The Oakland Raiders need four results to go their way on Sunday, but playoff dreams for Jon Gruden’s outfit remain real in Week 17.

Maybe, just maybe, the AFC West will have two playoffs teams for the second straight season.
But the Oakland Raiders need a ton of help. But as we head to the final week of the regular season, the AFC West is pointing upward.

The Kansas City Chiefs showed, again they are a legitimate Super Bowl threat with another dominant defensive performance. The Raiders remarkably stayed alive in the playoff hunt and the Denver Broncos continued to get hope for the future. Meanwhile, the Chargers continue to be a complete 2019 bust after winning 12 games last season.

Let’s look at the risers and fallers of the AFC West heading into Week 17:

Risers

Chiefs’ defense: We always think of the Chiefs as an offense-first outfit. With defending NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce, speedy receiver Tyreek Hill and mastermind coach Andy Reid, it’s no secret why. But if the Chiefs have a chance to win their first Super Bowl trophy in 50 years, and they do, it’s because the defense is playing at a high level. The Chiefs haven’t allowed a touchdowns in their last 19 defensive series. They’ve allowed just 31 points in the past four games. This defense is playing incredible football.

Raiders’ playoff dreams: The mighty Jon Gruden’s are more than halfway home on a 10-team parlay that will get them in the playoffs. Will it happen? Well, the Raiders, a five-point underdog, must win at Denver and they also need a lot of help to get there. But it’s possible. The Raiders needed five things to happen in Week 16, and they are still alive. If the Raiders get into the playoffs, they will be one of the worst teams ever to make the NFL postseason. But it still works.

Philip Lindsay: The Broncos’ running back is quietly proving he was no one-year wonder. Lindsay was the first undrafted rookie to make the Pro Bowl last season. He is having another strong year. Lindsay had 109 yards rushing in a win over the Lions on Sunday. He needs 42 yards to get 1,000 yards rushing in both of his first two NFL seasons. Along with rookie quarterback Drew Lock, Lindsay represents a strong future in Denver.

Fallers

Chargers’ Costa Mesa memories: It was a pathetically fitting ending to the Chargers’ three-season stay at the Dignity Health Sports Park on Sunday. There was, at least, 80 percent Raiders fans with plenty of empty seats at the 27,000-seat soccer stadium the Chargers have called home since they bailed out on beautiful San Diego. Every game in Costa Mesa was filled with fans of the opposing teams.

Sunday, after another Chargers’ defeat, quarterback Philip Rivers sounded disgusted about the whole thing. Really, will things change next season when the Chargers move into a grand new stadium in downtown LA as the Rams’ tenant? Probably not. But there will be more seats, so that means there will be more opposing fans at Chargers’ home games. This is one of the NFL’s biggest current problems.

Chargers’ heart: After the game, Chargers’ running back Melvin Gordon was quoted as saying the Raiders played with more heart than the Chargers. The Chargers are talented, but they just don’t have it.

Raiders’ defense and penalties: The Raiders’ defense has given opponents 47 first downs on penalties. It’s the most in the NFL. It happened three times – on the same drive – Sunday. But, hey, Oakland can still make the playoffs.

The post AFC West stock watch: Raiders to playoffs? appeared first on Bet Sunday.

Overall, 2019 has been a disappointment in the AFC West.

Sure, the Kansas City Chiefs have done their part as a legitimate Super Bowl threat as expected. But no other team is going to finish with better than a .500 record and the only team that has a chance to go 8-8 is the Oakland Raiders, who have lost four straight games. The Los Angeles Chargers are 5-9 and are probably the biggest disappointment in the NFL after going 12-4 last year. They were expected to be a Super Bowl contender along with the Chiefs. And the Broncos are just the Broncos.

However, not all has been lost in the big picture of the division. There have been some very promising rookie classes , particularly by the Broncos, Chiefs and Raiders. Let’s look at the four rookie classes in a thumbnail, presented in alphabetical order:

Denver: This class has potential to be the best in the division. The Broncos drafted tight end Noah Fant in the first round, quarterback Drew Lock and guard Dalton Risner in the second round. These three have a chance to be foundation players for the next decade. Lock has been mostly promising in his three starts and has a chance to develop. Fant started slow, but has shown his talent and Risner looks like an anchor of the line. Also, pass-rushers Dre’Mont Jones and Justin Hollins both have a chance to be good. This group could be better than the strong Denver 2006 draft class that featured quarterback Jay Cutler, pass-rusher Elvis Duemrvil, receiver Brandon Marshall and guard Chris Kuper.

Kansas City: The Chiefs have quietly gotten major contributions from this rookie class, especially late in the season. It’s all been a bonus for the best team in the division. The Chiefs, who traded their first-round pick to Seattle for pass-rusher Frank Clark, are happy with his contributions, of course, but the youngsters are coming through as well. Second-round pick, receiver/returner Mecole Hardman, is an explosive option behind Tryeek Hill.

Safety Juan Thornhill is already a playmaker and may have a huge future, and was another second-round score. In the third round, the Chiefs took defensive tackle Khalen Saunders, and he is playing well. The Chiefs are also getting contributions from sixth rounders, cornerback Rashad Fenton and running back Darwin Thompson. This class illustrates how good general manager Brett Veach is and, while the Chiefs don’t appear to be a young team, they are set for the future as well as the present.

Los Angeles: Thus far, the Chargers’ rookie class has made the least impact in the division in what has been a bad season overall. First-round defensive lineman Jerry Tillery hasn’t made an impact and has even been a healthy scratch this season. Second-round pick, safety Nasir Adderley, was praised for being a great pick at draft time. Yet, he has barely played on defense.

This doesn’t mean the Chargers won’t get much out of their 2019 rookie class in the future, but it hasn’t happened yet. Adding difficulty to that reality is that the other three rookie classes in the AFC West have flourished.

Oakland: Oakland coach Jon Gruden and first-year general manager Mike Mayock knew this had to be a foundation class after so many recent poor drafts for the Raiders. Thus far, it looks like the Raiders could have something special. Oakland had three first-round picks due to the Khalil Mack (Chicago) and Amari Cooper (Dallas) trades. It took defensive end Clelin Ferrell, running back Josh Jacobs and safety Johnathan Abram.

Jacobs is the favorite to win the NFL Offensive Rookie of the year award. He has 1,150 rushing yards and is averaging 4.8 yards a carry. He has been a punishing runner. Ferrell has been slow to make an impact, but he is growing as a run stopper and could have a solid career. Abram has promise, but was lost for the season in Week 1 with a shoulder injury. Cornerback Trayvon Mullen, taken in the second round, is starting and has made some plays. Fourth-round defensive end Maxx Crosby may be one of the top stories of the draft. He has 8.5 sacks.

Fifth-round pick, receiver Hunter Renfrow, looks like he will be a solid slot receiver for the long haul. Fourth-round pick, tight end Foster Moreau, also shined before he was lost for the season earlier this month. If the Raiders turn it around soon, this rookie class could be the primary reason why.

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Remember when the Kansas City Chiefs were stubbing their collective toes around midseason?

We thought maybe there would be some intrigue in the AFC West. Yeah, that was a while ago.

Week 15 was another December reminder that the AFC West is assembled by the Chiefs and a bunch of no-shows.

The Chiefs are playing elite football and have to be considered among the handful of true Super Bowl-winner contenders. Meanwhile, the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers flailed, as usual, in Week 15 and the Raiders? Well, they forever put an entire city in a foul mood.

As we head to Week 16, let’s look at the risers and fallers in the AFC West:

Risers

The Chiefs in bad circumstances: The Chiefs are rolling – in any type of situation. In Week 14, Kansas City had to deal with the equipment of several players getting to the stadium late. Yet, they went out and beat the New England Patriots on the road. Then, in Week 15, there was a major snowstorm in Kansas City, causing several players to arrive to the stadium late because of road conditions. Then, in a snowstorm, the Chiefs easily dispatched the Broncos. This team is getting hardened for the postseason, no matter where they play, or, in what circumstances, the games are played in.

Frank Clark: The Chiefs’ star defensive end played well and played a lot in the win over Denver on Sunday. He has been dealing with a stomach issue that caused him to shed considerable weight. The Chiefs are confident he is getting to the point where he can soon be at full strength, which will be a huge boost for a defense that has been rolling.

Terrell Suggs: The pass-rusher has to be thrilled. Yes, we all understand why he may want to have gone back to Baltimore after being cut by the Arizona Cardinals. But he has to be tickled the Chiefs claimed him Monday. He gained six victories in the standings and a division title. Suggs can help the Chiefs win their first Super Bowl in 50 years and the second of his fabled career with his pass-rush ability down the stretch.

Fallers

Raiders’ memories: It was supposed to be so much better than what it was. The final memory in the Oakland Coliseum wasn’t supposed to be fans booing quarterback Derek Carr as he went to say goodbye in the Black Hole. It wasn’t supposed to be the sight of food being thrown on the field. It wasn’t supposed to be angry fans getting arrested on the field. But after the Raiders blew a16-3 lead with 20 minutes remaining to lose to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the final seconds, that was the goodbye the Raiders and their passionate Oakland fans had. For a team that has been miserable for most of this century and one that has fallen apart in the last month, this ending was so raw and painful even Oakland fans couldn’t believe it.

Von Miller’s mood: After losing to the Chiefs, Miller talked about the pain defeats like that do to his soul. Many people read it as Miller being ready to leave Denver, a team he has been an all-time player and Super Bowl MVP for. This week, Miller made it clear that he doesn’t want to leave Denver, but he hates the losing. That’s fair.

Chargers’ cool point differential: The Chargers followed up their best day of a lousy season, a huge Week 14 win at Jacksonville, by going home and getting blown out by Minnesota, 39-10. Now, the Chargers’ point differential is just +9. Still, it’s wild that a 5-9 team has a plus point differential. Let’s see if the Chargers can improve it this week at home against the Raiders.

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The AFC West race is over. Once again, confetti falls in Kansas City.

Sunday, for the fourth straight year, Andy Reid’s team clinched the division title. It is a remarkable accomplishment in this ultra-competitive age in the NFL.

The Chiefs clinched the division with three weeks remaining after its impressive road win over the New England Patriots and the Oakland Raiders’ lopsided loss at home to the Tennessee Titans.

Also, in Week 14, the Denver Broncos continued to see impressive play from their young quarterback and the Chargers had their best day of the season. But it didn’t matter.

As we head to Week 15, here are the AFC West’s risers and fallers:

Risers

Chiefs’ momentum: When the season started, the Chiefs, who just missed going to the Super Bowl last season, appeared to be a top AFC contender. Their 4-0 start didn’t do anything to change that perception. However, some close losses, bad defense and a scary knee injury to MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes knocked the Chiefs off course a bit. But there is no denying Kansas City is a legitimate Super Bowl contender again.

The Chiefs have won three straight games. The defense has made huge strides and while Mahomes is still dealing with nagging injuries, the offense should be extremely dangerous in January.

Andy Reid: He gets a lot of grief, but Reid has done a fantastic job navigating through this season. He is still an innovator (see Travis Kelce’s read-option touchdown Sunday). The Chiefs are surging and have won another division crown, in large part, because Reid is their coach.

Denver’s long-term hopes: The Broncos are 2-0 since rookie Drew Lock has become the quarterback. He has a lot of ability and gumption. This team is 5-8, but has had a lot of close losses. With a growing young nucleus, Denver has some things to look forward to.

Fallers

Paul Guenther: The Raiders are dreadful on defense. Tennessee ran up-and-down the field Sunday, scoring 42 points. Oakland coach called the Raiders’ defense “sickening” and said it won’t happen again. But it has been happening all season. Oakland is allowing an average of 28.1 points a game. They have allowed the most plays of 20 yards or more in the NFL and have allowed 11 touchdowns of 90-plus yards in Guenther’s 29 games as the defensive coordinator. Guenther is Gruden’s guy and will probably get another year, but he has work to do.

Days in Oakland: Sunday is a historic day in the AFC West. The Raiders’ game against the Jacksonville Jaguars will be their final game in Oakland. The team is moving to Las Vegas after the season. Since 2015, there were three finales that could have been it for the Oakland Raiders, but this is certainly the swan song. Gruden loves Oakland. Expect him to do everything he can to win and celebrate in the Black Hole.

Life as a Charger: How Chargers is this: They had their best game of the season in a 45-10 win at Jacksonville on Sunday. They looked great. But, of course, it didn’t matter. The Chargers, the biggest disappointment in the NFL this season, were officially eliminated Sunday. How perfectly Chargers is that?

The post AFC West stock watch: Chiefs win division, Raiders host final game appeared first on Bet Sunday.

Andy Reid deserves major credit for virtually securing his fourth straight AFC West crown. That happened Sunday in a stunningly easy win over the Oakland Raiders in a game with first place in the AFC West on the line.

Meanwhile, the other two teams in the division, the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos, got together. The Chargers found new ways to torment themselves and the Broncos may have begun their future.

Let’s look at the risers and fallers in the AFC West heading into Week 14 and the final quarter of the regular season:

Risers

Chiefs’ championships: There’s little chance the Chiefs won’t win the division under Reid for the fourth straight season. They are now 8-4 and the Raiders fell to 6-6. But Kansas City basically has a three-game lead in the division with four games to go because it swept Oakland this season (by a combined score of 68-19). If the Chiefs win at New England and the Tennessee Titans win at Oakland on Sunday, Kansas City will officially be division champions. The season has been bumpier than expected, but it’s still been a productive campaign in Kansas City.

Drew Lock: The second-round pick made his NFL debut and it was a big success. Lock started hot with two first-quarter touchdown passes. Naturally, he had some rocky moments. But for a second-round pick to give a winning spark to his team in rookie debut is a promising sign. Lock has a lot of talent. It gives Denver something to be excited about heading down the stretch as Lock tries to make his case to be the 2020 starter.

Chiefs’ defense: Don’t look now, but the Chiefs are starting to put together some strong defensive performances. It befuddled Oakland quarterback Derek Carr. All three layers of the Chiefs’ defense made plays. This unit doesn’t have to be great, just good, for the Chiefs to win the Super Bowl. If it comes through with another solid performance in New England, the Chiefs may be legitimate Super Bowl contenders.

Fallers

Power of point differential: The AFC West is living proof that a positive or negative point differential is unimportant. You actually may not believe what you are about to read: The Chargers are 4-8 and have a +3 point differential. Conversely, the Raiders are 6-6 and have a -87 point differential. Yes, you read that correctly. Both of those differentials are unfathomable. What does it mean? Apparently, the Chargers are very unfortunate and the Raiders have had some luck. Adding to the Chargers’ misery is that all eight defeats have been by seven points or less. Not fun.

Derek Carr: Carr was facing a couple of big career-long obstacles last week and he shrugged them off. He has traditionally been bad in cold weather games at Arrowhead Stadium. He talked about changing the ‘standard’ and then he went out in a cold weather game at Arrowhead Stadium and played terribly dropping to 0-6 at Kansas City. Carr hasn’t been terrible for most of this season, but he has struggled in the past 10 quarters, leading the Raiders to a total of 15 points. If Carr doesn’t finish strong, all the 2019 offseason speculation about head coach Jon Gruden possibly looking to replace Carr start again.

Raiders’ discipline: The Raiders were penalized 12 times at Kansas City with several coming pre-snap. Oakland has been penalized 104 times, one behind Jacksonville for the most in the NFL. Gruden continues to say this is on him. Well, it’s up to Gruden to fix it.

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With the biggest week of the season in the AFC West looming, Week 12 was a dud in the division.

With the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers on their bye week, the Oakland Raiders and the Denver Broncos both went out and hit a thud in New York with the Raiders’ loss at the Jets being particularly untimely and concerning.

Now, though, we move on to Week 13 as the Raiders visit the Chiefs in a game that will go a long way into determining the division title.

Let’s look at the risers and fallers in the AFC West headed into Week 13

Risers

Interest in the division: The AFC West isn’t as top-heavy as it was last season when both the Chiefs and the Chargers won 12 games (the Chiefs won the division on a tiebreaker). But there is still late-season intrigue in the division. The Raiders-Chiefs game at Arrowhead Stadium was flexed from an early game to the afternoon slot. There will be a lot of national eyes on this battle for first place.

Chiefs’ opportunity: If the Chiefs don’t win the AFC West for the fourth straight season, this week’s game will be the turning point. With Oakland losing to the Jets, the Chiefs are in good shape. They are 7-4 and remain a game ahead of Oakland in the division. If the Chiefs, who won 28-10 in Oakland in Week 2, win this week, they will be two games up in the division with four games to go.

They will also own the tiebreaker over the Raiders based on the season sweep. Thus, it would basically be a three-game lead. However, if the Raiders win, the two teams will be tied with the Oakland having an easier remaining schedule. The Chiefs play at New England in Week 14.

Chiefs’ passing game: The Chiefs will probably get Tyreek Hill back after he hurt his hamstring against the Chargers. Patrick Mahomes and Hill can slice Oakland up. The Raiders have allowed a league-high 55 pass plays of 20 yards or more this season. An opportunity awaits the Chiefs’ explosive offense.

Fallers

Josh Jacobs: The Raiders’ star rookie running back had his least productive game as a pro against the Jets, who have the No. 1 run defense in the NFL. Jacobs had 34 yards on 10 carries. He now has 957 yards rushing this season and remains a favorite to win the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Jacobs has a chance to rebound against a leaky Kansas City run defense.

The Raiders have won games this season by controlling the game on the ground and keeping the opposing offense off the field. That will be their plan in this game. The first offensive play of the last six Raiders’ games have been a Jacobs run. I bet we see it extended to seven games this week.

Branden Allen: The injury replacement for Joe Flacco may be in his last days as Denver’s starting quarterback. There have been reports that rookie Drew Lock may get his chance to play very soon, perhaps even this week against the Chargers. Thus, the Broncos’ brass will see if perhaps Lock is the future or if they have to try to answer the position yet again in the rocky post-Peyton Manning era.

Derek Carr in poor weather: The Raiders didn’t lose to the Jets by 31 points because of Carr. He didn’t play well, but no one did for the Raiders. Yet, it continued the narrative that Carr doesn’t play well in poor weather as the Raiders struggled in the rain. Now, comes a game in Kansas City where the temps are supposed to be in the 30s with wind and possible snow. Carr is 0-4 games played under 40 degrees. He also struggles mightily at Arrowhead Stadium. He must change those trends or the Raiders could kiss their divisional chances goodbye.

The post AFC West stock watch: Chiefs rising, Derek Carr falling appeared first on Bet Sunday.

For the second straight week, the Los Angeles Chargers showed exactly who they are in a primetime setting.

In essence, the Chargers Chargered once again in Week 11, in a Monday Night Football loss to the first-place Kansas City Chiefs.

The Chargers, along with the equally pathetic Denver Broncos, are all but dead and the AFC West is a two-team race between the Chiefs and the upstart Oakland Raiders, who won their third straight game, all at home, in Week 11.

Let’s look at the risers and fallers in the AFC West headed into Week 12.

Risers

Frank Clark: On Monday night, Clark looked like he was worth the $105 million contract he received from the Chiefs this offseason. Clark struggled to make an impact as a pass-rusher early in his Chiefs’ tenure. Now, he is turning it up and has been a complete player. He was completely disruptive against the Chargers. The Chiefs need that Frank Clark if they are going to be a factor in the postseason.

Maxx Crosby: The Raiders’ rookie looks like a great steal. The fourth-round pick from Eastern Michigan has been active all year. He has flashed and shown perhaps the Jared Allen comparisons aren’t ridiculous. But in Week 11, Crosby took over. He had four sacks in a 17-10 Oakland win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Crosby has the look of a monster who will be a pass-rushing factor for years to come. He can be a face the Raiders build around as they move to Las Vegas.

Patrick Mahomes’ legs: The Chiefs’ quarterback took over the Chargers’ game with his legs. In his second game back from a dislocated kneecap, Mahomes ran for a career-high 59 yards. He extended drives and ran smart. Running hasn’t been a huge part of Mahomes’ game but with receiver Tyreek Hill out and the Chiefs’ down to their third running back, Mahomes did what his team needed to win, furthering his status as one of the NFL’s most vital players.

Fallers

The Chargers: Man, this team is floundering. They play the same game every week. Is it on coach Anthony Lynn? I’m not sure. He is not getting his team’s mistakes corrected, but this has been Chargers football for years. They are 4-7 with all seven losses being by one score. That has been the earmark for the franchise for a decade. They just can’t get it done.

Philip Rivers: The biggest current problem for the Chargers is Rivers, their possible Hall of Fame quarterback. Rivers is a mess right now. He threw four interceptions in the loss to the Chiefs and he threw three interceptions in Week 10 against the Raiders. It is the first time he’s ever thrown seven interceptions in a two-game stretch in his career. Rivers turns 38 in less than three weeks. He is a free agent after the year. If Rivers continues to decline the rest of the season, the Chargers may not opt to re-sign him.

The Broncos’ ability to hold a lead: The Broncos are 3-7 and appear destined for a top-10 draft pick. But they compete much better than their record indicates. Still, the bottom line is they can’t finish game. There wasn’t a more stark reminder of what he 2019 Vic Fangio Broncos are than what happened in Week 11 at Minnesota. The Broncos were beating the Vikings, 20-0, at halftime only to see Minnesota come back to win. What a gut punch. But the Broncos are used to it. It was their fourth blown lead in the fourth quarter this season. The Broncos’ could be contenders, but they won’t be until Fangio figures out how to finish.

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Twists and turns aplenty in the AFC West again in Week 7.

The week started with the biggest storyline of the NFL weekend when Kansas City’s league MVP Patrick Mahomes suffered a dislocated kneecap Thursday night at Denver.

Despite that major blow, the Chiefs went on to easily beat the Broncos. For the third time in seven weeks, the Chiefs were the only winner in the division this week. Sunday, the Oakland Raiders’ resurgence took a detour in a blowout loss at Green Bay and the Chargers, well, they Chargered in the most special of ways, continuing this grotesque season.

After mostly the disappointing AFC West weekend, Oakland cornerback Gareon Conley and Denver receiver Emmanuel Sanders were shipped out to Houston and San Francisco, respectively, a week before the trade deadline.

Let’s look at the risers and fallers in the division heading into Week 8:

Risers

Chiefs’ control of division: If the Chiefs end up surviving the Mahomes’ injury and win the AFC West again, Week 7 may be remembered as the turning point. After starting the season 4-0, the Chiefs stumbled with back-to-back home losses. They were on the brink when Mahomes went down, but the team rallied and destroyed Denver, 30-6. They could have fell into second place Thursday night. Now, they a big lead in the division race again.

Mahomes’ luck: When Mahomes got hurt on the quarterback sneak and the cart came out for him, Chiefs fans around the country panicked. Any hopes of a Super Bowl run this year seemed to be wiped out in an instant. Yet, the injury ended up being relatively minor and he could be back in a few weeks. That is the definition of best-case scenario in this instance.

Chiefs’ defense: This group was the heroes of the Mahomes’ injury night. The defense stepped up and had nine sacks in the victory over Denver. It was by far, the best performance the season by the unit that played a huge role in the two consecutive losses. This unit is going to have to channel that performance and continue to pick up the slack with Mahomes out.

Fallers

Everything Chargers: I’ve covered the Chargers for the past 11 years. The theme during that time has been an incredible run of bad injury luck and devastating last-second defeats. This year has been typical, but Sunday, a game when the Chargers lost guard Forrest Lamp for the season, they lost in such horrible fashion, it’s hard for even the Chargers to deal with. In the final moments at Tennessee, the Chargers had two touchdowns reversed by official calls (the first one was very iffy) and then lost the game on a fumble at the goal line. The Chargers are now 2-5 and their 12-4 season in 2018 is a distant memory.

Raiders’ defense: The Oakland defense made some big plays in back-too-back wins at Indianapolis and over the Chicago Bears in London in its two previous games. Yet, Sunday, the Raiders were gutted by Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay. He threw for five touchdowns and had a perfect quarterback rating of 158.3. The Raiders had no chance against Rodgers. It was only Oakland’s second game of the season against above average quarterback. Like Rodgers, Mahomes smoked Oakland’s pass defense in Week 2. Now, on tap is DeShaun Watson in Houston. If the Raiders don’t improve their pass defense and pass-rush, they will be in danger of falling under .500 again.

Broncos’ inability to stay relevant: The Broncos, who lost two winnable games, when they started 0-4. Then, they won two games in a row and there was some hope Denver could stay alive in a weak AFC playoff race. Then, the Broncos fell flat against the Chiefs. That helped Denver make the decision to trade Sanders. Don’t be surprised if cornerback Chris Harris, defensive lineman Derek Wolfe and, perhaps, others get shipped out of the Rockies before next Tuesday’s trade deadline as well.

The post AFC West stock watch: Patrick Mahomes up, Chargers down appeared first on Bet Sunday.

The Oakland Raiders have suddenly found life, while the Kansas City Chiefs lost and are dealing with a crush of injuries.

Two weeks ago, the AFC West looked like it was already a done deal.

The Kansas City Chiefs were the only team in the division to win in both Week 2 and 3 and once promising division battle appeared to be a dud.

Yet, heading into Week 6, are pleased to report that the AFC West – expected to be one of the best division in the 2019 season – is interesting again.

The Oakland Raiders have put together back-to-back impressive wins away from Oakland, against Indianapolis and Chicago. Meanwhile, Kansas City stumbled at home in Week 5.

Now, the Chiefs lead Oakland, 3-2, by one game.

Let’s look at our AFC West Week 6 Risers and Fallers

Risers

Raiders’ rookies: The Raiders executed a 97-yard game-winning drive in the final minutes to beat the Bears. Rookies, running back Josh Jacobs, wide receiver Hunter Renfrow and tight end Foster Moreau all made critical plays on the drive. Oakland general manager Mike Mayock wanted this draft class to be a foundation group and the early results are strong.

Broncos’ defense: After being dormant in the first four games of the season under new coach, defensive specialist Vic Fangio, the Denver defense came alive in an upset victory over the Chargers in Week 5. The Broncos had two interceptions and a fumble recovery against the Chargers. They didn’t have any turnovers in the first four games. Denver is still looking or its first sack of the season, but its defense is trending the right way after it won its first game of the season.

Raiders’ resolve: The Raiders saw a 17-0 halftime lead against the Bears turn into a 31-17 deficit after three quarters. Still, the young Raiders kept their poise in all facets of the game and came away with a huge 24-21 victory. For a time that doesn’t play in Oakland until November 3, that experience can be great fuel as it navigates through the toughest road stretch in the NFL.

Fallers

Chiefs’ invincibility: The Chiefs raced through the first four games of the season and looked like a truly elite team. Yet, in Week 5. Patrick Mahomes and company were tamed by the Indianapolis Colts. Thus, the Chiefs won’t go 6-0. That’s Ok. They are still going to be fine,. They probably should have won the game, but they will learn from it.

The Chargers: No particular aspect of the Chargers, just the whole team. The Chargers are the biggest disappointment in the NFL thus far at 2-3 after the loss to Denver. We’ve seen the Chargers start slowly before, but this year was supposed to be different. Yes, they are injured, but the Chargers are always injured. Things can change. But Anthony Lynn’s 2019 version doesn’t appear ready to a weather the storm.

Chris Jones: The Chiefs got somewhat banged up in the loss to the Colts. The biggest injury was the defensive lineman Chris Jones. The standout suffered a groin injury that will make him week-to-week. The Chiefs have to hope Jones, the anchor of their defense, comes back sooner rather than later.

The post AFC West stock watch: Raiders win, Chiefs falling appeared first on Bet Sunday.

It was a mostly down week for the AFC West in Week 2, but we have plenty for our Week 3 division stock watch. Here we go.

Risers

Kansas City Chiefs in standings: On the steam of a convincing, 28-10, victory in Oakland, Kansas City was the only team in the AFC West to win in Week 2. The Chargers were upset on the road in Detroit and the Broncos lost a soul crusher at home to Chicago. The division, which is still very good, of course, had three 1-0 teams heading into the week. Now, the Chiefs are 2-1, the Chargers and Raiders are both 1-1 and the Vic Fangio’s are 0-2. It wouldn’t be shocking if the Chiefs never look back.

Chiefs’ defense: Lost in the Chiefs 28-point second-quarter explosion in Oakland was a strong performance in Oakland. The Raiders had their way in the first quarter, taking a 10-0 lead. But the Kansas City defense settled down and blanked the Raiders for the final three quarters. The Chiefs’ defense set the tone and made plays when it needed to. After a somewhat shaky performance in Jacksonville in Week 1, the Kansas City defense looked as improved as it was supposed to be. If the Chiefs can continue to shut down offenses, forget about it.

Broncos, Chargers’ defenses: Yes, the Chargers and the Broncos lost in Week 2. But their defenses both played well in defeat. The season is long and salvageable for most teams in the NFL. So, making fast progress on the defensive side of the ball is something that can be built on despite the close losses for both teams.

Fallers

Chargers’ kicking game: It seems the same things haunt the Chargers year after year, from San Diego to the cute little soccer field in Orange County – injuries, kicking woes and heartbreaking losses. Year after year.

The banged-up Chargers suffered another tight loss, in Motown and the kicking game obviously played a role. With kicker Mike Badgley hurting, punter Ty Long had to perform the kicking duties. It didn’t go well. Long missed two manageable field goals that would have increased the Chargers’ lead in an eventual, 13-10, loss. The Chargers should be AFC contending but this type of unnecessary loss could haunt them.

Garett Bolles: The heat is on the Denver Broncos’ left tackle. The former first-round pick has struggled early in his career. Bolles had a brutal game Sunday in a 16-14 loss to the Chicago Bears. He was flagged four times for holding. The Bears accepted three of those four calls. Two of Bolles’ holding calls wiped out critical long runs by Denver running back Phillip Lindsay. Bolles has been on thin ice for awhile. This performance will not soon be forgotten in Denver.

Raiders receiving depth: We are seeing the fallout of the Antonio Brown fiasco. It’s easy to think the Raiders added by subtraction by finally releasing the troubled Brown earlier this month. But the reality is the Raiders planned their entire 2019 offseason around Brown, whom they acquired from Pittsburgh for third and fifth-round picks at the start of the league year.

Simply put, the Raiders were counting on Brown to be their focal point of the offense. His departure, 48 hours before the start of the season, caused a depth problem in Oakland. Free-agent addition Tyrell Williams moved up from No. 2 to No. 1. Williams has been fine in his new role.

The problem is what behind Williams’ on Oakland’s receiver depth chart. Not much thus far. Derek Carr’s passes to Williams in Week 2, according to the Associated Press, averaged more than 10 yards a pass. Carr’s passed to all the Raiders’ other receivers averaged just over two yards in the air. Veteran Ryan Grant had a terrible game and fifth-round draft pick, Hunter Renfrow, is still adjusting to life in the NFL. This is a situation worth watching.

Oakland may have to hope tight end Darren Waller, who can stretch the field, can have a big year as a receiver as Jared Cook did last year when the tight end was Oakland’s best receiving option. Whatever the case, barring big growth behind Williams, the Raiders will be looking for receiver impact again next offseason.

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