Around the AFC West: Philip Rivers fades, Raiders embarrass themselves
By Ellen Mathis
A look around the AFC West over the weekend shows the Chiefs rivals are doing a good job of embarrassing themselves with poor play or ugly fans.
Welcome back to another edition of Around the AFC West. As the winter winds drift into Kansas City and my work schedule finally includes a time slot for “breathing,” let’s take a look at an exciting week of football.
I, for one, am not over the lovely slaughtering that took place on Sunday as my wonderful Chiefs again worked their magic to make the Broncos look silly. But, before we dive in, let’s take a moment to review what happened around the AFC West and look ahead at a critical Week 16.
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders held their last hurrah at the Oakland Coliseum on Sunday when they hosted the Jacksonville Jaguars. This was supposed to be a great send off for the Raiders as they head to Las Vegas next season, and frankly, it ended in the most Raiders way it could have.
The Minshew Magic reared its ugly head again when Gardner Minshew led the Jaguars to a comeback win capped off by a touchdown caught by our old friend Chris Conley in the final seconds of the game. The Raiders attempted a Hail Mary to win the game, but came up short (their receiver forgetting for a second that he did not have to head the ball into the net but rather catch it).
In true Oakland fashion, this loss led to an absolute uproar in the Black Hole. Brawls broke out in the stands, media personnel were asked to quickly exit, nachos and cup holders ripped from seats were thrown on the field, and Derek Carr exited to boos. Minshew commented after the game that he had never seen so many middle fingers. Oh Oakland, thank you for exiting so gracefully.
The Raiders exited the game amid boos, but relatively healthy. Running back Josh Jacobs has been dealing with a nagging shoulder injury but managed to play through that. Given the state of the franchise, it will be something watch – whether he plays or is provided time to heal. With the Raiders officially eliminated from the playoffs, eyes turn to the draft and the moving boxes being packed.
The Oakland Raiders travel to Los Angeles to take on division rival Chargers. This game is meaningless in the grand scheme of things, so at this point it is all about pride. Which team wants to look like they have more promise as they look ahead at the 2020 season? Ultimately, this game will simply have ramifications for draft position. Even though the Chargers losing would help them creep up the board, I believe Philip Rivers will not want to let this one slip through his fingers as he continues to fight for a final year with the organization if he doesn’t choose to retire.
Opening line odds for the Raiders in Week 16: +5.5.
Game time is 3:05 p.m.