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Week 9 AFC West Roundup

By Justin Smith

Nov 6, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) reacts after the Denver Broncos were called for a penalty in the fourth quarter at Oakland Coliseum. The Raiders defeated the Broncos 30-20. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 6, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) reacts after the Denver Broncos were called for a penalty in the fourth quarter at Oakland Coliseum. The Raiders defeated the Broncos 30-20. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 16, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Spencer Ware (32) escapes Oakland Raiders outside linebacker Bruce Irvin (51) during the third quarter at Oakland Coliseum. The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Oakland Raiders 26-10. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 16, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Spencer Ware (32) escapes Oakland Raiders outside linebacker Bruce Irvin (51) during the third quarter at Oakland Coliseum. The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Oakland Raiders 26-10. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

Kansas City Chiefs

2nd Place in AFC West

Record: 6-2
Last Game: Defeated Jacksonville Jaguars 20-16 in Kansas City
Next Game: at Carolina Panthers

The Chiefs have impressively overcome injuries to their starting quarterback and anyone who carries a football in a red shirt to stay in lock-step with the Raiders at 6-2.

The Chiefs also hold an advantage, having beaten the Raiders in Oakland in Week 5 in a sloppy, rain-soaked game Kansas City physically dominated.

This team is never going to win style points, and will sometimes leave you with an empty feeling after they win where you’re kind of like “how the hell did that just happen?”

But Kansas City is one of the best teams in the NFL regardless of how boring and ugly their games are. They’ve won 18 of their last 20 regular season games — which is astonishingly incredible — and just can’t seem to lose. Even with a backup QB, twelfth-string RB twice removed and a TE who can’t keep his towels to himself.

And now? Spencer Ware is coming back healthy. Alex Smith should be back as well. Justin Houston is activated off of IR. Chris Jones is coming on. This team is getting scarier. The window to pounce — like the Jags should have last weekend — is closing.

The Chiefs, like the Raiders, have positioned themselves quite well after the first half of the season to contend for the division title, and have a solid lock on a wild-card position barring an epic collapse.

The best team in the NFL is the New England Patriots. On paper, by the eye test, it’s them. Yet they have not matched KC’s regular-season success over the past two years. Which means KC is set for a regression toward the mean, like any outlier. That bodes well for the Raiders.

But the Chiefs already beat the Raiders handily and have shown they can win in numerous ways as well. It’s far too early to bury a team as good as Denver. But if they can’t fix their offense, the AFC West is looking like a two-horse race – with the real horse on the outside looking in.

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