AFC West Roundup: Week 12
By Justin Smith
Kansas City Chiefs
2nd Place in AFC West
Record: 8-3
Previous Game: Defeated Denver Broncos (7-4) 30-27 in OT, in Denver
Next Game: at Atlanta Falcons (7-4) Sun, Dec 4, 4:05 EST
Tyreek Hill is exciting, dynamic, fast and electrifying.
He is, unfortunately, exactly what the Chiefs needed to spark their moribund offense. Hey, they just put up 30 on the Broncos.
The Chiefs-Broncos game was a classic slugfest, and the defense played deserved better than the bloated final score. It was more like a 9-6 game really, but some big plays made the score fairly high.
Justin Houston reminded every one how good he is when he’s healthy. He had three sacks, ten tackles, and generally decimated the Broncos offense single-handedly, particularly in the first half.
Von Miller answered with three sack of his own and many big plays, including a tipped pass at a key time and a run-stuff. This was a day when the AFC West showed they have the three best edge players in the NFL.
But it was Hill who owned this game. He is the first player since Gale Sayers in 1965 to score a TD on a return, a rush, and a reception in the same game. The first since GALE SAYERS. This is trouble for the rest of the AFC West.
The Chiefs won through methodical offense and excellent defense, and not making mistakes. They rarely took chances or had players who could score from anywhere. Hill has shown the last few weeks that he changes all that, and adds a dimension to the Chiefs that makes them truly scary.
Alex Smith is a game manager but he can throw the ball when needed, and a weapon like Hill cannot be understated for a QB that’s rarely had one.
With Houston’s returning at a high level on defense and Dee Ford potentially healthy soon, this is rounding into a balanced and scary team at just the right time for them. And the wrong time for the rest of the West.
They’re in tough this week against Atlanta’s high-powered offense, who have a recently discovered weapon of their own. Taylor Gabriel gives the Falcons a vertical threat to add to their embarrassment of riches, and with the Bucs and Saints surging the Falcons need this win to maintain their hold on the NFC South.
This is a big game for both teams, and the second road game in a row for the Chiefs. That usually doesn’t mean good things for NFL teams, but the Chiefs are desperate to stay in the divisional hunt and suddenly have weapons new and old on both sides of the ball. With the Raiders set to come to Arrowhead next Thursday, the Chiefs would like nothing more for the division to be on the line.