Week 11 is in the wind, faithful friends… so what did we learn in the wild AFC West? Defenses showed up and showed out in Denver, the Chargers flew across the country for a week off (not really), and a Monday Night Football showcase for Da Raiders (Chris Berman voice). More detail, you say? FINE. Here are my AFC West takeaways for Week 11 – sunny- side always up.
Los Angeles Chargers
Oct 19, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) throws a pass against the Indianapolis Colts at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Zero offense, laughable time of possession
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The Chargers put up a grand total of 135 yards, 3.0 yards per play, and only eight first downs, which is not an NFL offense. Justin Herbert managed 81 passing yards on 10 of 18 with one interception and two sacks before getting pulled, while Trey Lance added only 37 more yards, so the whole passing operation produced 93 net yards and zero touchdowns. Los Angeles possessed the ball for 22:05 compared to Jacksonville’s 37:55, went 3-12 on third down and 0-1 in the red zone, with nine drives turning into four punts, two field goals, an interception, and two failed fourth downs. For a 7-4 team that is supposed to be chasing a 9-2 Denver and holding off the Chiefs in the AFC West, this was not just a bad day; it was an indictment of the offensive line, the game plan, and the entire “we can out-talent you” identity.
If the other team never punts, your defense basically does not exist
Jacksonville never sent the punter on the field, finishing with 10 drives, 345 total yards, 30 first downs, and scores in every quarter while walking out with a 35-6 win.The Jaguars ran it right down LA’s throat for 192 rushing yards on 47 attempts and four rushing touchdowns, with Travis Etienne and Bhayshul Tuten combining for 147 yards and three scores on the ground.Trevor Lawrence only had to throw 22 passes, completing 14 of them for 153 yards and a touchdown plus a rushing score, while the Chargers’ defense produced one interception, zero sacks, two quarterback hits, and watched Jacksonville go 83% in the red zone.When you allow 69 plays, 5.0 yards per snap, and a punt-free afternoon, that is getting bullied for four quarters.
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You could see the energy and fire were missing
Even the Chargers’ own site labeled this a “humbling” loss, and national outlets are already clowning the performance, from Herbert getting crushed behind a leaky line to Bradley Bozeman getting roasted for an embarrassing flop. The penalty split tells you who wanted it more: Los Angeles committed five penalties for 71 yards while Jacksonville played clean with one flag for five yards, all while winning the line of scrimmage and owning the clock. This looked like a team easing into the bye week instead of fighting for seeding, as a three-game win streak evaporated into a 7-4 mark and a two-game deficit to Denver. Jim Harbaugh’s whole brand is edge, toughness, and juice, so if the Chargers cannot manufacture real energy after watching the Jaguars blow a 19-point lead the week before, this tape becomes the kind of moment that decides how the rest of the season plays out.
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Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) makes a pass against the Dallas Cowboys in the first quarter at Empower Field at Mile High. Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Bo Nix stays clean while the run game disappears
Bo Nix played the grown-up game you want against a Spagnuolo defense that was absolutely balling, going 24 of 37 for 295 yards with zero turnovers and only two sacks taken. Meanwhile, the “run game help” was basically a mirage: Denver backs combined for just 59 rushing yards on 21 carries at 2.8 yards per pop, with the lone touchdown coming on a short Jaleel McLaughlin plunge. With the Chiefs smothering the red zone (Broncos 1-of-5 down there), Nix kept answering with efficient chunk throws, feeding Troy Franklin, Pat Bryant, and Courtland Sutton for 295 passing yards and multiple explosive plays, including the 32-yard dart to Franklin that set up the winner.On a day when Kansas City’s defense forced Denver to settle for five field goals and tried to drag this into a field-position fistfight, Nix stayed composed, protected the ball, and gave Sean Payton exactly what a 9-2 contender needs from its rookie quarterback.
Defense keeps Mahomes off schedule and the Chiefs out of rhythm
Patrick Mahomes put up yardage but not dominance, finishing 29 of 45 for 276 yards with one touchdown, one interception, three sacks, a modest 6.1 yards per attempt, and a pedestrian (by his standards) 56.4 QBR.Denver’s defense turned the game into a slog, holding Kansas City to 5.0 yards per play, 1-of-4 in the red zone, and just 19 points despite the Chiefs running 62 plays and winning time of possession by a whisker.Ja’Quan McMillian played like the best defensive back in the division, posting six tackles, two sacks, two tackles for loss, a pick, a pass breakup, and multiple quarterback hits, while the unit as a whole pressured all afternoon to keep Mahomes constantly behind the sticks.This is what a bully on top of the AFC West looks like now: the Broncos are 9-2, riding an eight-game win streak and 11 straight home wins, sent the defending champs to 5-5 and 0-5 in one-score games, and now hit the bye with a chance to get Pat Surtain II and Alex Singleton back before tightening the vise on the division.
Will Lutz for MVP (of this team, this game, this entire vibe)
On a day when touchdowns were expensive, Wil Lutz basically carried the scoreboard, going 5-for-5 on field goals with a long of 54, drilling his lone extra point and personally supplying 16 of Denver’s 22 points.He hit from 29 and 24 early, then calmly banged home a 38-yarder, the 54-yard bomb to tie it with 4:10 left, and the walk-off 35-yard dagger as time expired, avenging last year’s blocked attempt at Arrowhead in the exact same situation.Nearly three-quarters of Denver’s points came off his right leg while the offense sputtered in the red zone and racked up 147 penalty yards, and Payton clearly knows he can lean on Lutz as a strategic weapon from basically anywhere past midfield.In a division that is now Denver’s to lose, the Broncos have the better quarterback play right now, the nastier defense, and, thanks to Lutz, the one kicker in the AFC West who just turned the champs’ margin for error into dust.
Kansas City Chiefs
1. Patrick Mahomes
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) reacts during the third quarter of the game against the Washington Commanders at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Off-Schedule Patrick Mahomes Is Officially A Problem
Patrick Mahomes put up volume but not terror, finishing 29-45 for 276 yards with one touchdown, one interception, three sacks, and a very mortal 56.4 QBR as the Chiefs managed just 19 points.Denver consistently knocked him off rhythm, stacking penalties, sacks, and batted balls on early downs, so Kansas City lived in 3rd and long, going 5-13 on third down with only one touchdown in four red-zone trips despite 311 total yards.Stack this on top of the Buffalo game, where he posted a career-worst 44.1% completion rate (15-34/250 yards/INT), and you now have back-to-back tapes of a defense dragging Mahomes. When Andy Reid is 27-5 after bye weeks and still cannot scheme his quarterback into an efficient afternoon, the message is loud: the scramble-drill, hero-ball version of Mahomes is no longer a cheat code; it is a tell that the offense is stuck.
The Defense Was Superb… But Couldn’t Close The Deal
Spagnuolo’s group did its job for most of the night, holding Denver to one offensive touchdown, 22 total points, and a measly 2.8 yards per carry while ringing up two sacks, six tackles for loss, and five quarterback hits. They repeatedly bowed up in tight space, forcing Wil Lutz to kick five field goals and allowing just one touchdown in five red-zone trips, which is usually more than enough for Mahomes to win a division game. But they also leaked explosives all over the place, giving up 295 passing yards on chunk shots to Troy Franklin, Pat Bryant, and Courtland Sutton, then surrendering a 10-play, 58-yard march in the final 2:59 that set up Lutz’s walk-off 35-yarder. In a season where the defense has clearly been the adult in the room, failing to get off the field on the last drive turns a “great effort” into just another footnote under a brutal loss column.
The Kansas City One-Score Magic Has Left The Building
Last year, the Chiefs were unbeaten in one-score games; this year, they are 0-5 in them after another 22-19 gut punch in Denver, and that luck swing is basically the season in miniature.The loss drops Kansas City to 5-5 and third place in the AFC West behind the 9-2 Broncos and 7-4 Chargers, turning what used to be a yearly coronation into a desperate wild-card chase. ESPN’s analytics now give the Chiefs roughly a 45% chance to miss the playoffs entirely, a wild sentence to write about a team that just went undefeated in close games a season ago and opened 2025 as the conference’s three-time defending champion.Until Andy Reid’s crew starts actually winning these coin-flip endings instead of living off rings and reputation, the rest of the league is going to treat them like what the standings say they are right now: a .500 outfit getting out-clutched by the new bully on the AFC West block.
Las Vegas Raiders
Nov 6, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty (2) rushes the ball against the Denver Broncos during the second half at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Two first-half carries for Ashton Jeanty is malpractice
Ashton Jeanty finished with six carries for seven yards and five catches for 22 yards, but the most damning stat is this: he touched the ball on the ground just twice in the first half while Dallas was still feeling its way into the game. The Raiders ran it only 11 times total for 28 yards, basically announcing to a revamped Cowboys front with Quinnen Williams that they had zero interest in testing their discipline or wearing them down. Instead of leaning on their most dynamic weapon and marrying the ground game to play-action, Vegas called a pass-heavy script that asked Geno Smith to win behind a leaky line and predictable concepts. When your offensive identity is “drop back and pray” while your best playmaker is standing next to the quarterback, you are not game-planning; you are wasting everyone’s time.
Chaotic offensive plan, no adjustments, no protection
The box score screams disorganization: 27-of-42 passing for 229 yards, one touchdown, one interception, four sacks for 29 yards lost, and only 4.5 yards per pass on a night where Daniel Carlson kicked three field goals before the first Raiders touchdown finally showed up in the fourth quarter. Dallas’ defense teed off with three sacks, seven tackles for loss, and nine quarterback hits, and every long-developing concept the Raiders tried just gave Dem Boys more time to wreck the pocket. There was no serious attempt to steal easy throws, change tempos, or protect with extra bodies once it became obvious the front five were overmatched; the “adjustments” were basically “keep doing the same thing and hope a flag or Lady Luck shows up.” Finishing with 237 total yards, 3-of-12 on third down, and three quarters spent trading field goals for Dak Prescott touchdowns in your own building, isn’t just a bad night, it’s a structural failure in how to design and call offense.
Maxx Crosby can’t carry a defense that forgets how to tackle (and George Pickens knows it)
Maxx Crosby showed up again, posting three tackles, a sack, a tackle for loss, and two quarterback hits, and still it felt like he was bailing water with a Dixie cup on a sinking ship. Dallas rolled to 382 yards on 64 plays, averaged 6.0 yards per snap, and went 4-for-10 on third down while basically cruising after a 24-9 halftime lead and a 31-9 cushion heading into the fourth. George Pickens absolutely torched the secondary with nine catches for 144 yards and a 37-yard touchdown, winning on crossers, digs, and go balls like the Raiders were running a walkthrough. When your Pro Bowl edge is the only consistent source of disruption and everyone behind him is taking bad angles, missing tackles, and offering no answers for the opponent’s pass catchers, you are not a defense, you are just the supporting cast in someone else’s highlight package.
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