AFC West Week 10 Recap
As Week 10 comes to a close, the AFC West finishes out another round of games with one still to come.
Detroit Lions 41, Los Angeles Chargers 38
In what was an incredible offensive shootout, the Chargers fell just short of the Lions as they lost by three. The Chargers’ offense displayed the fourth-best performance of any offense this entire season, per ESPN Analytics. Their only problem was that the Lions displayed the third. The Chargers scored on each of their last five possessions, but it wasn’t enough, as the Chargers’ defense could not get the Lions’ offense off the field. A gutsy fourth down call that was converted by the Lions all but sealed the game,
Quarterback Justin Herbert was certainly not to blame for the loss, as he threw for over 300 yards and four touchdowns, his one error being an interception to safety Kerby Joseph. Wide receiver Keenan Allen, on the receiving end of Herbert’s passes, had 11 receptions for 175 yards and two touchdowns. While this duo and the run game for the Chargers succeeded, the defense did not. While QB Jared Goff put up over 300 yards and two touchdowns, the Lions’ run game also put up their best rushing statistics of the season. Amassing over 530 yards of total yards, the Lions outgained the Chargers by 100 yards, leading to the final score.
The Chargers fall to 4-5 as they move on to next week to face the 3-6 Green Bay Packers.
Las Vegas Raiders 16, New York Jets 12
The Raiders outlasted the Jets, scoring the lone touchdown of the game to win by four. On offense, kicker Daniel Carlson went four for four on field goals, and QB Aidan O’Connell threw the lone touchdown of the game to rookie tight end Michael Mayer. The Jets had one last attempt to win the game at the end, but the pass was broken up as the clock hit zero to finish the win for the Raiders. It certainly was not pretty, but style and prettiness do not affect the standings in any way. What matters is that new interim head coach Antonio Pierce is now 2-0. The team has embodied the toughness and the grit that Pierce has brought to this program, finally giving them an identity that wins football games.
The Raiders defense and running back Josh Jacobs were prime examples of this toughness. Jacobs ran for over 100 yards on 27 carries, becoming the workhorse that pushed the offense forward. Meanwhile, the defense, although giving up 365 yards, embraced the bend but don’t break mentality, forcing the Jets to kick four field goals by keeping them out of the endzone. Linebacker Robert Spillane was the spark that kept the defense going, recording a team-high seven tackles and one interception. It was these players that contributed to the game, ultimately winning the game for the Raiders.
The Raiders improve to 5-5 on the season and move on to face the 6-3 Miami Dolphins.
Kansas City Chiefs (BYE)
While the other AFC West teams competed this week, the Chiefs spent the weekend at home watching. After their narrow win over Miami, the Chiefs looked to use this extra weekend to fix their mistakes and build off of their momentum. As they look ahead to their next matchup, the Chiefs hopefully found some consistency in their offense over the bye to complement their talented defense. While the rest week most likely did not feature a ton of rest, the Chiefs surely enjoyed watching their division rivals struggle this weekend.
The Chiefs sit at 7-2 as they move on to next week to face the 8-1 Philadelphia Eagles in what will be the rematch of last year’s Superbowl.
Denver Broncos at Buffalo Bills, Monday Night
Week 10 is not over for the AFC West, though, as the Broncos round out the weekend with a matchup versus the Bills on Primetime football at 8:15 ET on Monday. The Broncos, riding a two-game win streak, are coming out of a bye hoping to carry the momentum into this game. Healthy and refreshed, the Broncos will hope to continue to run the ball well and play stingy defense to win what could be a make-or-break game for the rest of the season.
The Broncos at 3-5 will face off with the 5-4 Buffalo Bills at 8:15 ET Monday night on ABC and ESPN.
AFC West Standings
1.Kansas City Chiefs (7-2)
2.Las Vegas Raiders (5-5)
3.Los Angeles Chargers (4-5)
4.Denver Broncos (3-5)
