Kiz: There probably have been wilder and wackier Sundays in the NFL. But not many. Buffalo loses to the lowly Jaguars? And the Broncos trounce the Cowboys in Big D? At the midway point of this NFL season, could Arizona really be the favorite to win the Super Bowl? Oh, my. And nothing is nuttier than the AFC West, where for the first time since the league adopted the division format, all four teams own five wins at this point on the football calendar. What the heck is going on here?
O’Halloran: I’ll throw in the Rams laying a home prime-time egg against Derrick Henry-less Tennessee (those second- and third-round picks they’re sending to the Broncos just got better!). Sunday was Exhibit 1,042,324 why I don’t bet on the NFL. What we’ve learned so far about the AFC West is that it’s mediocre, which means flawed teams have a puncher’s chance of making late-season noise. The Chiefs can’t stop anybody. The Raiders don’t have a coach or a top receiver. And the Chargers and Broncos have been streaky. It’s just how the suits at the NFL office like it. Everybody … is … in … it.
Kiz: The calculus of the AFC West has changed, primarily because Patrick Mahomes might not be the best quarterback in the division at the moment. With no dominant team, I think a 10-7 record could well win it. Folks chuckled last week when I asked if the Broncos could make the playoffs after the trade of linebacker Von Miller. But for the second game in a row, the Denver defense shut down a foe without the Vonster on the field. His trade was the best moment for the Broncos since Miller earned MVP kudos in Super Bowl 50.
O’Halloran: I’m with you on 10 wins winning the division, but the way these teams appear to be evenly matched, the AFC West may only get one playoff team. The Broncos and Kansas City have five division games remaining, the Raiders and Bolts have four apiece. This group may knock the stuffing out of each other, leaving one survivor for the playoffs. As for the Broncos, with departure (of Miller) comes opportunity (for others) and we saw Jonathon Cooper sack Dak Prescott twice on Sunday.
Kiz: In my book, the Chargers rank as the current favorites to win the West because Justin Herbert is the hottest quarterback in these parts. I don’t want to get ahead of myself and presume the Broncos will beat Philadelphia, because we just saw anything is possible in this league on any given Sunday. But should Denver get the W against the Eagles, then come off the bye week with a chance to improve its record to 7-4 at home against the Chargers, everybody in Broncos Country can legitimately make a Christmas wish for the team’s first division title since 2015.
O’Halloran: A look at the points scored/allowed rankings shows how tight the division is through nine weeks. Broncos 21st offense/second defense, Chiefs 13th/24th, Chargers 12th/23rd and Raiders 14th/15th. Kansas City has been underwhelming, but I’m not ready to sell my Mahomes stock until the Chiefs are under .500 entering December. The Raiders are trending downward so the Chargers and Broncos will slug it out for second place. That Nov. 28 game is gigantic for the Broncos for your stated reason. The road map to 10 wins: Beat Philadelphia, Detroit and Cincinnati at home and win two of the five division games.
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November 09, 2021 at 03:09AM
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Kiszla vs. O’Halloran: Does 10-7 record win AFC West and can the Broncos do it? - The Denver Post
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