AFC West Week 5 Preview and Predictions

By Joanne Kong

Twitter: @kongfu4u 

DENVER BRONCOS (4-0)

Atlanta Falcons @ Denver Broncos

Who’s likely to start at quarterback for the Denver Broncos on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons?

Injury report: Trevor Siemian (shoulder) back at practice and throwinghttps://t.co/YwVGdRV0Wf pic.twitter.com/SsvJDrYOfX

— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) October 6, 2016

It’s more than likely Trevor Siemian, even though he was limited in practice due to an injury he sustained on his non-throwing shoulder in week 4 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Broncos enter another week facing off against an offensively dominant team at home.  But, they’ve been in this position before and have come up 4-0 for the season.

The Falcons are looking at a challenge in Denver.  Sure, they beat the Carolina Panthers (48-33) in week 4.  But, the Broncos also beat the Panthers (21-20) in week 1, and while the Panthers defense has suffered significantly from the loss of Josh Norman in the offseason, the Broncos secondary has no such issue.

So the question is what happens with an unstoppable force in the Falcons offense meets an immovable object in the Broncos defense?

Falcons quarterback, Matt Ryan, currently leads the league in the most passing yards (1473) and is tied for the most passing touchdowns (11) with just 2 interceptions.  In week 4 against the Panthers, wide receiver Julio Jones had an amazing 300 receiving yards and a touchdown, the 4th most receiving yards in a single game in the history of the NFL.  Apparently, the Panthers blame cornerback Bene Benwikere more than they credit Jones, though, since they surprisingly decided to release him.  The Falcons also seem to have a capable backfield with running backs Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman.  However, Tevin Coleman, who has the sickle cell trait, may be limited due to the altitude in Denver.  There’s been reports that he will play in full, but safety comes first, so it may be an evolving issue once the game starts.

The Broncos will be the toughest defense the Falcons have faced this season.  With a solid defensive line, linebacker Brandon Marshall stopping the run and Todd Davis putting consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks, the Broncos have effectively become the most imposing defense in the NFL this year.

The Broncos have allowed the 3rd least passing yards this year.  But then again, they haven’t faced the Falcons yet.  You can bet that Julio Jones will be shadowed by cornerback Aqib Talib, leaving cornerback Chris Harris Jr. and Bradley Roby to break-up plays on the opposite side of the field.  With tight coverage on the pass, it will be hard for quarterback Matt Ryan to rely solely on Jones (sorry fantasy owners), unless Ryan is looking to increase his interception numbers.  But the Broncos can’t be everywhere and Matt Ryan has a lot of potential receivers.  Look for tight end, Jacob Tamme, to get plenty of the looks, along with Mohammad Sanu, although Sanu been less than reliable this year with just 152 total receiving yards and 1 touchdown in four games.

Luckily for the Falcons the Broncos defense has allowed the 11th most rushing yards in the league.  So if you can’t throw…run.

As for the Falcons defense, the Falcons have allowed the 2nd most passing yards in the league.  Good news for Trevor Siemian, who’s showing growth in the offense, connecting with wide receivers Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas.

The Falcons want to prove the Broncos aren’t unbeatable.  Well…

What can we expect in Week 5?

The Denver Broncos win.

OAKLAND RAIDERS (3-1) & SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (1-3)

San Diego Chargers @ Oakland Raiders

The Oakland Raiders are hosting the division rival San Diego Chargers on Sunday.

The Raiders know where their weakness lies — defense.  With the worst defense in the league against the rush and the pass, the Raiders defense have at least have 5 sacks, 3 interceptions and 7 forced fumbles this season.  On offense, quarterback Derek Carr has the 4th most touchdowns in the league (9), throwing for 1066 total yards, with only 1 interception and taking only 2 sacks.

The Chargers defense also fell short against the pass game, but unlike the Raiders, they’ve allowed the 7th least rushing yards this season and totaled 9 sacks, 6 interceptions, 3 forced fumbles with a defensive touchdown.

Raiders holding out hope for healthy Latavius Murray vs. Chargers https://t.co/bjwNkykKic

— ESPN NFL Nation (@ESPN_NFLNation) October 6, 2016

On offense, the growth of Raiders quarterback Derek Carr is undisputed.  With dependable wide receivers at his disposal and needing to consistently air it out to stay competitive in games, the Raiders offense has taken off this season, just trailing the 4-0 Denver Broncos in the AFC West.

Chargers quarterback, Philip Rivers, has looked immensely better than he did in the 2015, even with the injuries that have plagued the team, including the loss of top wide receiver Keenan Allen and favorite target Antonio Gates.  In week 4, wide receiver Dontrelle Inman had a breakout game with 120 receiving yards and a touchdown.  Melvin Gordon has had a breakout year as the Chargers number 1 running back with 230 total rushing yards and 6 touchdowns.  But, the Chargers are only 1-3 for the season.

The AFC West currently has 32 players on injured reserve. 18 of those are from the San Diego Chargers.

— Sam Kweon (@SamKweonWriter) October 6, 2016

The Chargers have a propensity to make mistakes and the inability to defend at the most inopportune times, primarily in the fourth quarter.  The Chargers blew a 17-point fourth quarter lead against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1.  In week 2, the Chargers won, but after shutting out the Jaguars for three quarters, the Chargers allowed the Jaguars to score 14-points in the fourth quarter.  In week 3, the Chargers blew a 2-point lead with two-minutes left in the game to the Indianapolis Colts.  And in week 4, the Chargers fumbled the ball twice in the fourth quarter leading to two New Orleans Saints touchdowns to take the lead.  And in the Chargers next possession, Philip Rivers was intercepted, leading to a 34-35 loss.

The Raiders tend to rally in the fourth quarter, scoring a touchdown in the final minutes in two of their four games.

If it makes the Chargers feel a little more confident, the Raiders only loss was at home.

What can we expect in Week 5?

• Michael Crabtree gets a touchdown.
• Amari Cooper gets a touchdown.
• Melvin Gordon gets a touchdown.
• Tyrell Williams gets a touchdown.
• You might even get a touchdown if you’re on the field.

The Oakland Raiders win.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (2-2)

Bye-Week

The Chiefs week 4, 14-43, loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers was so disappointing, there’s really nothing to say.  Let’s just hope they make some adjustments and Jamaal Charles comes back 100% healthy.