AFC Notes: Chargers, Chiefs, Raiders

Chargers

With star pass rusher Joey Bosa ruled out early in a huge AFC matchup against the Bengals in Week 13, the Chargers needed a lot from OLB Uchenna Nwosu. And he stepped up big-time, with two of the team’s six sacks and seven additional pressures. It’s continued a run of good play in the past few weeks for Nwosu, who struggled early as he let the pressures of a contract year get to him. 

“He’s just playing free. He’s not thinking,” Charger LB Kyzir White said via the Athletic’s Daniel Popper. “Sometimes … you can be worried about your future a little bit, what’s going to happen, and you start psyching yourself out. I think he’s just playing free and just letting whatever’s going to happen is going to happen. I feel like he’s playing his best ball.”

• Jeremy Fowler reports that Chargers WR Mike Williams and CB Chris Harris continue to test negative for COVID-19 after being deemed a close-contact and remains optimistic that he will play in Sunday’s game. 

Chiefs

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes does not feel alarmed by his 12 interceptions, including the dropped pass from Tyreek Hill that was picked off in Week 13, and mentioned that he must continue giving his receivers “chances to make plays.” 

“I mean it just happens, it’s part of football,” Mahomes said, via ProFootballTalk. “Luckily enough, our defense is playing good enough that whenever they happen, they’re able to get stops and get turnovers or whatever it is and not let it impact the team. But you understand that turnovers are a huge part of this game. Our defense is getting a lot of turnovers and winning that turnover battle. I’ll try to limit them as much as possible, but at the same time I have to be me and continue to throw the football and give guys chances to make plays.”

Mahomes added that dropped passes will not prevent him from looking at certain receivers and feels he must also put passes in better positions. 

“I’m going to go through the play regardless as to who is at what position and what the read is,” Mahomes said. “Coach [Andy] Reid does a good job of kind of maneuvering it so we can get it back to them pretty quickly there. Like I said, some of the dropped passes — people get hung on them even the one in the game that got intercepted, if I throw the ball in a better spot and he makes the catch, probably splits and scores. I threw it high and hard, and it gets tipped up and picked.”

Mahomes reiterated that he can improve on throwing more catchable passes. 

“People put it on him, but it’s really on me to make a better throw. For myself just try to make some better throws and let those guys have easier catches especially in traffic where they can make plays happen after the catch.”

Raiders

• Raiders interim HC Rich Bisaccia said TE Darren Waller (knee, back), DE Carl Nassib (knee), Patrick Onwuasor (hamstring), and RB Jalen Richard (COVID-19) have been ruled out from Week 14. (Tashan Reed)
• According to Bisaccia, it’s “unlikely” G Richie Incognito (calf) returns this year. (Tashan Reed)
• Bisaccia added that LB Denzel Perryman (ankle) is doubtful.