AFC West Week 10 Preview and Predictions

By Joanne Kong

Twitter: @kongfu4u 

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (6-2)

Kansas City Chiefs @ Carolina Panthers

This Carolina Panthers don’t look like the same NFC Championship team we remember.  Carolina quarterback, Cam Newton has claimed that he didn’t feel protected by referees, taking some hard hits and being victim of some missed calls.  But, missed calls aren’t something that is unique to only Cam Newton.

In week 9, the Buffalo Bills were penalized after Seattle Seahawks cornerback, Richard Sherman, jumped off-sides and ran into the Bills kicker, Dan Carpenter.  That wasn’t just a missed call, but potentially one that could have changed the outcome of the game.

Can the Kansas City Chiefs win in Carolina?

• Put pressure on Cam Newton.  Things probably won’t get any easier for the Carolina Panthers, facing off against the Kansas City Chiefs in week 10.  The Chiefs have 16 sacks, 12 interceptions (2 which were returned for a touchdown), and 12 forced fumbles (2 which were returned for a touchdown).  And the Panthers offensive front line hasn’t been the best, allowing 21 sacks of Newton.  The Panthers are currently trending up, winning their last two games, after a four-game losing streak.  But with a 3-5 record, the Panthers are far from the 15-1 finish in the 2015 season.
• The return of Alex Smith.  Alex Smith has 1638 passing yards, 8 touchdowns and 2-interceptions.  Thanks in part to backup quarterback, Nick Foles, the Chiefs have won their last four games.  But in week 9, it was all defense that held the Jacksonville Jaguars offense at bay, holding the Jaguars to only 14 points.  The Chiefs had a narrow win with quarterback Nick Foles behind center, putting up 19 points.  The Chiefs offense was held to 62 rushing yards, 187 passing yards and a passing touchdown.  In week 10, Alex Smith is probable to return (concussion).

• Throw to someone other than wide receiver Jeremy Maclin.  This shouldn’t be a problem with Maclin ruled out for Week 10 with a groin injury.  Carolina’s defense has allowed the 4th most passing yards, 286, but their secondary will heavily cover Maclin.  Alex Smith will need to rely on his receiving core to find openings in this swiss cheese passing defense.
• The Chiefs defense has allowed the 6th most rushing yards (124.5).  The defense will need to find a way to contain Cam Newton and the Carolina run game if they want a chance to win.

What can we expect in Week 10?

• Cam Newton has a rushing touchdown.
• Kelvin Benjamin has a touchdown.
• Tyreek Hill gets a touchdown.
• Travis Kelce gets a touchdown.

The Carolina Panthers win.

DENVER BRONCOS (6-3)

Denver Broncos @ New Orleans Saints

The Denver Broncos are coming off a tough loss on the road to the division rival Oakland Raiders in week 9.  Although the Broncos stymied the Raiders passing game, holding the Raiders quarterback Derek Carr to only 184 yards and no passing touchdowns, Oakland managed to tally 218 rushing yards and 3 rushing touchdowns with Latavius Murray.

With C.J. Anderson still on IR, the Broncos, led now in the backfield by DeVontae Booker, had only 33 rushing yards, but the Broncos quarterback, Trevor Siemian, managed 283 passing yards, 2 passing touchdowns and an interception.  The Broncos offense is clearly their weakness, but if they haven’t been called on to do much with a normally dominant defense.  Siemian needed some time to regain his composure after the Raiders forced Denver into four straight three-and-outs to start the game.  In the end, the Broncos offense possessed the ball for only 30% of the game, ran 25 fewer plays than the Raiders and turned over the ball twice.

In week 10, the Broncos travel to the Big Easy to face-off against the New Orleans Saints.  Again, we see an offense powerhouse, led by quarterback, Drew Brees, who has led the Saints three wins out of their last four games.

If you’re into the numbers game and place most of the eggs in the statistics pool, you’d expect the Broncos to beat the Saints.  The Broncos defense has allowed the least passing yards in the league, 183 yards per game.  While the Saints defense has allowed the most passing yards per game, 300 yards per game.

On offense, the Saints have the most passing yards entering week 10, 326.4 yards per game, while the Broncos are among the bottom of the league in passing yards.

The Broncos ground game will continue to rely on rookie, DeVontae Booker, who’s had 320 rush yards and 2 touchdowns this season.  The New Orleans defense has allowed the 14th most rushing yards, while the Denver defense has allowed the 4th most rushing yards in the league, 128.6 per game.  In week 9, the Saints rushed for 248 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns between rushing backs, Mark Ingram and Tim Hightower, against the San Francisco 49ers.

What can we expect in Week 10?

• Willie Snead get a touchdown.
• John Kuhn gets a touchdown.
• Denver Broncos have a defensive touchdown.

The New Orleans Saints win.

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (4-5)

Miami Dolphins @ San Diego Chargers

With a three-game win streak at home, the Chargers will host the Miami Dolphins in week 10.  In week 9, the Chargers hosted and beat the Tennessee Titans, putting up 43 points.  The AFC West has been a competitive division this season, led by the Raiders, and with the Chargers standing in last place, a week 10 win is important for a potential post-season berth.  Regardless, the Chargers will finish the season better than the 4-12 record they posted in 2015.

The Dolphins have also won their last three games, currently with a 4-4 record and 2nd in the AFC East.  In week 9, the Dolphins defeated the New York Jets at home 27-23.

The Dolphins are 30th against defending the run, allowing 136.1 yards per game and 8th against defending the pass, allowing 226.5 yards per game.  If you’re into statistics, the numbers look favorable for the Chargers.  Running back, Melvin Gordon, has the 3rd most rushing yards in the league, 768, and 9 touchdowns.  In the last 2 games, Gordon had 307 rushing yards, a touchdown and 109 receiving yards.

Can the San Diego Chargers win?

• Stop Miami running back, Jay Ajayi.  Ajayi had 529 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns in the last three games.  Ajayi has the 6th most rushing yards, 646, 6 carries for over twenty-yards and 6 touchdowns.  The San Diego Chargers are 5th against defending the run, allowing just 85.3 rush yards per game.
• Put pressure on Miami quarterback, Ryan Tannehill.  Tannehill hasn’t been intercepted in the last three weeks.  The Miami Dolphins have won their last three games.  Coincidence?
• The Chargers are 26th against defending the pass, allowing 279.3 per game.  They’ve allowed opponents to score a total of 63 points in the last three games.  Thankfully, they’ve scored 85 points.

What can we expect in Week 10?

• Jay Ajayi has a touchdown.
• Jarvis Landry has a touchdown.
• Melvin Gordon has a touchdown.

The San Diego Chargers win.

OAKLAND RAIDERS (7-2)

BYE-WEEK