Las Vegas’ Afc West Slide Continues With Broncos, Chiefs Wins

Week 9 was brutal for the Las Vegas Raiders. Not only did they suffer a blowout loss to the San Francisco 49ers, but the Raiders also pretty much fell out of contention for the AFC West Championship. Not that Las Vegas had good odds of winning the division heading into the weekend, but the loss combined with the Denver Broncos’ and Kansas City Chiefs’ wins virtually puts an end to any slim hopes. On that note, let’s check in on the rest of the division, including the Los Angeles Chargers.

Broncos vs. Panthers

Score: 26-21 Broncos win

Key Stats:

• QB Bo Nix: 25/37 (67.6%), 237 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
• RB Jonah Coleman: 17 carries, 57 yards (3.4 ypc), 1 TD, 4 catches, 31 yards
• WR Pat Bryant: 4 catches, 56 yards, 1 TD
• EDGE Nik Bonitto 2 tackles, 1 sack, 1 FF, 1 FR
• S Devon Key: 4 tackles, 1 INT

This was a solid road win for the Broncos, as they scored on the game’s opening possession and led for three out of four quarters. Granted, Denver did get a scare in the third quarter, falling behind by a point. However, Key’s interception flipped the momentum back in the Broncos’ favor, leading to a two-score lead with about six minutes left. A late fumble by Coleman gave Denver a late scare, but the team had control of the game for the majority of the contest.

Next week: Bye

Chiefs vs. Jets

Score: 35-12 Chiefs win

Key Stats:

• QB Patrick Mahomes: 23/31 (74.2%), 242 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs
• RB Kenneth Walker III: 18 carries, 102 yards (5.7 ypc), 1 TD, 4 catches, 41 yards, 2 receiving TDs
• TE Travis Kelce: 4 catches, 72 yards, 1 rush, 1 yard, 1 rushing TD
• LB Nick Bolton: 12 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 FF
• EDGE George Karlaftis: 6 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 TFLs, 1 PD, 3 QB hits

This was a pretty dominant performance where Kansas City outgained New York by more than 160 total yards. The Chiefs’ defense didn’t give up a touchdown in the first half and pitched a shutout in the second, while Walker turned in a three-touchdown performance while flirting with 150 yards from scrimmage. The only worry coming out of Kansas City was an injury to Mahomes’ throwing arm/elbow, but the quarterback came back into the game and isn’t believed to have a significant issue. He will undergo more testing on Monday, though.

Next week: @ Falcons

Chargers vs. Texans

Score: 44-22 Chargers lose

Key Stats:

• QB Justin Herbert: 13/23 (56.5%), 193 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
• RB Omarion Hampton: 13 carries, 60 yards (4.6 ypc)
• WR Quentin Johnston: 1 catch, 58 yards, 1 TD
• LB Daiyan Henley: 10 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 INT
• S Tony Jefferson: 5 tackles, 0.5 sack

This game was so bad that Herbert got benched. That might have been an effort to spare the quarterback, because Houston’s pass rush feasted on Los Angeles’ weak offensive line with eight sacks. Meanwhile, the Chargers defense wasn’t any better, giving up 485 yards and 7.3 yards per play to C.J. Stroud and Co. At the end of the day, the Bolts look every bit like the worst team in the NFL.

Next week: @ Ravens (MNF)

Standings

1. Denver 7-2 (+12 point differential)
2. Kansas City 6-2 (+59)
3. Las Vegas 4-5 (-30)
4. Los Angeles 0-8 (-98)

In Other Raiders’ Links:

• Wild Card hopes still alive: While the division is likely out of reach for the Raiders, they’re still in the thick of the chase for the seventh seed.
• Vegas opens as underdog: According to our friends at FanDuel, the Silver and Black are three-point home dogs against the Seattle Seahawks next week.
• Missed opportunity?: “I was quite surprised the Raiders did not challenge this play. Appeared at first glance that [Brock] Bowers scored,” Ryan Paganetti posted on X/Twitter after the tight end was ruled out at the one-yard line after a long catch. “Ended up scoring 0 points on the drive.”
• Record-tying defense: “The Raiders have now tied a modern NFL record by giving up 30-plus points in six straight weeks within a single season,” via The Athletic’s Sam Warren.