After the Denver Broncos started Week 7 with a trouncing of the New Orleans Saints, the rest of the division will look to keep pace.
Standings
| AFC WEST | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | Net Pts | Home | Road | Div | Pct | Conf | Pct | Non-Conf | Strk | Last 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFC WEST | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | Net Pts | Home | Road | Div | Pct | Conf | Pct | Non-Conf | Strk | Last 5 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 118 | 85 | 33 | 3 - 0 - 0 | 2 - 0 - 0 | 1 - 0 - 0 | 1 | 3 - 0 - 0 | 1 | 2 - 0 - 0 | 5W | 5 - 0 - 0 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0.6 | 91 | 66 | 25 | 1 - 1 - 0 | 2 - 1 - 0 | 2 - 1 - 0 | 0.667 | 2 - 2 - 0 | 0.5 | 1 - 0 - 0 | 1W | 3 - 2 - 0 |
| Denver Broncos | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0.571 | 145 | 106 | 39 | 1 - 2 - 0 | 3 - 1 - 0 | 1 - 1 - 0 | 0.5 | 2 - 2 - 0 | 0.5 | 2 - 1 - 0 | 1W | 4 - 1 - 0 |
| Las Vegas Raiders | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0.333 | 109 | 163 | -54 | 1 - 2 - 0 | 1 - 2 - 0 | 0 - 2 - 0 | 0 | 2 - 3 - 0 | 0.4 | 0 - 1 - 0 | 2L | 2 - 3 - 0 |
The Kansas City Chiefs will try and stay undefeated. The Los Angeles Chargers have to win to stay behind them. The Las Vegas Raiders....... Well?
Chiefs (5-0, +1.5) at 49ers (3-3, -1.5)
The San Francisco 49ers have had a rough season. The injury bug has been an issue all season. Kyle Shanahan’s team has struggled, and they are a surprising .500. Does that mean the Chiefs will have it easy?
Andy Reid’s record after a bye week is an unfathomable 21-4. While this game is on the road, the Chiefs will be well rested, healthy, and prepared to take on a banged up San Francisco squad. The Chiefs may not be a favorite in the game, but a win here extends their lead in the division. I expect Patrick Mahomes will do just enough, like he has done all season, to keep the winning streak going.
They won’t go undefeated this year (I hope), but they should also win this game to stay undefeated for now.
Raiders (2-4, +7) at Rams (1-4, -7)
How does a 1-4 team end up being a full touchdown favorite? Play the Raiders. That’s how.
Las Vegas has become a clown show this season. The Broncos broke Gardner Minshew in Week 5, but Aidan O’Connell isn’t exactly the answer they were looking for. With Davante Adams miraculously healed, but traded away, the weapons cache is pretty bare.
The Raiders are a crumbling team in this moment. They Rams aren’t as terrifying as they once were, and it seems like Cooper Kupp will be out. That could be an advantage for Las Vegas.
But on the road, against a stable Rams team that has most of its players available? It’s doubtful that they will keep pace with the rest of the division.
Chargers (3-2, -1.5) at Cardinals (2-4, +1.5)
The Chargers are road favorite in Week 7. They handled their business against the Broncos in Week 6. This put them in sole possession of second place in the division. However, after Denver won on Thursday Night Football, the Chargers have to win to hang on to that spot.
The Cardinals have had a rough start to the season. They did steal a win against the 49ers earlier this season, but can’t seem to gain any traction. They are coming off a loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 6. So, which Cardinals team will the Chargers face?
Hopefully, it’s the one where Kyler Murray gets the offense going, and the Arizona defense can contain the rushing attack. Jim Harbaugh has put his “run the ball and play great defense” stamp on his new team. While it looks like Joey Bosa will miss another game, and they will be without CB Deane Leonard, the Cardinals are still too inconsistent to think they will take advantage.
This game is tough to predict, but the Broncos need the Chargers to trip up this week. The battle for the second spot in the division will be fun to watch.