Denver Broncos: AFC West Week Fifteen Picks

Predominantly Orange writers Baylor Bradac and Matt Geving join me to predict each AFC West matchup of week 15 including the Browns at Broncos.

The Denver Broncos lost a heartbreaker on Sunday at San Francisco against the 49ers. It was a game that they pretty much had to win if they wanted to continue holding their own destiny into the 2018 season playoffs.

Denver should have won this game fairly easily. They fell to San Francisco 20-14 and came up just short. The Broncos were without wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders due to a torn Achilles. This left the team with two rookies, Courtland Sutton and DaeSean Hamilton, starting at the position.

Hamilton really stepped up this week, catching seven passes for 47 yards and a score. Star undrafted running back Phillip Lindsay had an off day, rushing 14 times for just 30 yards.

Despite the loss, it was a good day for rookie linebacker Bradley Chubb. He broke the team record for most sacks by a rookie.

The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Baltimore Ravens 27-24 behind Patrick Mahomes’ two touchdown performance. Mahomes threw for  377 yards. 139 of those yards went to wide receiver Tyreek Hill.

The Chiefs gained 94 yards on the ground, including Mahomes’ two rushes for -3 yards.

The Los Angeles Chargers got the best of the Cincinnati Bengals and quarterback Jeff Driskel. Driskel threw for 170 yards and one score.

Chargers quarterback Phillip Rivers tossed one touchdown as well.

Despite Bengals running back Joe Mixon having a great day (26 attempts, 111 yards and a touchdown), the Bengals fell short of defeating Los Angeles.

Now for perhaps the most surprising game in the AFC West: the Oakland Raiders defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Derek Carr threw for 322 yards and two touchdowns. Tight end Jared Cook was on the receiving end of seven receptions and 116 yards.

Current AFC West standings: