AFC West Notebook: Manning in his prime?; Charles passes Holmes
Every Monday and Friday, theScore's NFL editors will bring you a roundup of everything you need to know from around the division with the AFC West Notebook.
Denver Broncos
Is Manning in his prime? Peter King of TheMMQB.com argues Peyton Manning is playing the best football of his career at age 38.
Top five Manning touchdowns. ESPN takes a look back at the five most meaningful touchdown passes of Manning's career, including his first as a pro, first to win a game and first as a Bronco.
Manning planned "keepaway" stunt. Did you notice how some Broncos receivers briefly played keepaway with the ball after Manning's record-setting touchdown pass? It turns out Manning planned the stunt and even made his teammates practice it ahead of time.
Kansas City Chiefs
Charles becomes leading rusher. Jamaal Charles finished Sunday's game with 22 carries for 95 yards, vaulting him past Priest Holmes on the Chiefs' all-time rushing list. The Chiefs' official website takes a look back at Charles career, including his five best runs.
Santos makes clutch kick. Rookie kicker Cairo Santos, whose season has been anything but smooth, proved he can be a clutch player by booting a 48-yard field goal with 21 seconds on the clock to give the Chiefs the win.
Chiefs win by limiting Rivers' chances. A big reason for the Chiefs' win was the team's dominance in time of possession. The Chiefs held the ball for 39 minutes compared to the Chargers' 21 minutes.
San Diego Chargers
Defensive MVP so far? There's little doubt Philip Rivers is the Chargers' MVP so far this season, but which player is the most valuable on defense? U-T San Diego considers the candidates.
Contender or pretenders? Are the Chargers as good as their 50-2 record indicates? A prominent Chargers blog doesn't think so.
Oliver almost wasn't a Charger. Rookie running back Branden Oliver's path to the Chargers was anything but direct, but he believes his journey to where he is today happened for a reason.
Oakland Raiders
Carr showing no fear. Rookie Derek Carr continues to take bold shots downfield, hoping his receivers will make big plays. Head coach Tony Sparano says he wants his young passer to remain "fearless" when he attacks the defense.
Defense struggling on third down. The Raiders are allowing their opponents to convert more than 50 percent of third-down plays, the worst rate in the NFL. If the trend continues for a full season, it will be the worst third-down rate in 30 years.
Palmer pleased to beat old team. Former Raiders quarterback Carson Palmer said he was happy to beat his old team in their home stadium, but he stopped short of calling it a revenge game. Palmer praised the Oakland Coliseum as a great place to play for the Raiders and their opponents alike.