On a hot streak of five-straight wins, the Bolts sit in second place in the division with a 6-2 record. Before the team takes on the Oakland Raiders this Sunday in a division game, let's take a look at how the rest of the AFC West is doing halfway through the season.
Denver Broncos
Last game score: 19-17 loss to the Houston Texans
Record: 3-6
What's been happening: At the trade deadline, WR Demaryius Thomas was traded for a fourth-round and seventh-round draft pick to the Houston Texans, who then handed the Broncos their fourth-straight loss last Sunday. The team also suffered an injury that hurt the offensive line when C Matt Paradis was carted off with a fractured fibula in the second quarter.
Facts and stats: Denver has the 8th best rushing attack in the league, averaging 126.7 yards per game. Rookie running back Phillip Lindsay leads with 591 rushing yards on 110 attempts (5.4 avg.), a full 282 more yards than fellow Denver rookie RB Royce Freeman (309).
What they've said: "At this point in time, we're going to stay the course. I think there's enough good things that are going on as far as us and the way that we're playing … I'm much more encouraged this year than I was last year." – General Manager John Elway
Next game preview: Denver is currently on its bye week and will return to face the Chargers at ROKiT Field at StubHub Center for Week 11.
Kansas City Chiefs
Last game score: 37-21 win over the Cleveland Browns
Record: 8-1
What's been happening: The Chiefs have continued their hot streak, with their only loss coming in their Week 7 primetime matchup against the New England Patriots.
Facts and stats: For the eighth-straight week, Patrick Mahomes threw for over 300 yards and now has a league-high 29 TDs on the season. One of the biggest targets for all these throws? WR Tyreek Hill, who has 48 receptions for 774 yards (16.1 avg.) with seven touchdowns to rank seventh in the league among wide receivers.
What they've said: "You appreciate him when you're around him every day, and just the spirit that he brings and the attitude that he has. You don't even worry about him getting a big head or getting complacent. He just goes out, he plays, he works hard and he loves doing it. He just goes about his business the way he's supposed to do it." – Head Coach Andy Reid on Mahomes
Next game preview: Kansas City will host the Arizona Cardinals (2-6) at home on Sunday.
Oakland Raiders
Last game score: 34-3 loss to the San Francisco 49ers
Record: 1-7
What's been happening: In the past two weeks, the Raiders traded Amari Cooper to the Dallas Cowboys for a first-round draft pick and released veteran DE Bruce Irvin, who has since been signed by the Atlanta Falcons.
Facts and stats: The Raiders have the 19th ranked offense, averaging 353.8 yards per game. Derek Carr is ranked 14th among QBs in the league, right below Philip Rivers, and has thrown for 2,198 yards with a 72.3 percent completion rate.
What they've said: "Look, 1-7 is no fun. … We just got to work through it. We got to try to be true to ourselves, listen to our heart, keep getting better. Keep improving, worry about what we can control and don't worry about anything else." – Head Coach Jon Gruden
Next game preview: The Silver and Black will be hosting the Bolts this coming Sunday for the two teams' second divisional matchup of the season.
Browse through some of the best moments from practice as the Bolts begin prep for Oakland.
