Chiefs and Chargers Face Off; Raiders Battle Defending Super Bowl Champs
Trevor Phipps
Even though the Broncos were 10-2 (after week 13), there have been many naysayers claiming them to be the worst two-lost team in the league.
Local sports columnist Mark Kiszla noted recently that the Broncs have won something like seven of their wins this year by a whooping 17 points. But a “win is a win,” and the Broncos (at the time of this writing) were rated as Number Two Seed in the AFC championship race but really stood at the doorstep of gaining the top position.
The criticism got much louder after the Broncos picked up a lucky win against the 3-9 Washington Commanders. If it wasn’t for the quick actions of star linebacker Nik Bonitto, the Broncos wouldn’t have been celebrating.
But luckily, the NFL strictly judges teams on their W’s and L’s. In fact, the Broncos still have a decent chance to improve to the Number One Seed position in the AFC.
Hopefully, their game against the Commanders was just a sign that they were slow coming off the bye. All Broncos fans want to see better play coming out of the team, and definitely a better running game.
However, they have proven that they have the ability to stay in the game until the bitter end. Even the Broncos’ two losses suffered early in the year came by close scores at the end of the game. I truly believe that these stats prove that the Broncos will continue to be a tough team to beat moving forward.
Green Bay Packers at Denver Broncos, Sunday 2:25 p.m.
All season the Broncos have not looked great on paper. Their stats on offense and defense have been in the middle of the pack.
But even though they don’t have the best offense or defense when it comes to stats, they have stayed in the top 10 power ranking for several weeks. After week 13, the Broncos remained third in power rankings across the league despite barely beating a losing team.
In fact, on paper the Packers and the Broncos are pretty evenly matched. They both sit in the middle of the pack when it comes to rushing and passing yards on offense. The Packers have a slightly better passing defense, but the Broncos are better at stopping the run.
The Packers too, have accomplished some big victories this season. And after their big win against Detroit on Thanksgiving Day, the Packers elevated two position to fifth place in the NFL power rankings.
All in all, this week’s match will be a good one to watch. Knowing the Broncos, it will probably be close and get decided at the very end. Unfortunately, I think the Broncos’ winning streak will finally come to an end this week.
Trevor’s Pick: Green Bay Packers 31, Denver Broncos 28
Vegas Line: Broncos by 1.5.
Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday 11 a.m.
Both of these teams who I thought would stay tied with the Broncos for the top AFC West spot have shown their flaws. After week 13, the Chargers were two games behind the Broncs and the Chiefs sat four games behind.
However, at this point, both teams know that they need to win. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see stellar play coming from both of these teams the next few weeks as they fight to keep their playoff hopes alive.
When it comes to power rankings, the Chargers held on to 15th place after week 13 and the Chiefs dropped several ranks down to 19th. This should be a good match to watch with LA having the second best pass defense and KC being ranked fourth in the league with the most passing yards. Both teams are evenly matched in most other statistical categories.
The Chargers have already beat the Chiefs once this year, but now they are playing in Kansas City. The Chargers are a better team on paper, but we have seen the Chiefs have successful late season runs in the past.
No matter how you look at it, Broncos fans probably should be rooting for the Chiefs most likely for the first time ever. But, honestly I think the Chargers will pull this one off, but it will be close.
Trevor’s Pick: Los Angeles Chargers 28, Kansas City Chiefs 27
Vegas Line: Chiefs by 4.5.
Las Vegas Raiders at Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday 11 a.m.
The Raiders have disappointed fans and proven that they can’t even beat other sorry teams like the Cleveland Browns. But at least the hated Nevada team gave former Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders his record-breaking first win in the NFL.
The Eagles though, definitely don’t look like the Super Bowl Champion team they were last year. They have lost some big matches and other stellar NFC teams have forced them to fall from the ranks. After week 13, the Eagles had dropped to 10th in the NFL’s power rankings.
But the Eagles probably won’t need to put out their top game this week. In fact, I’d say predicting this one is a no-brainer.
Trevor’s Pick: Philadelphia Eagles 38, Las Vegas Raiders 13
Vegas Line: Eagles by 10.5.
