Not long ago, the Las Vegas Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs were playing a game in which the winner would have sole control of the AFC West. That was in Week 4, and now, after Week 8, the Denver Broncos have taken the lead by a half-game at what is effectively the halfway point. Things change.
More importantly, though, the Raiders got back in the win column by beating the New York Jets on the road, which was no easy task. Klint Kubiak's young squad and staff are now 4-4 with some interesting decisions to make at the trade deadline. Las Vegas could go down any route.
Because while the AFC West is a tough division, the Silver and Black aren't out of it at all. It's a three-team race right now because the Los Angeles Chargers are in disarray, and although most may not bet on the Raiders, anything can still happen in this crazy league. Let's see what transpired in Week 8.
Week 8 AFC West roundup: Raiders get back in the win column, Broncos take down and overtake Chiefs, Chargers' slide continues
Here are the current standings in the AFC West:
Denver Broncos 6-2
Kansas City Chiefs 5-2
Las Vegas Raiders 4-4
Los Angeles Chargers 0-7
The Raiders went up to New York and redeemed themselves for their Week 5 blowout loss, taking down the Jets in the early window on the East Coast. It certainly wasn't a pretty win, as Las Vegas had to claw its way back from a deficit, but it was a resilient and character-testing one for the team.
Kirk Cousins looked like vintage Kirk Cousins, and the run game got sparked by Mike Washington Jr. serving in a lead role instead of Ashton Jeanty. The duo of Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer was too much for the Jets to handle, and Dylan Laube had a monstrous kickoff return for a touchdown.
Defensively, the Silver and Black are still a mess, and things seem to only be getting worse under Rob Leonard. Many fans seem to be calling for his job, and while I am still not quite there yet, something has to change, or he'll be looking for work. To their credit, the defense stepped up when needed.
Denver hosted Kansas City on Sunday afternoon, and in typical Broncos fashion, mounted a bizarre fourth-quarter comeback. This was just a classic game between two very good teams trading blows, with neither side of the ball truly dominating for either team. Every unit had its moments.
But the Chiefs' offense completely sputtered in the second half, and if it weren't for some big plays by rookie Emmett Johnson, the product may have looked worse. Kenneth Walker III's descent continued, but Patrick Mahomes at least found some more juice in the passing game, a bit more downfield.
Kansas City's defense continues to struggle to get pressure on quarterbacks, although they are solid against the run and often bend but don't break. However, one big play on a screen pass at the end couldn't have been more backbreaking for them and set up the Broncos' winning score.
Bo Nix wasn't tremendous on Sunday, although his cult following would have you believe that he was responsible for the victory. Truthfully, as is typical, the defense stepped up and bailed out a slow-starting offense that still can't run the ball or throw downfield very much.
Courtland Sutton caught a contested ball or two, but the difference here was Jonah Coleman's 51-yard jaunt on a screen pass. Let's not act like Nix uncorked one deep. But Denver continues to find ways to win, even while getting outgained and outproduced in every metric. Perplexing.
What is there to say about the Chargers?
Justin Herbert looks like a completely broken quarterback, as they came out of the bye flatter than ever and lost to the Rams 24-9. Herbert had no touchdowns and two interceptions, the Chargers cannot run the ball, and despite having a solid defense, they can't even compete in games anymore.
They are now 0-7, and the cavalry isn't coming. They refuse to make big changes and are seemingly against selling players at the deadline. If that continues, it is organizational malpractice. And as a Raiders fan, it is hard not to be happy about that.
Brief preview of the Raiders and the AFC West ahead of Week 9
There is no rest for the weary for the Raiders as they travel back to the Bay Area for the first time since leaving and will take on the San Francisco 49ers, who are coming off a bye week. That will be a major test for Klint Kubiak's team, and a fun brotherly matchup for him and Klay. And a big rivalry.
The Jets will travel to face the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium, so Kansas City should stop its two-game skid and get its first win since beating the Chargers on October 18. New York is surprisingly feisty, but Andy Reid and Co. should be able to handle this one.
Sean Payton's team has a sneaky-tough matchup in Week 9, as they'll travel across the country to play a capable Carolina Panthers team. Although the Panthers are battered by injuries, they could catch Denver off guard in the early window after an emotional AFC West matchup.
Los Angeles will welcome an ascending Houston Texans team to SoFi Stadium on Sunday that is coming off a bye, so Jim Harbaugh and his staff will have their hands full once again. It is very possible that the Chargers drop to 0-9, which would be incredible.
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