Welcome back to another edition of Around the AFC West. The Chiefs pulled out a nail-biter that had me fist-pumping in the car on the way home from the airport. I’m certain other drivers were concerned, but who cares! The Chiefs give me life. But before we look at the Kansas City Chiefs’ grit and determination, let’s see how the rest of the AFC West fared in Week 14 and look ahead at a critical Week 15.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers hosted the faltering Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday afternoon. The Chargers were looking to keep their hopes of winning the AFC West alive while the Bengals don’t really have much to play for anymore. With the loss of Andy Dalton, the Bengals, a one-time AFC “hot team,” have collapsed completely. The Chargers without running back Melvin Gordon were able to pull off a closer-than-it-should-have-been win.
The Chargers scored touchdowns on their first two drives but were then held to four field goals. It seems the kicking issues of Week 14 did not plague the Chargers. Philip Rivers connected with Keenan Allen early on for a 14-yard touchdown pass followed by a 5-yard touchdown from Austin Ekeler—taking the lead back role with Gordon out. With a 26-21 victory, the Chargers advanced to 10-3 on the season.
The Chargers did not leave the game without their own problems. Ekeler, despite playing well, reaggravated a prior neck injury. Further tests are needed to determine the severity, but it does make the Chargers’ backfield banged up heading into a short week. Gordon is still dealing with the knee injury and did not practice last week. With Ekeler’s playing ability now in question, it isn’t clear what the run game will look like heading into Thursday night.
Regardless, what came out of the game against the Bengals was a win. Even though it wasn’t pretty for the Chargers, they did what they needed to do to stay in the conversation to take the AFC West crown. As has been predicted by many, this Week 15 game is a huge one. The Chargers travel to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs on Thursday Night Football. A short week and travel are just the beginning of the things the Chargers will have to deal with. They also have to deal with the return of Eric Berry, Arrowhead Stadium in primetime, and Patrick Mahomes—someone my brother legitimately does not believe is human (yes, that is an actual quote).
The Chargers have a lot to play for, though, as they hope to overtake the Chiefs to win the AFC West. This will surely be a battle. There is a chance of rain on Thursday in Kansas City, so will this be a battle won in the trenches or will Mahomes continue to light up the skies? Frankly, I can’t wait. Game time is Thursday at 7:20 p.m.