Week 8 is upon us, and teams are starting to make their push for the playoffs. When it comes to the AFC West, the undefeated Denver Broncos are the clear favorites for the division, but the Oakland Raiders are making a case for a Wild Card spot.
Here’s a look at how the AFC West teams matchup this week.
Detroit Lions at Kansas City Chiefs in London, Sunday 9:30a.m. EST
The 2-5 Chiefs play the 1-6 Lions at Wembley Stadium in London this Sunday. KC had a big win last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers, defeating them 23-13.
With Jamaal Charles out, the season is looking very dim for the Chiefs, but they have a winnable game this week against a struggling Lions team.
As always a concern for the Chiefs is protecting Alex Smith. He has been sacked 25 times this season.
Jeremy Maclin is probable this week after missing last week’s game due to a concussion. Smith and the Chiefs offense will greatly benefit from his return.
This is a game the Chiefs should win. After beating the Steelers, they ended their five game losing streak, and winning two in a row would bring about some confidence for this, so far, disappointing Chiefs team.
Final Score Prediction
Lions 14 Chiefs 23
San Diego Chargers at Baltimore Ravens, Sunday 1:05p.m EST
The Chargers fell to 2-5 on the year after their 37-29 loss to the Oakland Raiders last week. San Diego simply couldn’t get anything going in the first half offensively, and couldn’t stop the Raiders offense from putting points on the board.
This week they travel to Baltimore to take on the 1-6 Ravens, who have shown their fair share of struggles this season.
The Bolts missed Antonio Gates last week against the Raiders, and the tight end is listed as questionable for Sunday’s matchup.
San Diego is a pass heavy team due to their poor run game. Philip Rivers throws the ball often, but as of now his top target is Keenan Allen. With Gates in the mix, this is a much better offense.
The Ravens have struggled in games against the lesser teams in the league, and this should be a game the Chargers dominate.
Expect the Chargers to put a lot of points on the board and bounce back after a tough Week 7 loss.
Final Score Prediction
Chargers 31 Ravens 17
New York Jets at Oakland Raiders, Sunday 4:05p.m. EST
The 3-3 Oakland Raiders dominated the Chargers last week, but there is still much work to be done. They allowed the Chargers to get back in the game after only scoring seven points in the second half.
This week they have a tough opponent in the New York Jets.
New York comes to Oakland with a 4-2 record, and are playing extremely well. Their run game is dynamic with Chris Ivory and defensively they have Darrelle Revis who should create an interesting matchup with Oakland’s Amari Cooper.
This is a huge game for the Raiders against a good team with both having hope for postseason play.
Defensively this is a tough matchup for the Raiders against a good Jets offense. Oakland’s secondary will have to deal with Brandon Marshall, while they stop Ivory at the line.
Last year, the Raiders lost to the Jets in New York, but Derek Carr showed no fear targeting Revis throughout the game. This year, he’ll have better receivers to spread the field with Cooper and Michael Crabtree.
This has what it takes to be a very good game and a great matchup. The Raiders are coming off an impressive win and stand-alone in second place in the AFC West. While they try to keep the momentum going, the Jets are coming of a loss to the New England Patriots, but played them very well.
Final Score Prediction
Jets 24 Raiders 31
Green Bay Packers at Denver Broncos, Sunday 8:30p.m. EST
This is undoubtedly the matchup of the week. Two undefeated teams going head-to-head on Sunday Night Football, Peyton Manning vs. Aaron Rodgers.
Both teams are 6-0, but only one will enter Week 9 undefeated. The Broncos are coming off the bye week, but there are many concerns with their offense.
Manning’s mechanics are off, and this Broncos offense is no where near as dynamic as they have been these past few seasons with Manning. Luckily for them, their defense is one of the best in the league.
They attack the quarterback, have great coverage in the secondary, and create timely turnovers to help keep Denver undefeated.
This defense will face their toughest opponent this week, however, with Rodgers and company. James Jones, and Randall Cobb are two of Rodgers’ favorite targets and have been very productive this year. Davante Adams is also set to return this week, which will be a boost for this Green Bay offense.
Denver’s offensive line will have their work cut out for them to protect Manning from Clay Matthews and the Packer pass rush. Green Bay will look to get to Manning early and throw him off his game.
This is a potential look at this year’s Super Bowl teams, as both are finding ways to win to remain undefeated thus far. Sunday night’s game should be a highly entertaining one starring two of the best quarterbacks to play the game.
It will be a close matchup with a lot of defense.
Final Score Prediction
Packers 24 Broncos 20