AFC Week 13 Recap
As another week ends, the playoff picture for the AFC West has started to take shape. The three teams that played all had tough games, and their results may just reflect what lies in store for these teams and the rest of their seasons.
Los Angeles Chargers 6, New England Patriots 0
This one was truly a barn burner. Not a single touchdown was scored as the Chargers kicked two field goals to create an insurmountable lead for the Patriots’ abysmal offense. This may be a win is a win scenario for the Chargers, but when the Chargers punter J.K. Scott has gotten most of the media attention for his performance, Chargers fans are not going to be happy.
Justin Herbert had 200 yards, but nothing else came on a day when his receivers had multiple drops. Perhaps the most disappointing part for the Chargers was the run game, which only accumulated 29 of the 250 total yards of offense they put up. Give credit where it is due, the Patriots have had a solid defense all year, and it was expected that they would give the Chargers problems.
In the same way, the Patriots’ offense has been pathetic all season, and the Chargers’ defense did what they were supposed to by shutting out the Bailey Zappe-led Patriots’ offense. The defense had five sacks and forced a turnover, giving up only 260 yards of total offense. Nevertheless, this was not an encouraging win, and it will not get the hot-seat rumors off of Staley’s back.
The Los Angeles Chargers (5-7) will look to face a division rival, the Denver Broncos (6-6) at home next Sunday at 4:25 ET.
Houston Texans 22, Denver Broncos 17
The Broncos’ five-game win streak has come to a close with a narrow loss to the Texans this Sunday. For the Texans, QB C.J. Stroud temporarily left the game with an injury and wide receiver Tank Dell left the game entirely with a fractured leg, but they still held on to get the win. This is due in part to the fact that the Broncos were unable to gain a third-down conversion the entire game, going 0-8, and Russell Wilson threw three interceptions, including the game clincher in the red zone in the final seconds.
Aside from Wilson, the Broncos performed well overall. Despite the Broncos’ slow start, the offense ran for over 100 yards, wide receiver Courtland Sutton had 77 receiving yards including a 45-yard touchdown, and the defense held the Texans offense to 350 yards. Despite this, the Broncos, failing to force a turnover, lost the turnover battle for the first time in a month, and it was ultimately too much for them to overcome.
Stroud, despite being sacked five times and missing time in the game, threw for 274 yards and a touchdown and carried the Texans to a five-point win. While this is not the end of the Broncos’ playoff hopes, their chances are certainly narrowed as their margin for error is now near zero.
The Denver Broncos (6-6) will look to rebound versus the 5-7 Los Angeles Chargers thus Sunday at 4:25 ET.
Kansas City Chiefs 19, Green Bay Packers 27
The Chiefs endured a tough loss to the Packers at Lambeau Field on Primetime Sunday night football. The loss was headlined by two missed pass interference calls on the last drive of the game that would have put the Chiefs in a prime scoring position. But while one of them was certainly blatant, it was not the only reason the Chiefs lost. Between red zone errors that led to too many field goals and the Chiefs’ defense that has been outstanding all season giving up a very efficient performance to Jordan Love and the Packers’ offense, the Chiefs could not do quite enough to win.
Mahomes, who did not have a bad game, still did not have his best performance. With only 210 yards, a touchdown and an interception, the Kansas City pass offense did not compare to the Green Bay pass offense that put up 270 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. What is worse is that Mahomes was only sacked three times, but all three came in the red zone, leading to field goals instead of touchdowns. The Chiefs could move the ball, only punting one time, they just struggled to put it in the endzone.
Pacheco and the run game performed well putting up 150 total yards and a touchdown as they ran over a Packers run defense ranked in the bottom fifth of the league. Despite this, the turnover and the sacks proved costly, as the Chiefs’ defense gave up 27 and could not get off the field more than two times. The game was not a bad one for the Chiefs, and if the pass interference penalty at the end of the game were called, they would have had a better chance to tie it in the end, but they still need to play better if they are going to be contenders.
The Kansas City Chiefs (8-4) will try and bounce back in a tough game versus the 6-6 Buffalo Bills next Sunday at 4:25 ET.
Las Vegas Raiders (BYE)
The Raiders sat back and watched the rest of the AFC West play close games this week as they rested during their bye week. Many of the stories that headlined the Raiders bye week contemplated head coach candidates, mock drafts, offseason trades, and future quarterback play.
It seems in their off week that the Raiders may not be focused on how the rest of the season goes, but instead are already looking ahead to the offseason and the new season that comes after it. If that is the case, do not expect the Raiders to come out looking to play for playoff implications, but rather, expect them to experiment and use new pieces and strategies to try and gain some momentum into making offseason decisions.
Whatever the case, the Las Vegas Raiders (5-7) will have an extra week to prepare for the 6-6 Minnesota Vikings that they will play on Sunday at 4:05 ET.
AFC West Standings
1. Kansas City Chiefs (8-4)
2. Denver Broncos (6-6)
3. Los Angeles Chargers (5-7)
4. Las Vegas Raiders (5-7)
