By
Hailee Miguel on Saturday, September 19
th 2015
It was a successful Week 1 for three of the four AFC West teams as they each started the season with victories, the Oakland Raiders were the only team in the division to lose their first matchup of the year.
Every season this appears to be an intriguing division marked with talent, and 2015 is no exception.
Before getting to the Raiders and Chargers matchups this week, here’s a quick recap on the AFC West showdown between the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs that took place on Thursday night.
Both the Broncos and Chiefs have their eyes set on postseason play, and despite a messy start, this game was one for the books.
Peyton Manning got off to a slow start, but by game’s end, silenced the doubters in stunning fashion as the Broncos came back to win the game 31-21.
Turnovers played a key factor in this game, by both teams, but none more costly than Jamaal Charles’ fumble in the final seconds of the game, which allowed Bradley Roby to take it in for the touchdown sealing a victory for the Broncos as they begin the season 2-0, and the Chiefs fall to 1-1.
Now, here’s a look at Sunday’s AFC West matchups.
San Diego Chargers at Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday 1:05 p.m. EST
The Chargers are 1-0 after coming back in Week 1 to defeat the Detroit Lions 33-28. This week they face a Bengals team coming off a dominating performance against the Oakland Raiders in which they won 33-13.
Philip Rivers and company always seem to find a way to stay in games and pull off wins when they aren’t expected to. The Lions got off to a good start, but the Chargers battled and found a way to win.
Keenan Allen had a big Week 1, and the Chargers will need him to have another stellar performance against the Bengals in Cincy.
The Chargers defense will have their hands full with A.J. Green, and a strong rush attack with Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard. The defensive front will have to put an end to the ground game quick in this one.
Final Score Prediction
Chargers 20 Bengals 24
Baltimore Ravens at Oakland Raiders, Sunday 4:05 p.m. EST
The Raiders didn’t start the 2015 season as they’d hoped. The Jack Del Rio era began with the Raiders looking like the Raiders of old. They simply couldn’t do anything offensively or defensively. The Bengals dominated in every aspect in their 33-13 victory, leaving the Raiders in the losing column yet again.
Quarterback Derek Carr left the game with a bruised thumb, but luckily for the silver and black he has been practicing all week and is slated to make the start. Charles Woodson was also diagnosed with a dislocated shoulder, but has been practicing and may play Sunday afternoon.
The Ravens are one of the better teams in the league, and despite their Week 1 loss to the Broncos, they looked like a contending team.
Led by Joe Flacco, the Ravens will look to score quick and dominate this game from the get-go.
It is crucial for the Raiders offense to move the ball and execute in the red zone, something they were unable to do in Week 1.
Oakland also has a solid pass rush, but did not execute a blitz against the Bengals. They must attack Flacco to rattle him and throw him off his game early on if they want to have a shot at an upset.
Final Score Prediction
Ravens 26 Raiders 17