AFC West Roundup

[MileHigh64]

Good start for all AFCW teams, really. Even the 0-1 Chargers showed that they still have some fight left in them. Losing Keenan Allen could be their death blow, however.

I still think the AFCW will be the tightest race it's been in years. No doubt in my mind that the Broncos are still the class of the division and have a slight edge. However, I'm one that truly believes that the Chiefs and Raiders closed the gap significantly in the last two years.

I could see the season having two teams tied at 10-6 and another right below at 9-7. I just don't see a 12 game or more winner this year coming out of the AFCW.

Incredibly hard to predict after only one week into a new season. I certainly hope that the Broncos can get to 11 or 12 wins this year. Injuries for all four teams will be the great equalizer, as usual.

 

[iknowftbll]

My predictions for the AFC West games in Week 2:

Broncos vs Colts: All signs indicate the Broncos should win this game. And we've all seen this story before, right? The Colts just seem to get up for games against the Broncos. A big part of me wants to believe the "Manning factor" narrative. Key is this: that Colts defense is nothing special and while their offense is good, it's nothing near as dynamic as the Panthers. They don't have the run game the Panthers have, though Luck can get out of the pock and if he does and takes off, look out. The Broncos moved the ball well against the Panthers, but scuttled their own efforts with some turnovers, all of which were within FG range. Keep in mind two things: 1) The Colts defense is nowhere close to as good as the Panthers and 2) the Broncos offense is still very much a work in progress. What this means to us is we can expect them to move the ball well, maybe cash in on some of those drives that ended in turnovers last week, but should probably still expect some setbacks throughout the game. Expect a big day on the ground and ~200 passing yards from Siemian. If the defense plays the whole game the way they played the second half last week, the Broncos won't have any problems. Broncos 27, Colts 10.

Chiefs @ Texans: From the Texans perspective, this game has got to loom large. The Chiefs went into Houston in week 1 and handed the Texans a 27-20 loss. They followed that up with a 30-0 win in the playoffs. The Texans defense didn't get a lick of help from their offense in that game, and the Texans brain trust has taken note. In addition to adding Brock Osweiler this past off season the Texans drafted WR Will Fuller to go alongside DeAndre Hopkins. While Oz is still a bit of an unknown relative to the contract he was awarded, he is definitely an upgrade over the QB by committee the Texans trotted out last year. And that WR duo is very promising. Meanwhile the Chiefs stormed back for a 33-27 OT win over the Chargers after finding themselves in a 24-3 hole. That Chiefs offense really does look better this year, slow start against the Chargers notwithstanding; but their defense looks to have regressed significantly. In fact, until Allen went down with the ACL injury, the Chiefs really didn't have an answer for the Chargers on defense. I suspect that new-look Texans offense is going to get some licks in this week. And unlike the Texans, the Chiefs don't really appear to have the answers on defense. Texans 31, Chiefs 23.

Raiders vs Falcons: Take everything about the Raiders week 1 win over the Saints with a grain of salt. The fact that the Raiders scored 35 points...it was the Saints defense so forgive me if I am not ready to proclaim the Raiders champions in 3 of the next 7 Super Bowls the way a few of their fans seem to be. Or how about the fact they allowed 34 points? I'll withhold judgement considering the Saints are still a great offense and this was on their turf. And behind all of this is the fact that it was week 1 where a lot of mysterious stuff often happens before water finds its level on the season. The Raiders may end up another mediocre team (which would be a huge upgrade for them) but they just may have a few bright spots this season too. They face off against a Falcons team that is not as explosive on offense as the Saints, but a little better on defense. I consider that marginalized by the fact that this is the Raiders home opener and after a ballsy win on the road, the home crowd is going to be into this one. Still, Matt Ryan and the Falcons are not going to just roll over for this one, especially after a home loss in week 1. That Raiders defense is going to have its hands full, but their offense will make the difference. Raiders 31, Falcons 27.

Chargers vs Jaguars: Let's be up front with one truth here: there are no moral victories in the NFL. Having said that, when an up and coming team like the Jags can take an established contender like the Packers to the wire it may be worth taking note. (Then again, it may just be week 1, where anything is a possibility.) The Jaguars have been stockpiling pretty solid talent on both sides of the ball for a couple seasons now and a lot of people seem to think this is the year it all comes together. On the Chargers side of this equation you have a team that nobody expected to win last week go into Kansas City and take the Chiefs to OT. Their resiliency after giving up a 24-3 lead and losing their #1 WR will be tested this week. I'll give their defense a lot of credit for stifling an under-rated Chiefs offense as long as they did, but their inability to close has me really doubting this team's ability. Jaguars 28, Chargers 27.

The AFC West standings after week 2:

Broncos: 2-0
Raiders: 2-0
Chiefs: 1-1
Chargers: 0-2

 

[cdumler7]

My predictions for the AFC West games in Week 2:

Broncos vs Colts: All signs indicate the Broncos should win this game. And we've all seen this story before, right? The Colts just seem to get up for games against the Broncos. A big part of me wants to believe the "Manning factor" narrative. Key is this: that Colts defense is nothing special and while their offense is good, it's nothing near as dynamic as the Panthers. They don't have the run game the Panthers have, though Luck can get out of the pock and if he does and takes off, look out. The Broncos moved the ball well against the Panthers, but scuttled their own efforts with some turnovers, all of which were within FG range. Keep in mind two things: 1) The Colts defense is nowhere close to as good as the Panthers and 2) the Broncos offense is still very much a work in progress. What this means to us is we can expect them to move the ball well, maybe cash in on some of those drives that ended in turnovers last week, but should probably still expect some setbacks throughout the game. Expect a big day on the ground and ~200 passing yards from Siemian. If the defense plays the whole game the way they played the second half last week, the Broncos won't have any problems. Broncos 27, Colts 10.

Chiefs @ Texans: From the Texans perspective, this game has got to loom large. The Chiefs went into Houston in week 1 and handed the Texans a 27-20 loss. They followed that up with a 30-0 win in the playoffs. The Texans defense didn't get a lick of help from their offense in that game, and the Texans brain trust has taken note. In addition to adding Brock Osweiler this past off season the Texans drafted WR Will Fuller to go alongside DeAndre Hopkins. While Oz is still a bit of an unknown relative to the contract he was awarded, he is definitely an upgrade over the QB by committee the Texans trotted out last year. And that WR duo is very promising. Meanwhile the Chiefs stormed back for a 33-27 OT win over the Chargers after finding themselves in a 24-3 hole. That Chiefs offense really does look better this year, slow start against the Chargers notwithstanding; but their defense looks to have regressed significantly. In fact, until Allen went down with the ACL injury, the Chiefs really didn't have an answer for the Chargers on defense. I suspect that new-look Texans offense is going to get some licks in this week. And unlike the Texans, the Chiefs don't really appear to have the answers on defense. Texans 31, Chiefs 23.

Raiders vs Falcons: Take everything about the Raiders week 1 win over the Saints with a grain of salt. The fact that the Raiders scored 35 points...it was the Saints defense so forgive me if I am not ready to proclaim the Raiders champions in 3 of the next 7 Super Bowls the way a few of their fans seem to be. Or how about the fact they allowed 34 points? I'll withhold judgement considering the Saints are still a great offense and this was on their turf. And behind all of this is the fact that it was week 1 where a lot of mysterious stuff often happens before water finds its level on the season. The Raiders may end up another mediocre team (which would be a huge upgrade for them) but they just may have a few bright spots this season too. They face off against a Falcons team that is not as explosive on offense as the Saints, but a little better on defense. I consider that marginalized by the fact that this is the Raiders home opener and after a ballsy win on the road, the home crowd is going to be into this one. Still, Matt Ryan and the Falcons are not going to just roll over for this one, especially after a home loss in week 1. That Raiders defense is going to have its hands full, but their offense will make the difference. Raiders 31, Falcons 27.

Chargers vs Jaguars: Let's be up front with one truth here: there are no moral victories in the NFL. Having said that, when an up and coming team like the Jags can take an established contender like the Packers to the wire it may be worth taking note. (Then again, it may just be week 1, where anything is a possibility.) The Jaguars have been stockpiling pretty solid talent on both sides of the ball for a couple seasons now and a lot of people seem to think this is the year it all comes together. On the Chargers side of this equation you have a team that nobody expected to win last week go into Kansas City and take the Chiefs to OT. Their resiliency after giving up a 24-3 lead and losing their #1 WR will be tested this week. I'll give their defense a lot of credit for stifling an under-rated Chiefs offense as long as they did, but their inability to close has me really doubting this team's ability. Jaguars 28, Chargers 27.

The AFC West standings after week 2:

Broncos: 2-0
Raiders: 2-0
Chiefs: 1-1
Chargers: 0-2

What I am interested to see is how the Raiders do at home. They actually had a worse record at home than on the road last year. They were 4-4 on the road and 3-5 at home. So they seem to struggle playing in front of the home crowd. If they are going to actually have a winning record this year they had to change that narrative. That is part of why the Broncos have been able to be so successful that even when they have an average team they still have a great home record like 6-2 or better most years.

Week 2 will definitely tell us a lot more about these teams. I actually have the Chiefs winning though as just like we have the Panthers number the Chiefs seem to have Houston's number. I know they added some pieces but I just think the Chiefs will find a way to win that game.

Then I have the Raiders losing. Like I said don't play as well at home and the Falcons will offer a much tougher challenge in the sense they have a stronger run game to keep them balanced on offense and a defense that has some playmakers. They have a Corner that can actually match up well with Cooper. Just a matter of can they provide any pressure up front?

Chargers I see them losing this week. Jaguars are a team I would be willing to actually say I think is on the rise and they won't give such a huge lead early in the game.

 

[cdumler7]

I really don't know why but in my head I have the Raiders just as a 7-9 team this year. I really don't get the hype that so many have thrust upon them. Yes I see the new players they signed but I also see a team that went and got guys that don't fit well with what they like to do and from watching week 1 they did not adjust their defense to fit them but have told them to fit their system. Offensively I think they are a one-dimensional team. That OL they have is one of the best pass blocking OL's in the NFL and they have the QB and WR's to make a team pay through the air. The problem is that OL is only an average run blocking unit. So you can limit them and work to keep your safeties over the top to help out on those deep passes. The Saints didn't have the playmakers to shut that down but a lot of teams in this league will be able to. So while I see them being a tough opponent every week I just seem them as being a bit of a limited team.

 

[iknowftbll]

I really don't know why but in my head I have the Raiders just as a 7-9 team this year. I really don't get the hype that so many have thrust upon them. Yes I see the new players they signed but I also see a team that went and got guys that don't fit well with what they like to do and from watching week 1 they did not adjust their defense to fit them but have told them to fit their system. Offensively I think they are a one-dimensional team. That OL they have is one of the best pass blocking OL's in the NFL and they have the QB and WR's to make a team pay through the air. The problem is that OL is only an average run blocking unit. So you can limit them and work to keep your safeties over the top to help out on those deep passes. The Saints didn't have the playmakers to shut that down but a lot of teams in this league will be able to. So while I see them being a tough opponent every week I just seem them as being a bit of a limited team.

I certainly won't complain if you're right. I am really enjoying the Raiders run of futility. Believe it or not, I've actually really enjoyed this rivalry with the Chiefs renewing on a level as bitter as I can ever remember. Their run of 11-5, 9-7, 11-5 is as good a three year run they've experienced since the early 1990s. We Broncos fans really take for granted what it's like to have winning season after winning season. Even that run from 2007-2011 which saw at best 8-8 finishes for the Broncos included a playoff win and only 2 losing seasons. That's what a down spell for the Broncos looks like. For the other AFC West teams, it's ugly. So this run the Chiefs are on is not insignificant in the context of Chiefs history.

 

[Mingo]

The Raiders are still thin - so season long attrition will hurt them. The Chiefs are in better shape with depth, but Alex Smith - bless his heart - has his limitations. The Chargers will win some games - as they are dangerous.

 

[iknowftbll]

It was a great day in the AFC West! The Chiefs lost on the road in Houston and the Raiders saw 35 hung on them by the Falcons. Sure, the Chargers won but with their loss last week the Broncos are enjoying a 1 game lead early in the season.

 

[cdumler7]

It was a great day in the AFC West! The Chiefs lost on the road in Houston and the Raiders saw 35 hung on them by the Falcons. Sure, the Chargers won but with their loss last week the Broncos are enjoying a 1 game lead early in the season.

You are right great day indeed!

Most figured the first 4 games of the season would be our toughest stretch. Well so far we are 2-0 in that stretch.

We have also watched as that Raiders defense that was supposed to be vastly improved has actually looked worse than at any point last season. They have given up over 1000 yards and actually now have the record for most yards given up through the first 2 games in NFL history! They are also dead last in points given up by their defense. Colts have given up more total points but that is with some defensive touchdowns against them. So Raiders right now have the worst defense in the NFL.

I haven't watched the Chiefs game but sounds like Smith didn't have a great game and they struggled with some turnovers. Defense though showed up a lot better than week 1.

And honestly now starting to lean to the idea that the Chargers have shown the 2nd best of the AFC West so far. The offense looks like a force this year. Honestly shocked with how they are looking right now. Might have to readjust my thoughts on them.

Anyway nice to see our team where they belong back in 1st for the division.

 

[CEH]

We have also watched as that Raiders defense that was supposed to be vastly improved has actually looked worse than at any point last season. They have given up over 1000 yards and actually now have the record for most yards given up through the first 2 games in NFL history! They are also dead last in points given up by their defense. Colts have given up more total points but that is with some defensive touchdowns against them. So Raiders right now have the worst defense in the NFL.



Anyway nice to see our team where they belong back in 1st for the division.

Oak .. Same with Jax and all that talent on offense and defense.

Rivers makes a lot of mistakes but when he is on he is a very dangerous QB.

 

[cdumler7]

Oak .. Same with Jax and all that talent on offense and defense.

Rivers makes a lot of mistakes but when he is on he is a very dangerous QB.

Just goes to show that talent is only part of the equation when it comes to actually being a successful NFL team. Coaches actually have to know how to use all that talent.

And you are right when Rivers gets going he is a very good QB in this league. Honestly I think he has been overlooked way too often just because he has been on some terrible teams.

 

[cdumler7]

Monday's are so much better after a Bronco win then you add in a loss for the Chiefs and Raiders it definitely makes it nice. Still think it will be a tight race throughout but these type of close losses will be big at the end of the year.

 

[cdumler7]

So word today is that Del Rio was getting so frustrated with the defense that he ended up taking over the playcalling. There are some calling for the head of Ken Norton Jr. today in Oakland. They are upset because of the vanilla game plan that he calls. I guess they may have forgotten the style of defense Del Rio coached in Denver.

And I have had this talk over and over this off season with Chiefs and Raiders fans. Chiefs fans agreed that Sean Smith is a scheme based CB that needs to be in press-man with a Safety over the top. Well the Raiders have him playing off-man with no help to his side. The Julio Jones touchdown yesterday had Sean Smith 15 yards off the LOS where he watched Julio run right by him. Just not a great scheme fit at all. Sean Smith is a much better player than what he is showing on the field. I put his early season struggles directly on the coaching staff.

 

[cdumler7]

The Chargers cannot catch a break. Danny Woodhead is now out with an ACL injury. I actually have loved watching Woodhead play. Just something about his game that just makes him fun to watch.

 

[iknowftbll]

Broncos roundup: A 2-0 start is a 2-0 start. The Broncos started the season squaring off against two of the top offenses in the league and held both of them to 20 points apiece. That's solid defense. Offensively I remain curious that Kubiak didn't attempt to open up the passing game against that depleted Colts secondary. I guess he felt the ball control approach was the better approach. I guess we should trust him on that; he's earned the benefit of the doubt. Siemian does look good but as I said prior to this game, he's a work in progress. If his line from weeks 1 and 2 were that of a 6-8 year vet that would be one thing. But this is a 7th round pick in his second year in the league and his first as a starter squaring off against teams led by former #1 overall picks! And he's 2-0 against them! There appears to be tremendous potential here with Siemian despite some obvious growing pains.

Next up: Broncos @ Bengals. The Bengals are a pretty complete team with a good offense and defense. And they lost in Pittsburgh. Playing a good team coming off a loss is never easy. Add in this is the Broncos and Siemian's first road start and this game looks like it could be a significant challenge. Thankfully defense travels well, and Siemian won't have to do it all himself. Something else that travels well is a good run game. The Broncos have to be licking their chops at the prospect of playing a defense ranked 32nd against the run, giving up 138 on the ground through 2 games.

Raiders roundup: I may have been willing to withhold judgment after the Saints game but after seeing what Matt Ryan and the Falcons did to the Raiders there on their home turf I'm willing to say it: the Raiders defense is awful. There is still a chance they get their act together, but let's not forget this is a unit that did not do the fundamentals well on an individual level all through the preseason so to expect them to spontaneously start playing ball may be hopeful at best. That offense is pretty good, but with a defense that bad the ceiling for this team may be 7-9 again. Plus the offense has gone up against 2 bottom-tier defenses, and some stout competition is on the horizon.

Next up: Raiders @ Titans. On defense the Titans are actually middle of the pack, showing some serious improvement over last year. They will definitely be a significantly more challenging test for that Raiders offense. Likewise that Raiders offense will be a big test for the Titans defense. With that said, they put the clamps down on the Lions pretty decently. On defense the Raiders bottom-feeding unit gets a minor reprieve because the Titans are generally a bottom-third offense. They don't score a lot and their best ranking is their run offense, at 14th. The Titans have an opportunity to get that young team some momentum against this porous Raiders defense, and this one looks like a surprisingly intriguing matchup.

Chiefs roundup: The Chiefs went down to Houston where they last ran the Texans off the field to the tune of 30-0 and ran into a far better team this time around. When the Chiefs started slow against the Chargers last week but came storming back for the OT win, I gave them the benefit of the doubt, despite picking against them this week. I took them for a potentially good team that had a slow start. But after a 2 game sample a pattern has emerged: The Chiefs are mistake prone and can be easily contained on offense. And while their defense played a much better game this time around, comebacks like they had against the Chargers don't happen against defenses like the Texans.

Next up: Chiefs vs Jets. The Jets look pretty good on offense so that Chiefs defense is going to get a workout this week. Defensively the Jets have shown they can be had, giving up scores and passing yards aplenty. But the Jets defense is solid against the run, currently ranking 5th. Not only that but they'll be pitting their 5th ranked rushing attack against the Chiefs 29th ranked attack. While these rankings may not mean as much at this point in the season as they will in a month or so, they constitute emerging trends and patterns coaches will dial in on and attempt to exploit. I never count the Chiefs out in their own stadium, but they will have their hands full in this one.

Chargers roundup: That was a defiant and spirited blowout over the Jaguars. It sent a clear message to the league: The Chargers are not going away quietly. Let's not forget the Chargers went into Kansas City and pushed around the Chiefs until losing Allen. But what we learned in that game was they did have an explosive offense and a defense that, despite giving up the lead, does appear capable. They followed that up by confirming these observations against the Jaguars. 38-14 speaks for itself. The emerging story from the Chargers (aside from some very unfortunate season ending injuries) is that Melvin Gordon is introducing himself to the league after a disappointing rookie season. Woodhead's loss is huge to that offense, but if the younger talent can step up this team will definitely not go away quietly.

Next up: Chargers @ Colts. The Colts have started 0-2 in each of the past three seasons. Their secondary is depleted and that feeds right into an aggressive QB like Rivers. The Chargers shouldn't have any issues moving the ball against the Colts defense, ground or air. Defensively they are going to get a huge test. The Colts offense is not explosive, but it's a grinder. The knock on the Chargers after week 1 was they couldn't close. They did just that against the Jaguars, and a lot of people considered them a sleeper pick for the playoffs before the season started. But if the Colts can go into Denver and get 20 points against the Broncos defense, I can't help but feel you can pencil them in for 30 at home against the Chargers. And it still may not be enough.

I'll add predictions for all AFC West games later this week.

 

[cdumler7]

@iknowftbll I appreciate the read. When I opened this up this morning my first thought was I better get a cup of coffee because this might take a bit but I know it will be worth the read. And you did not disappoint.

Broncos--We definitely have one of our tougher tests of the year this week. A road game against a playoff caliber team like the Bengals is always tough. Add in a young QB going into a hostile environment and many will probably be counting this one as a loss. Honestly though when I look at the Bengals offense we don't really see an explosive unit. So far they scored 23 against the Jets and 16 against the Steelers. Both of those defenses are not close to what we have here in Denver. So I can see our defense holding them to around 16-17 points in this game. And while our offense has been struggling to finish drives I do think we can score enough to get to 20 in this one. So honestly I will actually say I think the Broncos win this one.

Raiders--I pointed out the porous defense in the preseason and said this doesn't look good. Many kept telling me it was preseason so I shouldn't read anything into it. Well what I saw in the preseason wasn't just a schematic issue where they were playing vanilla but I watched guys get pushed 2-3 yards down the field, I saw terrible tackling technique, and I saw a secondary that was not winning one-on-one battles. All of that continues to be the case. Honestly if I am the Titans all I do is just run it down the Raiders throats then work in the play action with getting Mariota to the edges. You won't put up the 500 yards that the other 2 teams have averaged but it will keep that explosive Raiders offense on the sideline and wear out that defense in the 4th. I still think the Raiders emerge victorious in this one but lots of people will be talking about how terrible this defense is even more after 3 straight weeks of getting ran over.

Chiefs--They turned the ball over, made stupid mistakes, and all around just shot themselves in the foot. I wouldn't say this game was so much that Houston went out and won it but more that KC did everything to lose it. Not usually what you see from an Andy Reid coached team. I think they will bounce back. Houston in Houston is going to be a tough match up for anybody. They are a real threat in the AFC this year. As much as I don't want to admit that. Chiefs at home to me will win. They to me are still our biggest threat in the AFC and I have them making the playoffs.

Chargers--I am willing to admit I completely underestimated them especially after Allen went down. I was on the bandwagon that the Jaguars were going to be good this season and well the Chargers just put a whoopin on them. Very impressed with this team considering all the turmoil surrounding this team after a bad season, not knowing if they are staying or going from San Diego, all the unrest with their top draft pick, and so much more. Rivers is reminding people he is still the class of the AFC West when it comes to QB play. I have them losing this week against Indy who will be desperate for a win but wouldn't shock me to see San Diego continue to surprise me and others.

 

[iknowftbll]

This is going to be a really interesting week in the AFC West:

Broncos @ Bengals

Raiders @ Titans

Chargers @ Colts

Chiefs vs Jets

There is a legitimate chance the Broncos could be at 3-0 and all others 1-2, as well as all four sitting at 2-1. More likely somewhere in between, but what a great week it would be if the Broncos won and all the others lost! As I research these teams to make my predictions I am getting more and more excited about this season. This weekend hold a lot of intrigue and I can't wait. I'll be tuning in to the Raiders @ Titans game in the early action.

 

[MileHigh64]

Even though I picked the Broncos to win on Sunday in our Broncos board contest, I have a feeling that it's going to be a tall order. I just can't pick against them in any contest (bad luck!!). Stripping all bias and emotions from it, I see the standings looking like this after week 3:

Broncos: 2-1
Chiefs: 2-1
Raiders: 2-1
Chargers: 1-2

I hope I'm wrong. If the Broncos can get to 3-0 and a couple of others lose, the race for the division will be headed in a strong direction that we all like. Regardless of my apprehension about this Sunday's game in Cincinnati, I still believe that the Broncos are by far the best team in the AFCW! Go Broncos!

 

[cdumler7]

Even though I picked the Broncos to win on Sunday in our Broncos board contest, I have a feeling that it's going to be a tall order. I just can't pick against them in any contest (bad luck!!). Stripping all bias and emotions from it, I see the standings looking like this after week 3:

Broncos: 2-1
Chiefs: 2-1
Raiders: 2-1
Chargers: 1-2

I hope I'm wrong. If the Broncos can get to 3-0 and a couple of others lose, the race for the division will be headed in a strong direction that we all like. Regardless of my apprehension about this Sunday's game in Cincinnati, I still believe that the Broncos are by far the best team in the AFCW! Go Broncos!

Well the nice thing will have been the Broncos will have played 3 of the tougher games on their schedule where at least the Raiders I would say have played an easier part of their schedule. Chiefs have played a couple of tougher teams but still they all have to play the divisional games, the other 3 still have to play Carolina with 2 of them on the road, and the Chiefs I think honestly have the tougher match up between us playing Cincinnati and them playing Pittsburgh.

 

[Broncos6482]

The Raiders remind me a lot of the 2008 Broncos. Exciting, young offense, terrible defense. They'll probably win some games you wouldn't expect, but lose some they shouldn't. They look like an 8-8 team, or close to it. Preferably not better than that, I'd rather they keep that streak of no winning seasons alive. I do think they lose to the Titans this week.

The Chargers shocked me with how well they rebounded last week. Their defense looked great against what was expected to be a pretty good Jaguars offense. But they lost another offensive weapon in Woodhead, how much longer can the offense continue to produce while their players keep dropping? Rivers should have a field day against that depleted Colts secondary, but I think Andrew Luck pulls this one out of the fire for the Colts.

The Chiefs, man, I do not know what to make of this team. Their offense, which I thought would be really good, has looked awful for 6 of the 8 quarters so far this season. They can run the ball well, but Andy Reid being Andy Reid decided he'd rather throw it twice as often as run it, even though the Chiefs were averaging 6.3 yards per carry on the ground. However, the defense played much better against the Texans, even though the Chiefs still can't rush the passer. Tough matchup for them this week with a very talented Jets offense. If the Jets are smart they'll tell Fitzpatrick not to throw it anywhere near Marcus Peters. I think the Jets get out of KC with a win.

 

[cdumler7]

The Raiders remind me a lot of the 2008 Broncos. Exciting, young offense, terrible defense. They'll probably win some games you wouldn't expect, but lose some they shouldn't. They look like an 8-8 team, or close to it. Preferably not better than that, I'd rather they keep that streak of no winning seasons alive. I do think they lose to the Titans this week.

The Chargers shocked me with how well they rebounded last week. Their defense looked great against what was expected to be a pretty good Jaguars offense. But they lost another offensive weapon in Woodhead, how much longer can the offense continue to produce while their players keep dropping? Rivers should have a field day against that depleted Colts secondary, but I think Andrew Luck pulls this one out of the fire for the Colts.

The Chiefs, man, I do not know what to make of this team. Their offense, which I thought would be really good, has looked awful for 6 of the 8 quarters so far this season. They can run the ball well, but Andy Reid being Andy Reid decided he'd rather throw it twice as often as run it, even though the Chiefs were averaging 6.3 yards per carry on the ground. However, the defense played much better against the Texans, even though the Chiefs still can't rush the passer. Tough matchup for them this week with a very talented Jets offense. If the Jets are smart they'll tell Fitzpatrick not to throw it anywhere near Marcus Peters. I think the Jets get out of KC with a win.

I was trying to think of a good comparison for the Raiders this year. Honestly I would say the Saints of the last few years would be a good comparison. That 2008 Broncos team struggled to score on offense and didn't have a historically bad defense. They put up a ton of yards but just not quite the points. So I guess for me I would look towards those Saints teams as a better comparison of high octane offense but maddeningly bad defense. And they were a 7-9 type team. That is what I see the Raiders at as well. The offense will as you said get them some wins that maybe will surprise people but when the offense gets shut down they will get embarrassed. Just looking at the schedule it might be a bit before we see them run into a great defense though. They do have a stretch though where 3 straight games they will play top-10 defenses in the Broncos, Texans, and Panthers. All home games for them but still that will not be a fun stretch for that offense.

Honestly like you said though really hard to tell on any of these teams what they are. San Diego looks better than I thought they would and the Chiefs and Raiders look worse than I thought they would.