With Christmas now in the rearview mirror, the AFC West is primed for some playoff football, as one of the only divisions in the NFL to be entirely decided. Week 16 showed us who is ready to play for a trip to Glendale for the chance at a Lombardi Trophy, and who is ready to go out to the desert for a vacation.
Chiefs keep pace in AFC race
That was easy right? A nice, stress-free 24-10 win on Christmas Eve over the Seahawks allowed the Chiefs to keep the pressure on Buffalo in the race for the AFC’s top seed. This was never really a game, with Patrick Mahomes and friends just having some holiday fun all afternoon. At this point, we just have to wonder if Kansas City is waiting to really turn it on come playoff time in a few weeks. It’s worth noting that Travis Kelce hasn’t scored a touchdown in his last four games, which might be the greatest indicator of the Chiefs’ cruise control yet. Keep in mind, these Chiefs are 12-3 and doing it quietly, somehow.
Chargers clinch a playoff spot
Welcome back to the playoffs, Chargers. A successful scrimmage on Monday Night Football was enough to get the blue and gold back to the postseason, something that didn’t seem likely for most of the season. They’ve overcome injuries, poor play, and plenty of other obstacles en route to turning it around. Brandon Staley’s team is getting healthier with each passing week, making the Chargers a dangerous Wild Card team that can easily beat anyone.
The Raiders can’t get out of their own way
Watching the Raiders this season is exhausting. They are fun and exciting, but also bad and boring. They have moments of greatness, then head scratching one’s right after that. They have great players, but underperform. In the end, they are a frustrating group that is almost guaranteed to ruin your bet, no matter which side you’re on. Derek Carr looked like someone who couldn’t handle the cold, or the wind in Pittsburgh, essentially allowing the offense to stall all night long. They are right on the cusp of being eliminated from playoff contention, ending our season-long national betting nightmare.
Broncos’ Country is officially under construction again
Denver got an early start on the holiday returns this week by cutting ties with Nathaniel Hackett as the team’s head coach. For the most part, it always seemed like he was hired with the idea that Aaron Rodgers wouldn’t be too far behind. Instead, Hackett was saddled with one of the worst starting quarterbacks in the entire league, thus ending his tenure after just 15 games. Stay away from betting on the Broncos in the coming years, as it’s about to get really ugly going forward. Because despite Hackett’s shortcomings at the helm, this is a team that would’ve replaced Russell Wilson first, if that was an option. Unfortunately for the rookie coach, someone had to be the fall guy for arguably the league’s most disappointing team.