast starts then collapse second half this year, but not that McGloin is leading the offense, they showed poise and the ability to get the touchdowns when needed; not to mention their defense isn’t that bad either. This is a nice challenge for the Raiders, but is a winnable game for them. The Raiders will look to further improve their record and keep some wild card hopes alive, as they are only one game out of the second wild card in the AFC West.
The 9-1 Broncos will take on the 7-3 New England Patriots on Sunday Night Football, in what has become a yearly matchup between two of the best quarterbacks to play the game, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. Wes Welker will also face his former team in which he had much success with; permitting clearance to play after suffering a concussion last week. Brady, however seems fairly confident his former go-to receiver will play.
This is a whole new Patriots team that has struggled at times this year. The New England offense isn’t as explosive as it once was, but Brady is still Brady and continues to do Brady like things. This game will be held in Foxboro, so the home field will benefit the Pats. That being said, the Broncos are on fire and have been unstoppable. Manning will be able to get through the Patriots defense, and the Broncos defense will be able to contain Brady throughout the game. May be a close game, but Manning and the Broncos seem to have the edge this time around.