AFC Notes: Broncos, Chargers, Chiefs, Raiders

Broncos

• Broncos HC Vic Fangio said OL Graham Glasgow‘s heart tests this week came back with good results: “Everything’s come back good on him. All the tests were positive. You’re supposed to say ‘negative,’ but positive as we view them.” (Mike Klis)
• James Palmer mentions that the Broncos are hopeful that OLB Bradley Chubb (ankle) will be ready for Week 2 after participating in Friday’s practice.  

Chargers

Chargers’ HC Brandon Staley said they plan to be patient with DL Jerry Tillery after a lackluster performance in the season opener.

“I think Jerry’s playing really, really hard,” Staley said, via Daniel Popper of The Athletic. “We were able to move him throughout the formation, which is a goal of ours. I feel like he had some of that kind of almost production in the rush. But we’re excited where he’s at. His weight is really good right now. His body’s good. He was really active. I feel like we’ve got a good rotation going with him. He played a really good number of snaps in the game. Just positioning him in the right ways in pass rush, too. It wasn’t a game last week where it was just kind of a pure-on rush sort of game, like third down and we’re ahead type game. So we kind of had to play it straight up, and he’s playing rugged and tough in the run front. So I’m excited to keep working with him, because he’s improving every day and he’s totally invested in what we’re doing. He’s in great shape. So I think the way he’s changed his body is allowing him to make a lot more plays in the run game and play the way we want to play. I’m excited to see him keep going.”

Staley is also excited about the return of RB Austin Ekeler, who is a big part of the Chargers’ offense.

“He’s definitely a weapon in the passing game,” Staley said of Ekeler. “We had a couple things up for him that didn’t get called. When we were in some of our stuff where we were split out, the ball just went other places. But that’s a big part of our offense, getting him activated in the passing game. Whether it’s from the backfield, split out, or in the screen game. Excited to see how that expresses itself as the weeks go on. He’s definitely an asset to us, for sure.”

• According to Daniel Popper of The Athletic, Chargers’ LB Kyzir White beat out LB Drue Tranquill for the second starting inside linebacker spot due to his athleticism, meaning that Tranquill will now be relegated to performing well on special teams.

Chiefs

Chiefs’ S Tyrann Mathieu said the team “really made the best decision for me as a player”  by holding him out in Week 1, adding that he is close to returning.

“I think if I’m not, I think I’m getting there,” Mathieu said, via Blair Kerkhoff of the Kansas City Star. “[Wednesday’s] practice was pretty good for me, just going out there and having a full workload, getting back into the communication and just working with my boys. Any time I see those guys, my teammates, it always gives you that extra energy to kind of uplift you. So I’m just looking forward to kind of continuing to stack ’em, and then getting in front of the world on Sunday night and showing what I can do.”

Raiders

Raiders’ DE Maxx Crosby says he has already forgotten about his strong Week 1 performance and is thinking about Steelers’ QB Ben Roethlisberger.

“I already flushed the game,” Crosby said, via Paul Gutierrez of ESPN. “I’m already worried and I watched the Steelers’ first game … been locked in on them. Obviously, [Ben’s] not as athletic as Lamar Jackson — Lamar is kind of like an anomaly — but Big Ben’s a great quarterback … it’s about us at the end of the day. We’ve got to do what we’ve got to do no matter who we’re playing. It all starts with get-off, playing with crazy energy, running to the ball, causing turnovers. That’s never going to change. Big Ben’s a hell of a player, he’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer, so we’re definitely looking forward to it and I’m excited.”

• Ian Rapoport reports that Raiders’ RB Peyton Barber is expected to “handle some of the lead back duties” in Week 2 against the Steelers, alongside RB Kenyan Drake.