(Kim Constantinesco writes for Predominantly Orange, which is FSB’s Denver Broncos blog. Representing the rest of the AFC West are Arrowhead Addict, Bolt Beat and Just Blog Baby.)
There is a lot of heartache in the AFC West right now. The only ones that might muster a smile this week are the Oakland Raiders. Yet, even they stand 3-8. The Broncos unexpectedly played like a porta potty smells, the Chiefs are playing a little better, but still can’t come up with a win, and the Chargers lost another one in the final seconds of the game. I don’t know what’s worse: Letting the offensively deprived Raiders score 31 points or letting the Bills score 54 points. Either way, it’s an ugly division, and whoever makes the playoffs will have no effect on the NFL’s playoff picture after the first round.
Denver Broncos (6-5):
Looking Back: It’s bad when Broncos fans run out onto the field in the fourth quarter to stomp on the Broncos logo. It’s even worse when the team is in first place in the AFC West, and they’re doing that. The Broncos allowed the Raiders to break their 13 quarter offensive touchdown drought. How can a team that beat the Raiders in Oakland 41-14, suddenly collapse at home and score just 10 points? The Broncos don’t realize that there’s no such thing as a free lunch. A game that they were supposed to win would have put them up 3 games over the equally stinky Chargers. Instead, the Raiders chowed down on a gourmet lunch that the Broncos served on a silver platter. When Jay Cutler plays well, the rest of the team follows suit. Against the Raiders, Cutler never saw the end zone, and he turned the ball over twice. Because the team doesn’t have a solid running game or defense, the game is Cutler’s hands virtually every week.
Looking Forward: The Broncos roll into New York next week to take on the Jets (8-3). What a surprise that team has been this year. They killed Tennessee’s hopes for an undefeated season, and Brett Favre has taken to city life quite nicely. I don’t see the Broncos winning in New York unless Favre has one of his multiple turnover games, and the Broncos pass offense can get something going. The Jets offense is #2, and their rush defense is #3. Cutler needs to take a page out of Favre’s book on how to recover after a tough loss. The Broncos cannot get too comfortable with a two game lead over the Chargers for first place.
Looking Back: If defense wins games, who forgot to tell the Chiefs? Buffalo is a talented team, but for them to score 54 points in one game is absurd. They had 30 by halftime, and added an additional 17 in the third quarter for good measure. When Trent Edwards throws 2 TDs and runs for another 2, you know something is wrong with your defense. Add to the fact that the Chiefs had 5 turnovers in the game, and you might as well call them the Denver Broncos. Tyler Thigpen made up for some of his mistakes (3 turnovers) by throwing for 273 yards and 3 TDs. Tony Gonzalez played like the heart and soul of this team that he is. He finished with 10 catches for 113 yards and 1 TD. The Chiefs defense did not make any big plays. Not one INT, forced fumble, or sack. The result: The 10th loss of the season.
Looking Forward: The Chiefs actually have good reason to look forward to playing next week. They’re going into the Black Hole to play the Raiders. The Raiders may have crushed Denver, but they are inconsistent, and lack leadership. I honestly don’t know who will win this game. The two bottom teams in one of the worst divisions in the league will duke it out. It’s going to be like watching a dog fight involving two blind dogs. Mistakes will be made, and players will be embarrassed, but there must be winner (Unless there’s a tie, right McNabb?). The Chiefs will need to get their pass rush in order or else JaMarcus Russell will have a field day. Their run defense needs to step up as well. Darren McFadden and Justin Fargas ran all over the Broncos last week.
Looking Back: Not only did they score an offensive touchdown, but they slung 31 points on the scoreboard. JaMarcus Russell didn’t have any turnovers, and the Raiders rushing game had 2 TDs and a 100 yard rusher. The Raiders forced two turnovers, and Johnnie Lee Higgins had a TD on a kick return for special teams. Tom Cable got his 2nd win as head coach, and Al Davis is probably smiling a little bit as he got revenge on Mike Shanahan. Former Bronco Ashley Lelie, also got revenge on his old team. He had 4 catches for 92 yards and 1 TD. The Raiders pulled out the win when they needed to, but the team could be back in the dumpster again next week.
Looking Forward: As the Chiefs and Raiders slug it out, the rest of the league will be wondering 3 things about the Raiders: 1. Why does Al Davis look exactly like the Crypt Keeper? 2. Will JaMarcus Russell be the quarterback of the future for this team? 3. Will Lane Kiffin create a made for T.V. movie about his relationship with the Raiders? My answers to these three questions are yes, yes, and he should. If the Raiders actually win this game, they have a chance at sneaking into 2nd place in the division by week 15. That’s just how bad the AFC West is.
Looking Back: The Chargers outscored the Colts in the fourth quarter, but that didn’t matter. The Colts put the game to bed with a field goal as time ran out. Adam Vinatieri once again put the dagger into another team’s heart. All the Chargers could do was look at the scoreboard to see big fat zeros next to the 23-20 score. Philip Rivers got his game back throwing for 288 yards and 2 TDs, but the team has still lost 4 of their last 5 games. It’s been the final seconds of games that have led to a demoralizing 4-7 record. They have lost the lead four times in the last 24 seconds of the game. A few key missteps are what keeps the Chargers two games back in the division.
Looking Forward: San Diego faces a tough test next week against the Falcons (7-4). Atlanta is 2nd in rushing and 9th in total defense. This team lost to the Broncos a couple of weeks ago, but they’ve got a lot of talent with Matt Ryan leading the way. Michael Turner is a pit-bull on the ground, and their defense is tough to beat. San Diego needs to close out a game to give them confidence heading into the final games of the season. The Chargers are in need of a desperate winning streak, and it needs to begin against the Falcons. After all, the last game of the season against the Broncos could mean a lot considering how the AFC West is playing out.