AFC West Week 3 Preview & Picks

NFL AFC West Week 3 Preview

There are four games on the AFC West Week 3 card this week. Kansas City is leading the division after two weeks with a perfect 2-0 record with the rest of the field are all at 1-1. It will be interesting to see if the Chiefs can improve to 3-0, and who might take sole possession of second as the division starts to take shape. Here I look at all of the week’s 2010 AFC West matchups.

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SUN, SEP 26 TIME (ET)

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San Francisco 49ers at Kansas City Chiefs 1:00 PM FOX – Despite the 0-2 start, the 49ers are the better team on paper, but as we all have learned, that sometimes doesn’t equate to what happens on Sunday.

Kansas City’s defense and special teams have played well over the past two games and have been able to make up for the disappointing play of quarterback Matt Cassel who has just 26 completions of 50 attempts for 244 yards, one TD and a pair of picks. Now he faces a San Francisco defense that is ranked fourth in the league giving up just 264 yards per game

There is an uptick though for a Kansas City offense that is averaging just 254 yards per game — second worst in the NFL. As the running back duo Jamaal Charles, who is averaging an AFC-best 6.4 yards per carry, and Thomas Jones, the five-time 1,000-yard rusher who gained 83 last week, have gelled nicely giving the Chiefs a viable option to Cassels.

However, they will deal with their biggest challenge thus far in the season against All-Pro linebacker Patrick Willis and the 49ers run defense, which is limiting opponents to 2.7 yards per carry and 63.5 per game.

Meanwhile, the Niners’ ground assault is buzzing as RB Frank Gore set a team record with his 21st 100-yard rushing game on Monday against the Saints. He will be the biggest challenge the Kansas City run stoppers has confronted.

The Niners lost 41-0 the last time the two met at Arrowhead Stadium in 2006, extending their winless streak at Arrowhead Stadium to three since 1982.

PREDICTION: 49ERS

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Indianapolis Colts at Denver Broncos 4:15 PM CBS – Quarterback Kyle Orton has finally come into his own and has solidified his starting role by being one of six NFL players with at least 600 passing yards this season.

Orton turned in a spectacular effort last Sunday going 25 of 35 for 307 yards and a pair of TDs as the Broncos rolled by Seattle 31-14. Rookie wide out Demaryius Thomas had eight catches for 97 yards during a remarkable NFL debut.

As impressive that the offense has been, it will be the defense that will be called upon to shutdown Colts’ quarterback Peyton Manning who leads the league in passing yards (688) and touchdowns (6) and has totaled 19 TD passes in his last five consecutive wins over Denver.

That’s a heavy task for any defense, but it may have gotten a bit more overwhelming as the Denver secondary will be without Pro Bowl CB Champ Bailey, who was on crutches after last Sunday’s win over Seattle, and Andre Goodman who is battling a thigh injury.

Likewise, the Colts D is ranked dead last in the league giving up 188 yards on the ground, including 257 in their Week 1 loss to the Texans.

After pounding little brother Eli and the Giants last week, l look for the Colts to gallop back atop the AFC South by the end of Week 3 with a big win over the Broncos in this one.

PREDICTION: COLTS

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Oakland Raiders at Arizona Cardinals 4:15 PM CBS – The Raiders quarterback situation gets more interesting as the season progresses as head coach Tom Cable opted to pull Jason Campbell for Bruce Gradkowski, whose second half effort lifted the Raiders to a narrow victory over the Rams.

Cable has announced that Gradkowsks will get the start on Sunday as Oakland tries to win two in a row for the first time in nearly two years.

Over in Arizona the QB situation is equally as attention grabbing as new starter Derek Anderson, who has struggled for the Cardinals, has been scheduled for knee surgery later this week, giving way to third stringer Max Hall.

Neither team impresses me, and the defenses are both suspect. Oakland has had trouble stopping the run, allowing 140.0 yards per game, while Arizona surrendered 221 yards on the ground in a 41-7 loss at Atlanta last Sunday.

That spells trouble for both teams that surprisingly possess two very good running attacks with the Cardinals Tim Hightower, who leads all running backs with an average of 7.0 yards per attempt and Oakland’s Darren McFadden who leads the Raiders with 240 yards–the second-highest total in the NFL.

McFadden could set record numbers during Sunday’s game as Arizona is allowing the second-most rushing yards in the league with 153.0 per game.

The Cardinals have the better receivers, but don’t have a quarterback in place that can get it to them.

I’ll go with the Raiders, with a better QB and running game.

PREDICTION: RAIDERS

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San Diego Chargers at Seattle Seahawks 4:15 PM CBS – The Chargers must establish some sort of running game if they want to win this one.

Quarterback Phillip Rivers is a beast, but he’s even better when the run game is clicking taking some pressure off having to force the pass. And it showed during last week’s win over Jacksonville, as RB Mike Tolbert contributed two TDs on 82 rushes.

But it won’t be a picnic as the Seahawks have improved their run defense through the past two contests allowing total of just 114 yards.

Meanwhile, the San Diego defense forced four Jacksonville turnovers, all interceptions in their bout with the Jags. That could big trouble for Seattle QB Matt Hasselback who tossed up three picks of his own in his last outing, and has more INTs than TDs so far this season.

If the Chargers can get the run going here, they can exploit Seattle’s bigger weakness: the secondary and Rivers is a good QB to do that.

San Diego has won five in a row versus NFC opponents and three straight on the road. Rivers is 11-5 as a starter against the NFC.

I have a feeling the Seahawks will bounce-back somewhat from that loss to the Broncos. Nevertheless, I just don’t think there’s enough there to compete with Phillip Rivers and the Chargers offense. Close game, but the Chargers take it.

PREDICTION: CHARGERS

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