The Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers confirmed on Sunday why the AFC West was a well-liked preseason choose to be one of the best division within the NFL.
From the opening quarter, each beginning quarterbacks launched dazzling passes throughout SoFi Stadium, the kind of play that was anticipated from each Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert, in addition to Russell Wilson and Derek Carr.
In Denver, Wilson and Carr placed on fairly the forgettable efficiency in the course of the late afternoon slate. That 22-16 Las Vegas Raiders’ time beyond regulation victory was a stark reminder of the place the AFC West is. While the Chiefs’ 30-27 victory over the Chargers was an instance of what many thought the division would seem like all through 2022.
The tone on Sunday night time was set after Herbert responded to the Chiefs’ opening drive with a 50-yard landing move to Josh Palmer. Everybody on that discipline wanted to be able to run, as a result of two of the NFL’s finest quarterbacks had been able to squeeze the turbo button all night time.
Both Herbert and Mahomes averaged greater than 9 yards per try and threw for a number of touchdowns. The sport was thrilling almost your complete night time, even after Keenan Allen’s pricey fumble within the fourth quarter. The Chiefs fumbled it proper again on the following drive, and Allen redeemed himself with a 46-yard catch to arrange a landing. But it took the Chiefs simply one minute and 15 seconds to retake the lead.
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By comparability, the fireworks present in Denver was two sparklers and a field of snap and pops. Neither workforce scored a landing within the second half. It took a busted protection from the Broncos in time beyond regulation for Davante Adams to get free on the largest play of the sport, a walkoff TD.
The Broncos have scored greater than 20 factors in a sport solely twice this season. However, their protection has been excellent. It was ranked third within the NFL in weighted DVOA going into Week 11. Using the identical metrics, the Raiders’ protection was the worst within the NFL, and their offense was seventeenth. Neither workforce is anyplace close to the division lead, or a wild-card spot.
By NBC flexing the Sunday Night Football matchup from Cincinnati Bengals vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, to Chiefs-Chargers, your complete AFC West was in motion towards one another, and in separate home windows. This manner, it wasn’t crucial for Scott Hanson to relate the distinction within the two halves of the division. The individuals might see it for themselves.
The more healthy, however nonetheless injured, Chargers have some fireplace energy, and might push a superb workforce just like the Chiefs. There was good cause to consider earlier than the beginning of this season that the Chargers could be a playoff workforce. They’re at the moment a sport out of the wild-card and can get some, however not all, of their injured gamers again this season.
Wilson and Adams had been presupposed to be the main distinction makers that might push their new groups excessive, and make the AFC West one of the best that it has been for the reason that Nineteen Eighties. Adams has been nice, however the Raiders have been getting crushed in shut video games, with a protection that may’t cease a runny nostril. This new Broncos offense, led by Wilson, has seemed like it could be higher with Teddy Bridgewater behind middle. Also, each groups’ head coaches have executed a job that’s worthy of them not being given the chance to proper the ship in 2023.
Week 11 was presupposed to be a showcase of essentially the most proficient division within the NFL. Instead, it affirmed that the AFC West has one nice workforce, one other one on the rise, and two which might be steadily sinking.