AFC Notes: Broncos, Chiefs, Raiders, Josh Jacobs

Broncos

• Broncos DL Mike Purcell on his heated exchange with QB Russell Wilson on the sideline: “Frustration. We want a spark on something. We are all in this together, period.” (Andrew Mason)

• Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post writes the Broncos are one of the teams people who traffick in the coaching cycle are eyeing as a potential vacancy. 
• He adds there’s some talk that the team could promote DC Ejiro Evero to replace HC Nathaniel Hackett, as Evero is expected to draw interview interest, per one veteran executive: “He’s a rock star.”
• Over The Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald looks at the Broncos’ contract options with QB Russell Wilson. There’s a lot that goes into it but it basically boils down to Denver won’t be able to move on from Wilson until 2024 at the earliest unless another team wants to trade for him. 
• Broncos S Justin Simmons was fined $15,914 for a hit on Raiders WR Davante Adams and Broncos WR Courtland Sutton was fined $15,914 for a crack back block. (Troy Renck)

Chiefs

Despite their victory over the Rams, Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes believes he needs to be more efficient with his passes in the red zone.

“Especially in the red zone, we got to execute at a higher level,” Mahomes said, via Pro Football Talk. “I got to execute at a higher level, and I got to take out like the one dumb play I make every game it seems like so if I can take that out, I think we’ll be alright.”

“I threw it directly into the dude’s stomach, so just got to make sure that I don’t do that, especially in the red zone because those are ones that kill you in big games,” Mahomes said. “So obviously you like to win, but we’ve got a lot to get better at offensively, especially starting with me.”

• Chiefs DT Chris Jones recorded his 10th sack of the season which earned him a $1.25 million bonus incentive. (Field Yates)

Raiders

Raiders RB Josh Jacobs has come a long way in the eyes of HC Josh McDaniels, who raved about him after his stellar day in the win against the Seahawks that included over 300 total yards and an 86-yard walk-off touchdown run. Safe to say if McDaniels knew this was coming, he would not have declined Jacobs’ fifth-year option this spring. 

“He’s a football player,” McDaniels said via Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. “I mean, that’s probably the greatest compliment I could give him, and he comes up big. It’s not just what he does on the field; it’s how he practices, what he does in preparation, how attentive he is in the meetings, what he’s like in the walk-throughs, how much he wants to win. He wants to win. He does everything he can to help us.”

• Raiders WR Davante Adams was fined $29,785 for unsportsmanlike conduct for using abusive language toward officials during their game against the Broncos last week. (Tom Pelissero)