NFL Playoff Picture: Week 9
By Martin Bater
AFC West
- Denver Broncos (7-1)
- Oakland Raiders (4-5)
- Kansas City Chiefs (3-5)
- San Diego Chargers (2-7)
Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
The Broncos were due for a loss, they had been flirting with disaster for a while now, but the AFC West is theirs for the taking and they still have a very good shot to finish on top of the conference in the regular season with home dates against both the Bengals and Patriots in Week 12 and Week 16 respectively.
Oakland lost a big opportunity to position itself as a wild card frontrunner with their 38-35 loss at Pittsburgh, but they might catch a break if Minnesota can’t start Bridgewater under center on Sunday. Then come the Lions and Titans, so a boost before hosting Kansas City in Week 13 is not out of the realm of possibility.
Talking about Kansas City, do not rule out the Chiefs yet. They are just a win away from pulling even with Oakland after starting the season 1-5 and face the Raiders twice and the Bills once during what remains of this season.
Finally, the Chargers are no strangers to miraculous postseason runs. After all, they did win their last four games in 2013 to sneak in thanks to Miami and Baltimore collapsing, but this year a miracle is not going to happen.
Next: Week 10 NFL Power Rankings
San Diego shares the AFC basement with the Browns and have lost five straight games by eight points or less. As if their fan base hasn’t suffered enough.
This is not the way for them to leave to L.A., a franchise with a legacy like theirs deserves better.