Week 13 is upon us, and as the playoffs approach play in critical games will separate the contenders from the pretenders.
Here’s how the AFC West teams will fare this week in a few divisional matchups.
Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders, Sunday 4:05p.m. EST
Not only is this a great divisional showdown, but this matchup has great playoff implications.
The 5-6 Raiders could potentially take over a wild card spot if they were to defeat the 6-6 Chiefs Sunday.
After a rocky 1-6 start, the Chiefs have won five in a row as they make a serious push for the playoffs.
When it comes to the Raiders, they stand at 5-6 after a big, much needed, win last Sunday over the Tennessee Titans, but it wasn't an easy task.
Oakland showed continuous struggles, which is concerning against a team like the Titans who only have two wins on the year. The Raiders will really have to buckle down against a tough Chiefs team.
Last week was good to the Chiefs. They showed they were serious contenders with their victory over the Buffalo Bills.
They have been red hot during their win streak, and Alex Smith has had the highest quarterback rating since Week 7.
However, Smith has been sacked the most times in the league behind an iffy offensive line.
Keys for the Raiders to win this one will be to get to Smith and pressure him throughout the game. Defense has to be on top of their game to slow down the KC offense. Defense will play a big part in Sunday's matchup.
Keys for the Chiefs to win will be to stop the Raiders offense and create turnovers. Oakland's defense, especially the secondary, has been hot and cold this year, and if KC's defense can keep the Raiders from putting points on the board and control time of possession, their chances at a win are good.
These teams will play without a few key players, which could play a big factor Sunday.
KC will be without Justin Houston, Mitch Morse, De'Anthony Thomas, and Husain Abdullah.
The Raiders will miss Rodney Hudson for yet another week. Oakland's run game has really struggled since Hudson has been sidelined.
Matchups between the Raiders and Chiefs are always entertaining and hard fought. This is a rivalry with a rich history and this game has a lot on the line.
Final Score Prediction
Chiefs 22 Raiders 24
Denver Broncos at San Diego Chargers, Sunday 4:05p.m. EST
The Denver Broncos pulled a huge upset last week as they defeated the New England Patriots giving them their first loss of the season in overtime.
There was concern when Peyton Manning's injury was announced, but backup Brock Osweiler has been stellar as his replacement leading Denver to back-to-back wins.
Denver is 9-2 and first in first place of the AFC West, while the Chargers stand in third place with a record of 3-8.
Philip Rivers and company have had a disappointing 2015 season, but always play well in divisional games.
This isn’t a must win game for either team. The Broncos will make the playoffs easily, and the Chargers simply won’t.
This is a matchup the Broncos should easily dominate. They are riding a lot of momentum after their big win last week, and although the Chargers also won last week, there is nothing on the line in this game.
Final Score Prediction
Denver Broncos 31 Chargers 17