The AFC West has hit the midpoint of the season with no one breaking away, and that leaves the division wide open heading into the stretch run. Every game still has teeth, and the four teams are sorting themselves out fast.
At the top of the rankings, the Kansas City Chiefs have reclaimed their footing in emphatic fashion. Their 23-point win over the Jets snapped a two-game losing streak, and they did it without allowing a touchdown.
That said, it did not start cleanly. Kansas City was down 6-0 after the first quarter and looked in danger of dropping a third straight before the game turned.
Once the Chiefs settled in, the Jets never really threatened again.
Kenneth Walker has the run game humming right now, and Patrick Mahomes keeps making a wide receiver room full of nobodies look respectable. The Chiefs will find him some help eventually, and when they do, this offense is going to be very difficult to stop.
The defense has also quietly become one of the best in the league. It may not look like it used to, but Kansas City is still very good.
Denver sits in second, and the Broncos are starting to look like a legitimate division threat at 7-2. Bo Nix has been more productive over the last couple of weeks, and he is no longer waiting until the fourth quarter to make plays.
Even so, there is still a ceiling on what he has shown. None of his completions gained 30 yards, even counting yards after the catch.
He is playing better, but he remains an average quarterback on a great team.
That setup works because Denver has enough around him to make it go. Sean Payton is calling the plays, the Broncos have a top-10 scoring defense, and Nix can keep operating as a high-upside game manager. For now, Denver is cruising into its bye week.
The Raiders are hanging on in third, but the slide is getting ugly. Their latest loss was strange from start to finish: they were bad for most of the game, yet the 49ers kept giving them chances to climb back in.
Las Vegas never took advantage. On six second-half possessions, the Raiders turned the ball over five times.
That is the kind of stat that tells the whole story.
The bigger issue is where the season has gone. After opening 3-0, the Raiders are now 4-5 and have built a reputation for beating only bad teams.
The problem is that there are not many of those left. Next up is the Seahawks, and they are not one of them.
The schedule does not ease up after that, either, with another tough matchup waiting in the following week.
The Chargers are bringing up the rear, and every week seems to produce a new low. Their latest disaster was a 22-point loss to a 2-5 Texans team, which only added to the sense that this season is already lost.
A total fire sale at the trade deadline would make sense from here. Still, there is at least one bit of optimism for Chargers fans: Jeremiah Smith is on his way to Los Angeles.
Maybe this time next year, the Chargers will be able to get him the ball.
In Other News...
Raiders Rookies Are Suddenly Creating A Real Roster Debate
The Raiders rookie class has started to shape the conversation around the back end of the roster, and not just because of the usual growing pains. In the wake of a loss to the 49ers and a win over the Jets, the first-year group has produced a mix of encouraging flashes and uneven production, with some young players drawing strong marks for how they handled their opportunities while others struggled to make the same kind of case.
Treydan Stukes and Jermod McCoy stood out on the positive side of the ledger, giving Las Vegas something to think about as it sorts out who deserves more run down the stretch. On the other end, Mike Washington Jr. and Zeke Masses did not help their standing, and with a few rookies either inactive or on injured reserve, the Raiders are left weighing not just who has played well, but who is actually forcing the issue when the team starts making tougher decisions. [Read more 🡒]
Fernando Mendoza Enters A New Raiders Role With Huge Expectations
Fernando Mendoza has stepped into a new role for the Raiders with the kind of attention that comes with being handed the offense in-season. After Kirk Cousins was moved out of the picture, Mendoza took over as Las Vegas starting quarterback and has already gone through his first full practice in the job, a key early test as he settles into the routine that now comes with leading the huddle.
Mendoza has also made clear he appreciated the time he spent alongside Cousins, crediting the veteran for his support during their overlap. Now the focus shifts quickly to game week and a matchup with the Seattle Seahawks, where the Raiders will get their first real look at how Mendoza handles the pressure and pace of being the guy. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Put Fernando Mendoza In A Spot That Will Test Everything
The Raiders are handing Fernando Mendoza his first NFL start in a spot that arrives with immediate pressure attached. After sending Kirk Cousins to Minnesota ahead of the trade deadline, Las Vegas is turning to the rookie and asking him to step into the job without changing the identity of the offense, even as the challenge gets significantly steeper.
Head coach Klint Kubiak said the Raiders will stick with their offensive approach with Mendoza under center, which says plenty about how they want to handle the transition. It also sets up a revealing first test for the rookie, because the team is not easing him in with a scaled-back plan, and the matchup waiting for him should tell a lot about how ready he is for the speed and demands of the league. [Read more 🡒]