Thursday 1 October 2015

Broncos still unbeaten, Raiders now closest challenger! Week 3 in the AFC West

Article by Mark Brown
 
 
Denver Broncos 24 – 12 Detroit Lions

 Manning shows his class as Broncos win again but the Lions fail again

 

If anyone needs confirmation that Peyton Manning is still able to compete in the NFL at the highest level then they need to watch a rerun of this game.  Whether this proves to be Manning’s swansong season  we’ll have to wait and see but for now the legend has got his mojo back.  Manning finished the game with 31 of 42 for 324 yards, two touchdowns and alright an interception but he did join Brett Favre as the only other player in the NFL on 6000 completions.

 

Aquib Talib blocked a point after kick by ex- Bronco Matt Prater to help keep Denver’s slender lead in the second quarter.  That was however until Manning started tossing the ball around like confetti and not only that ominously for future opponents consistently finding his mark.  As a passionate Broncos fan, I for one am just starting to get a little excited and not least of all by the Broncos new found ability to defend at crucial times.  Remember the last time Denver went 3-0 they went all the way to the big one back in 2013.

 


The Lions by comparison have now got off to their worst start since 2010.  Lions QB Stafford was 31 of 45 for 282 yards, fumbled when it was easier to throw it away and rather alarmingly was sacked 3 times. 

 

Both teams tried running the ball but each defense was on their game as both negated each other which at times meant the game was a little tedious to watch.  However the difference in the end was the success Manning had in the air.  Stafford huffed and puffed but on the day just didn’t have the tools to hand.  Ultimately the real difference here was, in my opinion Peyton Manning.  Let’s hope he’s here to stay.

 

Next up for the Broncos is the Vikings on the 4th October.

                                            Oakland Raiders 27 – 20 Cleveland Browns

 Raiders hang on to win on the road at the 11th attempt

 

Derek Carr threw two touchdown passes and finished 20 of 32 for 314 yards as Oakland not only managed another win but more importantly finally broke their hoodoo of not winning on the road for eleven games.  However it wasn’t Carr that was the toast of the silver and black fans it was safety Charles Woodson who made a game clinching interception with less than forty seconds on the clock.

 

What made the interception all the more sweeter was the fact that it came when the Browns were in control and pushing for the win.  For the second week running the Raiders left it late to pull off the win but actually in both games they were good for it.  It seems that, finally, the Oakland engine has stopped misfiring and is starting to purr and not like a pussy cat either,

 

The Browns couldn’t keep up the good form of the last two weeks and whether young QB Johnny Manziel is up to the job so early in his NFL career only time will tell.  Whilst he seems to have put recent mistakes behind him he didn’t really stand out in this game for me. 

 

Next up for the Raiders is a visit to the Bears on 10th October

                                          Kansas City Chiefs 28 – 38 Green Bay Packers

 Rodgers is the difference as the Packers beat the Chiefs

 

On paper this was going to be quite an even contest and so it proved on the day.  Personally I felt the Chiefs were going to win this one based on what I’d seen in the previous two games despite the heartbreak of their last minute defeat to Denver. However the thorn in their side on the day was Packers Quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

 

Greenbay had built up an unassailable 38-14 lead by the fourth quarter as Rodgers slipped in to overdrive and went on to throw for five touchdowns and quite honestly never looked in any danger of losing control of the game.  This was all about two really good teams and the only difference was Rodgers, throwing for 333 yards.  Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson paid him the ultimate accolade after the game telling waiting reporters, “That’s a Hall of Fame Quarterback right there…..”

 


Despite the defeat the Chiefs don’t have too much to worry about with regards to their own game because on another night against any other team, or rather any other Quarterback I’m convinced they’d have pulled this one off.    They can’t leave it too long though otherwise they do run the risk of being cut adrift.

 

The good thing for the Chiefs is they are up against the Bengals in their next game and have more than enough about them to start putting things right.

 

Next up a trip to the Bengals on the 4th October.

                                          San Diego Chargers 14 – 31 Minnesota Vikings

 Run Peterson run!!!!

 

Adrian Peterson was celebrating on two fronts on Sunday night as only hours after the birth of his son, Axyl, he was leading the way for a great victory against the Chargers. 

On one show stealing play alone, Running Back Peterson ran for 43 yards to take the ball in to the Endzone for a touchdown just as the Chargers looked like they were going to get back in to the game.  Turning 30 in March and missing most of last season through injury certainly has dampened his spirit or damaged his ability.  Chargers coach Mike MCcoy said of Peterson after the game “He’s obviously one of the best Running Backs in the history of the game”

 

San Diego Quarterback Rivers tried his best all night to get the win for his team but it just wasn’t his night as he was sacked four times for a loss of 28 yards.  He threw 21 of 34 for 246 yards but ended up being pulled off in the third quarter.  Wether this was to end the horror for Rivers or just a precautionary measure given the hard hit he received from Anthony Barr who knows but one things for sure he would probably have been thankful of the rest.

 

Alarmingly, injuries are mounting up for the Chargers as Chris Watt, Orlando Franklin and King Dunlap all went off with injury leaving the Chargers with only five fit linemen.  How the Chargers will line up against the Browns we will have to wait and see and with the Browns being somewhat up and down at the moment I wouldn’t like to call this one. 

 

Next up a visit from the Browns on the 4th October

 

 

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