Week 8 reshaped the AFC West in a hurry. The Denver Broncos now sit on top of the division by a half-game, the Las Vegas Raiders are back at .500, and the Kansas City Chiefs have been nudged out of first place after a Sunday showdown in Denver. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Chargers are still spiraling at 0-7, and the gap between them and the rest of the division keeps growing.
For the Raiders, the biggest development was simple: they got a road win. Las Vegas went into New York and beat the Jets, answering for its Week 5 blowout loss and doing it in a game that required plenty of grit.
It wasn’t clean, but it was the kind of victory that can steady a young team and a young staff. Klint Kubiak’s group is now 4-4, and that leaves the front office with real decisions to make before the trade deadline.
The Raiders could go in just about any direction.
The offense had enough answers to get the job done. Kirk Cousins looked like vintage Kirk Cousins, while the run game got a lift from Mike Washington Jr. taking on a lead role in place of Ashton Jeanty.
Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer were too much for the Jets to sort out, and Dylan Laube added a huge kickoff return for a touchdown. Las Vegas still had to fight from behind, but it found a way.
The defense remains the issue. Rob Leonard’s unit is still a mess, and the problems don’t seem to be shrinking.
Plenty of fans are already calling for his job, and while I am still not quite there yet, something has to change, or he’ll be looking for work. Even so, the defense did come through when it had to.
In Denver, the Broncos and Chiefs played the kind of game that keeps the AFC West on edge. It was a back-and-forth battle between two good teams, with both sides landing punches and neither one fully taking control. Denver’s comeback was strange in the way Broncos comebacks often are, but it worked.
Kansas City’s offense fell apart in the second half. Rookie Emmett Johnson provided some of the biggest plays, and Kenneth Walker III’s slide continued, even as Patrick Mahomes found a little more rhythm throwing the ball, including some deeper attempts.
The defense, meanwhile, kept doing what it has done all season: struggle to generate pressure, hold up better against the run, and live in that bend-but-don’t-break space. But one screen pass late turned into a killer, and it set up the Broncos’ winning score.
Bo Nix did not exactly carry Denver. His supporters may want to tell that story, but the Broncos were again leaning on their defense to rescue an offense that started slowly and still can’t really run the ball or stretch the field consistently.
Courtland Sutton made a couple of contested catches, but the real swing play was Jonah Coleman’s 51-yard screen-pass burst. Denver keeps winning anyway, even while getting outgained and outproduced in just about every category.
It’s hard to explain, but it keeps happening.
And then there’s the Chargers.
Justin Herbert looked completely broken in a 24-9 loss to the Rams coming out of the bye. He finished without a touchdown and threw two interceptions.
The Chargers still can’t run the ball, and even with a defense that’s at least respectable, they’re no longer competing in games. They are 0-7 now, and help is not on the way.
If they keep refusing to make major changes and stay unwilling to sell at the deadline, that’s organizational malpractice.
Looking ahead to Week 9, the Raiders head back to the Bay Area for the first time since leaving and will face the 49ers, who are coming off a bye. It’s a major test for Kubiak’s team, and it also sets up a brotherly matchup for him and Klay.
The Chiefs will host the Jets at Arrowhead Stadium and should be in line to end their two-game skid and get their first win since beating the Chargers on October 18. New York has been feisty, but Andy Reid’s team should have enough.
Denver gets a sneaky difficult trip to Carolina. The Panthers are battered by injuries, but they could still catch the Broncos off guard after an emotional AFC West win.
The Chargers, for their part, return home to face the Texans, who are coming off a bye and arriving in an ascending state. Jim Harbaugh and his staff have another tough one on their hands, and the possibility of Los Angeles falling to 0-9 is very real.
In Other News...
Mark Davis Just Weighed In On The Raiders QB Tension
The Raiders quarterback picture has a little more clarity from the top, even if the timetable still feels fluid. In a CNBC interview, owner Mark Davis said he does not feel any pressure to rush rookie Fernando Mendoza onto the field this season, a notable stance for a team trying to balance development with stability at the games most important position.
Davis also framed Kirk Cousins as the kind of veteran presence that can help bridge the gap while Mendoza keeps learning the professional game. He said the rookie is progressing well, but there is no need to force the issue right away, which leaves the Raiders with a patient approach for now and a bigger question still hanging over when the next chapter actually begins. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Face A Brutal Maxx Crosby Decision As Deadline Nears
With the November 10 trade deadline approaching, the Raiders are staring at one of the toughest roster calls they could face. Maxx Crosby is not asking out, and the expectation around the league is still that Las Vegas will keep its All-Pro edge rusher, but the phone lines figure to stay busy after a recent trade involving Jeffery Simmons helped push Crosbys market higher.
The challenge for the Raiders is obvious: Crosby remains central to what they do, especially with the current state of the defensive line, yet his value could be at its peak if the team ever decided to listen. Even with the possibility of significant offers coming in, Las Vegas would have to weigh the immediate hit to its defense against the kind of return it would demand to even consider moving one of the franchises most important players. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Fans Just Got A New Reminder Of Al Davis Legacy
Christian Bale is helping bring one of the most influential figures in Raiders history back into the spotlight. Speaking on ESPNs SportsCenter, Bale discussed his role in David O. Russells upcoming movie Madden and described Al Davis as a complicated force who rose through the organization and left a lasting imprint on the Raiders and the NFL.
For Raiders fans, the timing makes the reminder feel especially relevant, with the film set to arrive during the 2026 NFL season. Bale also pointed to Davis once a Raider, always a Raider mindset, along with his civil rights record and broader impact on the league, underscoring why Davis remains such a central part of the franchises identity. [Read more 🡒]