Mile High Report
The Broncos should still be in second place after this week
The AFC West continues to be top heavy with the Kansas City Chiefs taking on the Las Vegas Raiders. The Los Angeles Chargers will get a stumbling New Orleans Saints, and the Denver Broncos should continue their dominance of the NFC South against the Carolina Panthers.
Going into Week 8, the Chiefs remain undefeated. The Chargers will look to keep pace with the Broncos, while the Raiders hope to end the Chiefs undefeated season. If the playoffs started now, the Broncos would be in.
The Raiders are, quite simply, a bad football team. Their QB situation is atrocious. Maxx Crosby forced the franchise to hire Antonio Pierce, and is now begging to get out. And in case you needed another reason to hate the Raiders, Tom Brady now owns a stake in the franchise.
On the flip side, the Chiefs are the most stable team in the sport right now. Their defense is actually carrying them. Even with all the injuries to skill position players, it never feels like they are in trouble. Patrick Mahomes is have a below average season. The offense is down, but they still go into Las Vegas as, not just a favorite, but a big favorite.
The Raiders are a team that is collapsing, and likely going to be in the running for a top 5 pick in the draft. The Chiefs are pointed directly at a three-peat. It is doubtful that this will be much of a game. However, we did see Kansas City stumble against this particular division rival at the end of last season.
I know, that was a Christmas day game that meant very little for the Chiefs, but the Raiders have to grasp a something positive. Honestly, I hate both teams, so the best outcome would be a tie, but the Chiefs are the class of the division, and that won’t change here.
The Chargers look like they will have Joey Bosa back for their match up against the Saints. That’s bad news for an already struggling New Orleans team.
And even though it appears Chris Olave and Taysom Hill will be back, Spence Rattler is still the likely QB for the Saints. That limits the offense’s capabilities. Alvin Kamara’s new contract is good for him, but it won’t save the Saints this week.
Jim Harbaugh is still putting his stamp on the team as the HC in Los Angeles. His style of running the ball and playing strong defense should be a winning formula against the Saints. Justin Herbert will still have some limitations with plenty of “Qs” next to some important offensive weapons.
DJ Chark, Jr., Ladd McConkey, Hayden Hurst, and Will Dissly are all questionable. That usually means they will play, but it still signals limitations for the passing attack in particular. The bye week was big for getting the...
