Entering the season, most analysts projected the AFC West to be the most complete division in football. While the results aren’t there yet for some teams, there is no denying the incredible talent on each one of the respective units. Each team in the AFC West faces a non-division foe in Week 3, which means we’ve got a lot of ground to cover in these predictions.
AFC West Week 3 Predictions: Breakdown of Every Game
Las Vegas Raiders at Tennessee Titans
The Raiders are probably the best 0-2 team in football. After putting up a late fight against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1, Vegas ran out to an early lead against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 2. However, they couldn’t seal the deal, blowing a 23-7 lead and losing 29-23. These losses, while heartbreaking, aren’t very sustainable. This team has plenty of talent and they should get back on track against a subpar Tennessee Titans team.
The Titans were never as good as their record in 2021, and they got notably worse in 2022. The team simply doesn’t have an answer for losing A.J. Brown, and Derrick Henry is starting to show signs of age. Ryan Tannehill can’t do it alone, and with no other reliable weapons, Tennessee simply cannot move the ball downfield. The Raiders should be able to jump out to a comfortable lead in this one, but this time, they’ll hold on for the win.
Prediction: Raiders Win, 24-17
Kansas City Chiefs at Indianapolis Colts
It turns out Patrick Mahomes is pretty darn good even when Tyreek Hill isn’t on the field. The Kansas City Chiefs superstar quarterback hasn’t missed a beat through the first two weeks of the season, and would likely be in the conversation for best quarterback in the league if Josh Allen didn’t exist. The same cannot be said for the Indianapolis Colts and their quarterback. Matt Ryan is starting to look his age, and the Colts defense has not played up to their talent.
Even if their defense gets it together in Week 3, there is no unit in football capable of consistently slowing down Kansas City’s passing attack. This means that the Colts will have to go blow for blow with the Chiefs, and there is no reason to believe they’re up for that task. Having Michael Pittman in the lineup will certainly help, but it won’t be enough to close the massive gap in talent.
Prediction: Chiefs Win, 34-23
The field could be falling into a sinkhole like in The Dark Knight Rises and Mahomes would just jog around and casually toss a circus touchdown.pic.twitter.com/LPyyq16xoV
— Joshua Brisco (@jbbrisco) September 16, 2022
Los Angeles Chargers vs Jacksonville Jaguars
The Los Angeles Chargers enter Week 3 at 1-1 after two hard-fought games against division foes. After a well-earned Week 1 victory, the team narrowly lost a heartbreaker to Kansas City in Week 2. Losing by three points to the Chiefs when the ball didn’t bounce your way is the definition of a moral victory, but they could have easily won it if it weren’t for some questionable decisions by head coach Brandon Staley.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are trending up, as evidenced by their total dismantling of the Colts in Week 2. Trevor Lawrence looked every bit the part of a franchise quarterback, and the future is bright now that they have a coach that actually belongs in the NFL. However, they’re not quite ready to compete with one of the NFL’s most talented rosters and a top-five quarterback. They’ll put up a fight, but the Chargers should prevail in this one.
Prediction: Chargers Win, 27-21
Denver Broncos vs San Francisco 49ers
Wrapping up the AFC West Week 3 predictions is one of the most disappointing teams in the league. The Denver Broncos have too much talent to remain this terrible. The season is still young, but Russell Wilson and the offense simply haven’t held up their end of the bargain, and first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett looks completely overwhelmed by the responsibilities of his job. Put it this way, it’s never a good thing when the home crowd feels the need to count down the play clock.
On 3rd and 10, Broncos fans counted the play clock all the way down to the final second, all for Russell Wilson to do this.
Really painful stuff happening in Denver. pic.twitter.com/BH5Mql9xeD
— Joshua Brisco (@jbbrisco) September 18, 2022
The San Francisco 49ers lost starting quarterback Trey Lance in Week 2, forcing Jimmy Garoppolo back into action. Garoppolo is no superstar, but the past few seasons have proven that they know how to win with the former second-round pick under center. This is one of the most talented rosters in the league when everything is clicking, and they’d be hard to take down even under the best of circumstances. The Broncos should figure it out eventually, but it’s hard to see them coming away with a win in Week 2.
Prediction: Broncos Lose, 24-17
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