Week 11 felt like a re-run of the AFC West over the last few years, as we saw much of the same stories and results from each of the division’s four teams.
Mahomes and Kelce all the Chiefs will ever need
If there is any one takeaway from the Chiefs’ win on Sunday night, it’s that. Players and coaches will come and go, but as long as Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce are wearing that Kansas City jersey, they will continue to be a tough team to beat. It’s almost unfair how good they are. In every big moment, it’s Kelce and Mahomes, every single time. They are inevitable. Looking back on it now, the fact that we even considered for a second that this team could be surpassed as the one to beat is incredible. Consider this. The Chiefs staged a comeback and took the lead with less than a minute to go. They did it without multiple receivers and a lot of young players or rookies scattered across the field at important positions. Health is always key, but there’s no way they can’t be considered the favorite to win it all going forward. Good luck thinking otherwise.
Groundhog Day for the Chargers
Much like the Chiefs, every game seems to end the same way for the Chargers. Justin Herbert staring into the abyss, looking helpless. “Herbert cam” might be one of the most saddening ideas the league could potentially employ. Whether it’s every game against Kansas City or the fiasco at the end of the regular season last year, the Chargers simply can’t escape Groundhog Day. Whether they ever get over the hump remains to be seen, but for now it just remains one of those sad stories about what could’ve been.
The Raiders find a way
Out of everything that has happened to the Raiders this season, it’s impossible to not be happy for Derek Carr following Sunday’s win. He managed to deliver a victory for his team over a great defense that has shut down almost every team they’ve faced this year. For a guy that was shedding tears following a loss last week, Carr is one of those guys that you can see truly cares, which makes him alright in my book. You can tell that it’s more than a paycheck for him. Vegas still has work to do, but they are far too talented to be this bad, record wise. It’s almost certainly too late to turn the season around now, but considering the idea that there aren’t likely to be many changes before the next one begins, figuring the issues out now is a good place to start.
Broncos new play caller delivers same results
Is the Nathaniel Hackett watch officially on with the Broncos? Whether his seat is getting warm or not, something is horribly off with this team. Is it the quarterback? It’s obviously not the defense. Apparently it’s not the play caller either. Hackett officially gave up the play calling job to Klink Kubiak, which didn’t look much different than the season’s sample to this point. At this point, we have to turn our attention to the roster. Melvin Gordon III was cut following a season filled with fumbling issues. They’ve had injuries, but still remain far too talented a roster to be this bad. The offensive-minded Hackett was supposed to fix these problems, yet they still remain unchanged from previous years. So maybe there is some truth to this being more of a roster problem, than a coaching one. Until the results eventually change for the better, the cause will remain a mystery.