(CBS Denver) – All four AFC West teams won their first game. The Denver Broncos used a steady performance from the new quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to forego on the road against the New York Giants. The Las Vegas Raiders defeated the Baltimore Ravens in an exciting overtime match to open their new stadium. The Los Angeles Chargers, under new coach Brandon Staley, looked impressive against the Washington Football team’s top-notch defense. And the Kansas City Chiefs came back 12 points behind and then held the Cleveland Browns back to win.
The West is the only undefeated league in the AFC. (NFC West also opened with four wins.) Since there were no matchups within the division this week, all four teams were able to continue their triumphant advance. But it won’t necessarily be easy. While the Broncos get a cheap matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars and rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the Raiders, Chargers and Chiefs don’t have it that easy. The Raiders travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers, who opened their season in an impressive manner. The Chargers host the Dallas Cowboys who want to recover from a severe loss. And the Chiefs meet the Ravens, who are also hoping to leave a heartbreaking defeat in Week 1.
SportsLine’s Larry Hartstein breaks down Week 2 AFC West matches.
All times listed are east.
Denver Broncos @ Jacksonville Jaguars, Sunday, September 19, 1:00 p.m. (CBS)
As the first overall pick in this year’s NFL draft, Trevor Lawrence looked like a real deal. But the Jaguars are still a long way from being a good team. They won a game last year and fought the Houston Texans to open the season. While having 332 yards and 3 touchdowns, Lawrence also missed many receivers. Defending the Broncos is a huge step forward over that of the Texans, however.
“It doesn’t seem to be a great day for Trevor Lawrence, especially after what we saw against Houston,” Hartstein noted. “They played one of the worst defenses in football and they were 34-7 behind. He threw three interceptions. He got a few points too late to make it a bit more respectable at 37:21. But now you’re up against a defensive mastermind with Vic Fangio. “
The Broncos defense kept the Giants busy all past Sunday. Saquon Barkley returned just 26 yards for 10 carries. Daniel Jones struggled to get the offensive going. And the offense only managed 13 points. Can the jaguars do better?
“I think the Jaguars are with this offensive that doesn’t seem like an NFL offensive, with the pre-snap move movement, the formations, it’s not as complex as I think you have to be to Vic to beat Fangio, ”believes Hartstein. “I think we’re going to see big mistakes from Trevor Lawrence. I think we’ll see the Broncos play a very clean game and I think they’ll make it 2-0. And I think they’ll cover the number. “
Bridgewater, on the other hand, appears to be a step up for the Broncos in the QB position. He’s the QB the Broncos have been looking for since Peyton Manning’s retirement. “He takes care of the ball,” says Hartstein, “22: 3 against the spread on the street as a starting quarterback … doesn’t make the big mistakes.”
Las Vegas Raiders @ Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, September 19 at 1:00 p.m. (CBS)
The Raiders couldn’t have opened their new stadium in a more exciting way. Derek Carr tied three drives in the fourth quarter. Then, in extra time, he tossed Zay Jones a 31-yard pass for a touchdown and the win. Las Vegas must now travel across the country to play against the Raiders in a short week.
“I’m just thinking how you can get down from this emotional high,” wonders Hartstein. “The Death Star in Vegas, the first time the fans were there. The excitement, the electricity, and they pull this victory out in such an exciting way. And now you have to travel east to play a very, very good Pittsburgh defense that came up big against Josh Allen and was really frustrating with what the Bills were going to do. “
The Steelers defense kept Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills in just one touchdown. On the offensive, Ben Roethlisberger gained momentum in the second half after being kept goalless to open the game. But he still only threw 188 yards at 18-32. Alabama rookie Najee Harris averaged a lackluster 2.8 yards per carry on 18 carries and finished the game 48 rushing yards.
“The raiders’ defense is not as bad as it used to be,” Hartstein emphasizes. “Gus Bradley came in. There are new talents. There is [Yannick] Ngakoue and Casey Hayward and the rookie Tre’von Moehrig. I thought they held up pretty well against the Ravens. “
All of this indicates fewer points for both teams. “I’m looking at the total here,” says Hartstein. “It has already fallen from 48 to 47. But I’m still leaning down. I think the Raiders will have a bit of a problem gaining momentum after this emotional win. And I think the Steelers offensive we saw isn’t as dynamic this year with 39-year-old – or whatever age he is – Big Ben. So I look under the total. “
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Dallas Cowboys @ Los Angeles Chargers Sunday, September 19, 4:25 p.m. (CBS)
The Cowboys came out in Week 1, nearly knocking out reigning Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The good news is that Dak Prescott has mostly recovered. He threw for 403 yards and three touchdowns. The bad news is that the running game behind Ezekiel Elliott didn’t do much. Elliott recorded only 33 yards with 11 carries.
The defense of the cowboys remains a problem and could get worse. Tom Brady threw 379 yards and four touchdowns last week. And in training this week, DeMarcus Lawrence, the Cowboys’ best defender, broke his foot and will be absent for the next six to eight weeks. Starting the defensive end, Randy Gregory tested positive for COVID and will miss the game too.
“This is a really fascinating game,” says Hartstein. “The Cowboys offensive looked fantastic against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and they need to prepare for an extra break. But Michael Gallup is out there, and he’s one of their big guns. You will of course still see CeeDee Lamb and Zeke Elliott and Amari Cooper with Dak Prescott who put on a pretty good show. “
The Chargers offensive did enough to bring home victory. Justin Herbert, the NFL’s 2020 Rookie of the Year, went 31-47 for 337 yards and a touchdown. That includes converting 14 of 19 third downs, many of which were five yards or more, against a violent pass rush. “I’m just impressed with Brandon Staley, the head coach for that first year, and what they’ve achieved in Washington,” says Hartstein.
“I’ll lean on with the Chargers,” continues Harstein. “You have the better defense. You are at home. And I think Brandon Staley is turning this franchise upside down. “
Kansas City Chiefs @ Baltimore Ravens Sunday, September 19 at 8:20 pm (NBC)
The Chiefs opened their season with a tough win over the Browns in what many could predict as a preview of the AFC Championship. Mahomes completed 27 of his 36 passes for 337 yards and three touchdowns, filling his already incredible stats in September. He’s 11-0 a month, with 35 touchdowns and no interceptions. Mahomes will try to continue this trend against a Ravens team he has owned for the past few seasons. He’s 3-0 against Baltimore with a passer rating of over 116.
Kansas City’s win over Baltimore came without two of the top three defenders. “Tyrant Mathieu, the honey badger, he didn’t play,” notes Harstein. “Frank Clark, he didn’t play in week one. Both guys could be back. Mathieu will definitely play. That’s enormous for the chiefs. “
The Ravens have put down a difficult and stressful defeat for the Raiders that, given the short week, could affect both teams. According to Hartstein, “The Ravens are just so crazy, not only in the running back room, but also on the defensive. That was a tough extra time game. Boys limped. Marlon Humphrey stopped running on that last piece. I don’t know if he just gave up because he couldn’t catch the phone. But that demanded a lot from him and he is your best defender. “
Baltimore still has Lamar Jackson, of course, even if their rebound situation isn’t what they’d like. He ran 86 yards in their prelude. For their part, Kansas City is still struggling to stop the run.
Look for another close game, though maybe not one where the Chiefs cover the spread. “The Chiefs won tight games, they didn’t cover,” Hartstein notes. “They are going back to their last 12 games, only 2-10 against the number. And the same thing happened in Week 1 where they were 5.5 and 6 for the Browns. The Browns got there and only lost at four. But I think this spread is as low as it is, 3.5, since the Ravens are in a short week, so crazy. And I think the Chiefs put these key players back on the defensive, with two of their top three defensive players out of the game the first week. I think that makes all the difference, and the Chiefs cover the number. “
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