Out of the frying pan, and into the fryer.
The Oakland Raiders are just a few days removed from their Week 6 bout against the Los Angeles Chargers, and will take the field once again Thursday night as they host another division rival, the Kansas City Chiefs. The Silver and Black will kick off Week 7 at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, and try to snap their four-game skid. The team is currently sitting at the bottom of the AFC West, but aren't out of the race by any means.
With the Raiders kicking off their primetime game in a matter of hours, let's take a glance around the division and recap the past week.
Denver Broncos
New York Giants Head Coach Ben McAdoo said no one was betting on his team to beat the Broncos, and boy, did he prove them wrong. A majority of people were expecting the then-winless Giants to waltz into Sports Authority Field at Mile High and walk out with another "L." When the clock struck zero, the Giants had put up 23 points, and held the Broncos to a mere 10.
To no surprise, the Broncos defense has been the best among all 32 teams to start the season, and entering their Week 5 bout were allowing the least amount of rushing yards. Somehow, the Giants managed to counter the Broncos run defense, as running back Orleans Darkwa rushed for 117 yards, averaging 5.6 yards per carry.
Another factor that played a role in the Broncos demise was the amount of turnovers. As anyone in the NFL will tell you, turnovers will make or break a game, and on Sunday the Broncos had three. The Giants were able to capitalize on the miscues with a pick-six from cornerback Janoris Jenkins.
After a rocky game, the Broncos will get back to work this Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Kansas City Chiefs
Undefeated no more.
That's right, the Chiefs are officially no longer undefeated, but they still have the best record in the AFC West at 5-1. Sunday, the team was unsuccessful in their attempt to hold off the Pittsburgh Steelers, who unleashed the power of running back Le'Veon Bell. The former Michigan State Spartan carried the ball 32 times for the Steelers, en route to 179 rushing yards, and a touchdown.
The Chiefs defense has been one of the best in the league in recent memory, but through six games this year it sits toward the bottom of the totem pole. As the 29th ranked defense, the Chiefs are giving up a total of 378.2 yards per game, and if the Raiders want to get back to their winning ways, they'll have to take advantage of the opportunity and get the offense firing on all cylinders.
Kickoff will take place at 5:25 Thursday, here's how you can watch the game.
Los Angeles Chargers
No other way to recap the Bolts victory on Sunday over the Raiders other than, they earned it.
Raiders Head Coach Jack Del Rio is a big fan of the phrase, "you get what you earn in this league," and in Week 6 the Chargers earned their victory. The Silver and Black fell to their division rival at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on a last-second field goal, which dropped the Raiders record to 2-4.
With a critical win over the Raiders, the Chargers will get another division rival this week when they face the Broncos at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. The two opened up regular season play in Week 1 with a Monday Night Football battle that ended in dramatic fashion. After trailing most of the game, the Chargers chalked up what would've been the game-ending field goal for the win, but Broncos defensive lineman Shelby Harris had other plans. On a blocked field goal, the Southern California squad was unable to complete the comeback, but they'll have a chance at revenge this Sunday.
