AFC West
The season got a little bit harder for the Chiefs as they’ve fallen out of the top spot in the AFC. Their goals are much loftier than a division win, so while everyone else is fighting to earn one of the last playoff spots, Andy Reid and company are trying to scheme up game plans where they can beat Buffalo and Cincinnati, potentially on the road.
Denver Broncos – Russell Wilson completed 17-of-22 passes but for only 189 yards. The Broncos could not get close enough for a touchdown and struggled to get Latavius Murray going despite getting him the ball 21 times. Greg Dulcich led the Broncos in receiving with six catches for 85 yards but he’s still not getting in the end zone to be more than a fantasy TE2.
Kansas City Chiefs – Not the burst of points we normally see out of the Chiefs, but they faced a legit defense that’s had success against the pass. Cincinnati gets good pressure and does not let any receiver dominate them. This matchup was no different. Patrick Mahomes completed just 16-of-27 passes for 223 yards and one touchdown. He could not get Travis Kelce (who also had a keep fumble lost) going like he normally does. If there’s a game that exemplifies not having a Tyreek Hill-type talent on the field hurts the Chiefs, this would be it.
Las Vegas Raiders – After weeks of losing in the most unimaginable and soul-crushing ways, we are all preconditioned to underestimate the Raiders, right? And of course, they rattle off three straight wins to get back into the wild card conversation. How? Josh Jacobs has raced up to become the NFL’s current rushing leader for one. That happens because the Browns and Titans want to believe that they can have a balanced attack. All of that is possible, but having that great running back means you have to establish the run early, first, otherwise you must abandon it. Going back over the last three games, Jacobs has 28, 39, and 27 touches respectively, and the result is 482 rushing yards, 131 receiving yards, and three touchdowns. Meanwhile, Davante Adams has caught 22-of-36 targets for 318 yards and four touchdowns. Jacobs’ success is not slowing down Adams one bit.
Los Angeles Chargers – Each week it gets better for Justin Herbert owners. He’s back throwing over 300 yards because he has Keenan Allen back. Conversely, it’s still increasingly frustrating for Austin Ekeler owners, because it feels like the Chargers don’t utilize him as well as they could. Just 10 rushes for 35 yards in Week 13, but he added five catches for 67 yards. Joshua Palmer remains relevant while Mike Williams is out but DeAndre Carter fell back in the pack of targets.
