AFC West Preview – Week Eleven
By Craig Hurst
San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers (17) throws an incomplete pass under pressure during the first quarter against the Denver Broncos at Qualcomm Stadium. The Broncos try to get the season sweep over the Chargers when the two teams face off in Denver on November 18, 2012. (Christopher Hanewinckel-US PRESSWIRE)
As all Four AFC West teams get set for Week Eleven, the Denver Broncos are the only team that won in Week Ten. Not only did the Broncos win last week, they have won the last four weeks, three of which were on the road. Continue reading for my thoughts and brief analysis of all the Week Eleven contests featuring AFC West teams.
Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs: The 4-5 Bengals visit Arrowhead Stadium today coming off of an impressive win over the New York Giants, while the Chiefs are coming off of a surprising, near win on Monday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Chiefs did show shocking signs of life against the Steelers, but ultimately mistakes at crucial points of the game did them in, driving their record to a league worst 1-8 (tied with Jacksonville). The Bengals should come into Arrowhead with a bit more confidence after last week’s win, and depending on which Chiefs team shows up, they may improve their record to 5-5. I could easily see the Chiefs getting their second win of the season if the team that played against New Orleans or even Pittsburgh shows up. It will be interesting to see how the Kansas City fans respond to today’s game given the fact that Cincinnati is not a major rival. That being said, if the Chiefs play well today and win, I am sure Chief fans will be anxiously awaiting the Denver Broncos for their first matchup of the 2012 season, which occurs the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
New Orleans Saints at Oakland Raiders: I am sure it was a long plane ride home for the Raiders after the Baltimore Ravens handed them their sixth loss of the season by shellacking them 55-20 last week in Baltimore. It doesn’t get a lot easier for the black-and-silver this week as they host the 4-5 New Orleans Saints, and the possibility of another high-powered offense. The Saints are coming off of a huge win last week, handing the Atlanta Falcons their first loss of the season. Sure, the Broncos handled the Saints at home in Week Eight, but to even compare the Raiders and Broncos at this point in the season would be unfair to the entire Bronco organization. Fantasy owners will be watching this one closely to see which quarterback has the better game. Despite being on the road, I am going to give the Saints the edge in this game because they definitely appear to be a team fighting and scratching to salvage their season.
San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos: The Broncos are trying to get their fifth win in a row, while the Chargers are just trying to get a win. I have no doubt that the Chargers will be ready to try and avenge their Monday night debacle when they blew a 24 point halftime lead and allowed the Broncos to score 35 unanswered points, but will their play on the field match their desire? As each week goes by, my confidence grows in the entire Broncos team because it appears they are improving in all three phases of the game – offense, defense, and special teams. Regardless of what these two teams did last week, or even the last month, it can be thrown out the window because this is a divisional game! A win today for the Broncos will not mathematically wrap up the division but it will be a huge step toward their second consecutive divisional crown with only six weeks remaining in the season.
Good luck Broncos! Enjoy the game Bronco fans!
Make sure to follow Predominantly Orange on Facebook.