AFC West Roundup: Week 3
After Week 3's games in the AFC West, the Broncos are still on top but the Chiefs and Raiders are still close behind. (AP Images)
After falling behind early, the Broncos recovered on both sides of the ball to trounce the Bengals on the road with a convincing double-digit win. The offense finally connected on multiple explosive plays, including two touchdowns of 40+ yards to wide receivers Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. The defense racked up four sacks and held quarterback Andy Dalton, who came into the game as the league's leading passer, to just 206 yards and zero touchdowns.
The game was over when: quarterback Trevor Siemian hit WR Demaryius Thomas perfectly in stride on a 55-yard touchdown strike down the left sideline. Up two scores with 4:23 remaining, the Broncos were able to unleash their defensive aggression. After an interception, Cincinnati was unable to find the time or explosive plays to mount a comeback attempt.
Top performer(s): In his first road game as a starter, Trevor Siemian was almost impeccable in a hostile environment with four touchdowns, zero interceptions and 312 yards on 23-of-35 passing. WR Emmanuel Sanders also had a stellar day with nine receptions for 117 yards and two touchdowns.
Kansas City was nothing short of dominant on defense against quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Jets' potent offense. Chiefs QB Alex Smith started the onslaught with a touchdown to tight end Travis Kelce and then a Cairos Santos field goal, but then the defense took the scoring from there. The Chiefs ended eight of the Jets' 11 possessions with turnovers, including six interceptions and two fumble recoveries. Two of those turnovers were returned for touchdowns. Â
The game was over when: safety Eric Berry intercepted a pass in the end zone with the Jets knocking on the door down 17 in the third quarter. A touchdown would have cut Kansas City's lead to a single touchdown with plenty of time remaining, but the demoralizing turnover kept the Jets on their heels.
Top performer: In a game full of exceptional defensive performances, linebacker Derrick Johnson stood out. Johnson was the leading tackler with 11 total takedowns, including one tackle for loss. He also had his hand in two interceptions. On the first, he deflected a pass in the end zone that safety Eric Berry would intercept. The second time, Johnson picked off a pass on the right sideline and returned it 55 yards for the score.
The Raiders got their second road win of the season in a hard-fought battle in Nashville. Tennessee opened up the scoring with a field goal on the opening drive, though Raiders RB Latavius Murray would counter with a 22-yard touchdown through the heart of the Titans' defense. A Sebastian Janikowski 52-yard field goal and 19-yard touchdown from QB Derek Carr to WR Seth Roberts extended Oakland's lead to 12-3 before halftime. After a DeMarco Murray rushing touchdown narrowed the gap to seven points, Tennessee had one last chance to tie the game in regulation on their final drive. However, Oakland ended Tennessee's last-gasp shot 12 yards from paydirt when QB Marcus Mariota missed WR Harry Douglas in the end zone on fourth down with 16 seconds left.
The game was over when: Mariota missed WR Harry Douglas on fourth down in the end zone with 16 seconds left with CB TJ Carrie in coverage.
Top performer: Cornerback David Amerson had an outstanding day with four passes defensed. He denied Andre Johnson on all three of his targets, deflecting two of them. Amerson allowed just 38 yards on four receptions and 11 targets, according to Pro Football Focus.
In large part due to the difficulty they had containing Colts WR T.Y. Hilton, the Chargers dropped an exciting back-and-forth road battle in Indianapolis. Hilton had 174 yards on eight receptions, including four of the Colts' five longest plays on the day. San Diego nearly still had the game in their hands in part because DT Caraun Reid returned an Andrew Luck fumble 61 yards for a touchdown. The Chargers gained a late lead in the fourth quarter on a 27-yard Josh Lambo field goal, but with 1:17 left in the game, Hilton took a pass from Luck 63 yards for the game-winning score.
It was over when: tight end Hunter Henry fumbled after an 18-yard reception with 1:02 left in the game and the Chargers down four points. The Colts would take over and run the clock down to zero, but a penalty gave San Diego one final desperation play. However, Travis Benjamin fumbled before he could try a lateral to extend the play further.
Top performer: Linebacker Jatavis Brown had a great game with six total tackles, a sack, two tackles for loss, two passes defensed and one forced fumble on just 31 defensive snaps.
