Two games separate the Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers from the undefeated first place Denver Broncos in the AFC West. All four teams have played hard fought games this season as they look to make their mark in the AFC whether it be returning to postseason play or just gaining some respect in the league.
This week’s matchups bring about some interesting tests for these four teams, and with the standings so close, every game becomes crucial.
Here’s a look at how the AFC West teams matchup for Week 5.
Chicago Bears at Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday 1:05PM EST
Last week, the Bears got their first win of the season with a close 22-20 victory against the Oakland Raiders.
The Chiefs are coming off a 36-21 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler returned to game action last week and helped lead the Bears to a victory.
For the Chiefs, they have lost three straight after opening the season with a win, and although early in the season, it’s beginning to be do or die time for KC.
With the Broncos leading the division at 4-0 and the Raiders and Chargers at 2-2, the Chiefs have to prove they can win these types of games and use the homefield advantage to their benefit.
The KC defense has to attack the Bears offensive line and put pressure on Cutler to create turnovers.
Last week, the Bears dominated time of possession, and the Chiefs can’t afford to let that happen.
Offensively, the KC O-line has to protect Alex Smith. Smith was sacked five times last week against the Bengals. They have to give him enough time to make something happen on offense, and get the receivers involved.
This is a game the Chiefs have to win. They’ve had a few tough losses already this young season, but they need to buckle down and play smart football if they want to have a shot at the AFC West.
Final Score Prediction
Bears 23 Chiefs 24
Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders, Sunday 4:25PM EST
Peyton Manning and Charles Woodson have become the faces of this matchup this week.
Woodson has 62 interceptions in his career, but has never picked off Manning. Sunday he looks to do just that in an AFC West showdown.
The Broncos enter this game undefeated at 4-0 after their 23-20 victory over the Minnesota Vikings last week, while the Raiders look to bounce back from a very difficult 22-20 loss to the Bears on the road.
Sure, the Broncos have one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game in Manning, but their rhythm has been off this year, and they appear to be a very beatable team in these close games.
Denver has a very good defense, and that is what has been carrying them through the first four games of the season. Now the question becomes, is the Raiders offense good enough to beat Denver’s defense?
The Broncos will get defensive end Derek Wolfe back after his four game suspension this week, and they will undoubtedly put the pressure on Derek Carr and the Raiders offensive line.
The silver and black have shown flashes of serious talent with Carr, Amari Cooper, and Latavius Murray, but there were a few hiccups last week.
Defensively for the Raiders, it could be a very long day. TJ Carrie has been ruled out, and the Raiders secondary is pretty depleted as it is.
Manning is more than capable of tearing apart the Raiders corners and it’s up to them to make sure that doesn’t happen.
This is a big test for the Raiders. Division rival Broncos come to town, and this is a game that can either mark the Raiders as contenders or pretenders early on.
Final Score prediction
Broncos 31 Raiders 28
Pittsburgh Steelers at San Diego Chargers, Monday 8:30PM EST
The Chargers will get some prime time action this week on Monday night as they host the Steelers.
Last week Philip Rivers and company beat the Cleveland Browns in a close 27-30 affair. Meanwhile, the Steelers lost a close one to the Ravens 23-20.
Both teams are 2-2.
Heading into this matchup, the Steelers need a vintage showing from Michael Vick, who is taking over quarterback duties while Ben Roethlisberger is hurt.
The Steelers offense will also have Martavis Bryant return after a suspension.
Pittsburgh has one of the best receivers in the game in Antonio Brown which provides a significant spark in their offense.
The Bolts are looking to take advantage of Roethlisberger’s absence, and will have a pick up on offense as well with the return of one of Rivers’ favorite targets, Antonio Gates.
This will be Gates’ first game back since his four-game suspension.
San Diego’s offense has performed very well this year, but the run game has struggled, ranked 22nd in the league.
The Bolts will look to take advantage of a key injury and utilize homefield advantage on Monday Night Football.
Final Score Prediction
Steelers 31 Chargers 35