Around the AFC West: Manning/Brady Bowl, Chargers Drop Second Straight and other Week 9 Division Storylines

No Thursday night football in the AFC West this week, so were back on track with our usual weekly post.

This week brings us a battle between two NFL greats, the Chargers looking to get back in the win column, the Chiefs looking to stay in the thick of the AFC playoff race and much more.

Let’s get the Week 9 run-through of the AFC West started.

Standings (with last week’s performance)

Denver Broncos…….6-1 (W, 35-21 v. SD)

San Diego Chargers..5-3 (L, 21-35 v. DEN)

Kansas City Chiefs…4-3 (W, 34-17 v. STL)

Oakland Raiders……0-7 (L, 13-23 v. CLE)

Denver Broncos

• Brady/Manning Bowl

The best part about Peyton Manning signing with the Denver Broncos was the fact that the intense rivalry between Tom Brady and himself could continue on a regular bases still, as Manning wouldn’t be leaving the AFC.

This weekend’s matchup is going to be the 16^th meeting between the two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks, with Brady holding the edge 10-5 (this includes the two being 2-2 against each other in the playoffs).

Manning has thrown for 4,371 yards, 31 touchdowns and 20 interceptions in the 15 previous meetings, while Brady has gone for 3,680 yards, 28 touchdowns and just 13 interceptions over that same span.

Fans around the league should be in for a treat, as they get to see these two greats do battle again and get a late afternoon kickoff to go with it.

Really this matchup is something that should really be cherished for the next couple meetings (if there even are that many left) as both quarterbacks are reaching the end of their respected careers.

Manning is 38 while Brady is 37.  Even they have to realize that this great ride they have both been on is going to come to an end much sooner than later.

• Will Patriots Secondary Slow Down Manning?

It seems we talk every week about Manning, and he gets another bullet here, as the Patriots will be one of the most talented defensive backfields that he has had to face so far this season.

New England is top notch is their passing defense, as they enter the game with the 2^nd best unit in the NFL, averaging 210.9 passing yards allowed per game this season.  They have yet to allow a 300-yard passer on the year as well.

Something will have to give as Manning has had the hot season so far himself, and has thrown a touchdown pass in 46 consecutive games.  The Broncos also have the best scoring offense in football for the 2^nd straight year and average 32 points per game.

I’ve always learned no matter the match-up, never to doubt Peyton Manning.  He might start slow but will improve as the game goes on once they start to figure out what the Patriots are throwing at them.

• On Tap: at New England Patriots (6-2), 4:25 PM (eastern), CBS

As you can see from the two bullets above, this is going to be a great match-up between two of the best teams in the league.

Brady has had the slight upper hand against Manning to this point, and the Patriots have a 13-game winning streak at home leading into this one.

Both teams have good defenses and their offenses have been unstoppable recently.  The Patriots have really caught their stride as of late, and are winners of their last four games.

The winner of this game takes control of the AFC, earning the 1^st place seed in the division.  It really is a toss up, as either team could walk away winners.

San Diego Chargers

With the San Diego Chargers, I wanted to break from the usual three-bullet post on the team and turn it into one larger, game preview.

Because they played on Thursday, we already broke down their loss last week at the hands of the Broncos; so touching on the same subject would be a bore to you, the readers.

This matchup between the Chargers and Miami Dolphins is one that has a lot of possible AFC playoff implications down the road.

With the Patriots and Broncos running away with their divisions, both the Chargers and Dolphins find themselves right in the heat of a wildcard playoff race and a win this week could give the advantage of the head-to-head tiebreaker to one of these teams later in the season if they end up tied when it is all said and done.

The Dolphins come into this one after winning their last two, while the Chargers are on the opposite side of the spectrum, currently riding a two game losing streak.

Phillip Rivers (68.3% completion rate, 2,213 yards, 20 touchdowns and 5 interceptions) continues his strong start to the year, and will lead his offense against a Miami unit that is very good at not only stopping opponent’s passing games but also getting after the quarterback (21 sacks and 6 interceptions so far).

While the Chargers should try to do most of their damage through the air, the Dolphins should continue to pound the rock against a Chargers defense, whose biggest weakness so far this season is playing against the run.

San Diego’s defense allows an average of 110.9 yards on the ground to opponents and Lamar Miller (469 yards and four touchdowns) has looked sharp since stepping into his starting role.

A strong running game with also take some pressure off of quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who has struggled at points throughout the season.

• On Tap: at Miami Dolphins (4-3), 1:00 PM (eastern), CBS

You already got the game preview so now you just need the prediction.

If I was a betting man, I would put it on the Chargers to get their season back on track with a road win this week.  Traveling to the East Coast just hasn’t been a problem for San Diego so far this season.

Kansas City Chiefs

• Both Backs Producing in a Big Way

Both running backs have been producing so far this year for the Chiefs and both have been doing so in a big way.

The backfield committee of Jamaal Charles and Knile Davis took over last week, as they rushed for a combined 116 yards and three total touchdowns (Charles had two rushing while Davis’s came on a return) in the Chiefs win over the Rams.

Charles is the established star (357 yards, 4.6 yards per carry and four rushing touchdowns) while Davis (401 yards, 4.1 yards per carry and four rushing touchdowns) is the young up-and-comer who has stepped into his role well as chance of pace back and injury replacement if anything happens to Charles.

Both backs will be in for a tough challenge this week, as the Jets have a very stout front seven. They are 5^th in the NFL in stopping the run and average allowing 85.4 yards on the ground against per week.

In this type of scenario, look for the Chiefs to get their running backs involved in the passing game. Both Charles (15 receptions, 99 yards and 2 touchdowns) and Davis (9 for 52) are effective targets out of the backfield, and are a threat so score anytime they have the ball in open space.

Look for a healthy dose of screens and plays to the flat as Kansas City will be forced to neutralize New York’s strong pressure.

• The Emergence of Dwayne Bowe

Dwayne Bowe is slowly starting to heat up this year for the Chiefs offense.

He already has 25 receptions and 343 receving yards on the year, and has at least five receptions and 64 yards in his last two games.

The Jets secondary has only been so-so this year (14^th in the league in passing defense), and is the biggest weakness on an otherwise pretty talented defense.

If quarterback Alex Smith gets enough time in the pocket, Bowe could be in for a huge day. Look for them to start the game with a couple screen plays to the wide out to get him going along with utilizing play-action and taking some shots deep down the field with him.

The Jets are very good at stopping the run; so even with good backs the Chiefs might look towards the passing the ball a little bit more than they usually would this week.

• On Tap: vs. New York Jets (1-7), 1:00 PM (eastern), CBS

The Jets are making the switch and turning to veteran quarterback Michael Vick this week after Geno Smith’s forgettable three interception, shortened performance, against the Buffalo Bills last week.

Vick gives the offense a better chance to win this week, but turnovers still plague the quarterback.

It will be put to the test how ready Vick is, as this will be the first week this season he is getting regular first team reps with the starting offense.

I think the Chiefs defense is going to be too much for the Jets to handle, and their offense will put just enough points up on the scoreboard to get themselves the victory and right back into the playoff picture.

Oakland Raiders

• Defense Plays Big in Loss to Browns

While they weren’t able to get a victory, Oakland’s defense came to play last weekend against the Browns.

It held Cleveland to just 39 yards rushing and a conversion rate of 2 for 12 on third downs, which is usually good enough to win in this league.

Due to struggles and badly timed turnovers by the offense, the Raiders still found themselves on the wrong side of the win column.

While the performance was good to see, it doesn’t get very easy for this unit though, as they will face the Seahawks, Broncos and Chargers in their up-coming weeks.

It has the potential to be a few more long weekends for Oakland.

• Can They Shut down Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch?

Fantasy owners be on alert, Marshawn Lynch could be in for a big game this Sunday against the Raiders.

The Raiders have allowed over 130 yards rushing a game to opponents so far this year, ranking them 26^th in the NFL.

Lynch (482 yards, 6 total touchdowns) is one of the best backs in the league, as he runs with a great combination of speed and power and he isn’t afraid to try to run right over you every time he touches the football.

At the quarterback position, the Seahawks have young but polished signal caller Russell Wilson running their offense.

Wilson will also be a headache for the Raiders, as he can beat you both through the air (1,490 passing yards and 11 passing touchdowns) and with his legs (362 yards rushing, 3 rushing touchdowns).

The combination of Lynch and Wilson will make repeating last week’s defensive success quite difficult.

• On Tap: at Seattle Seahawks (4-3), 4:25 PM (eastern), CBS

Unfortunately for the Raiders, they have to face a very hungry team in the Seahawks, who are just the more talented team in this one on both sides of the ball.

The defense has a rough matchup and the the Seahawks talented secondary is not one that you want a rookie quarterback to have to go against.  Derek Carr has looked very good at points in the season, but Seattle is not going only going to pressure the rookie all day, they will also be trying to baiting him into a lot of ill-advised throws all afternoon.

It looks like Oakland will have to wait at least another week, as Seattle should continue to right their ship with their second straight win.