Written by Gregg Rosenthal at NFL.com
The three most impressive teams in this nascent NFL season all reside in the AFC West. This imbalance is great news for fans of tasty 4:25 p.m. ET matchups and less great news for fans of the 0-2 Los Angeles Chargers. The Chargers’ two-game hole behind the Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos is a big one to climb out of, because this trio has staying power.
Only four NFL teams won 12 games or more last season, and two of them (Kansas City and Oakland) competed in this division. The Raiders have started the season with two of those mature, routine-typevictories that were missing from their wild ride in 2016. Quarterback Derek Carr has rarely been pressured, allowing him time to show off his next-level anticipation and use his expanded group of playmakers.
Oakland son Marshawn Lynch’s dance like no one is watching while everyone is watching moment Sunday also summed up the mood in Kansas City, where coach Andy Reid proved his team can win games in a variety of ways. The Eagles’ front seven is great, but the Chiefs’ crew, led by rejuvenated outside linebacker Justin Houston and defensive tackle Chris Jones, was even better in K.C.’s win over Philly. Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz is one of the game’s best escape artists, yet it was Alex Smith’s fancy footwork, when he avoided a sack by Eagles pass rusher Vinny Curry, that set up the Chiefs’ go-ahead score. Rookie running back Kareem Hunt’s incredible ability to fight through traffic, backing defenders into the end zone like a possessed Karl Malone, is symbolic of this organization’s leg drive for national respect. They truly are fun to watch. They truly are contenders. Just accept it.
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