Denver Broncos

AFC West Notebook: The Raiders are now Packers West

Published Dec. 15, 2015 4:00 p.m. ET

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Raiders drafted their way back to relevancy

Praise Khalil Mack for a five-sack game that announced his arrival as a Raiders superstar. The defensive end deserves it.

Just save some of that praise for the man who put him in Silver and Black. General manager Reggie McKenize deserves it, too.

Consider the two-year drafting run that McKenzie is currently on. You'd be hard-pressed to find its rival in professional football:

2014: Mack in the first round, franchise quarterback Derek Carr in the second round, franchise guard Gabe Jackson in the third round, space-eating defensive tackle Justin Ellis in the fourth round, starting cornerback T.J. Carrie in the seventh round.

2015: Blue-chip wide receiver Amari Cooper, star defensive end Mario Edwards Jr., starting tight end Clive Walford.

Credit McKenzie for noting what worked so well at his last job as a Green Bay executive. Packers decision-maker Ted Thompson essentially eschews the free-agent period and focuses only on nailing the players he drafts.

McKenzie has been forced to stray from that doctrine (think: 2014 free-agent haul). But, as evidenced above, he's equally adept at nailing his college-player evaluations.

The process is far from over. The Raiders need to retain their stars for second and third contracts -- something that'll be difficult to manage with the team's future in limbo.

McKenzie appears up to the task. He was part of a Packers system which, according to the Green Bay Press-Gazette, retained 32 drafted players under Thompson's reign.

He knows the formula. And with every sack Mack notches or touchdown Cooper tallies, he's seeing it in action.

Chargers' latest meltdown sums their season up

Philip Rivers was still brooding over a Week 14 loss when the Chargers quarterback noticed his glowing cell phone.

It was a text message from his son. Rivers didn't hesitate to read it.

"My son said that was the greatest game ever," the veteran passer told reporters, "if we'd have won."

But the Chargers haven't won those exciting games this season. Their most recent loss at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs was their seventh defeat in a one-score contest.

It all boiled over at Arrowhead Stadium. Rivers drove the Chargers within one-yard of a game-tying touchdown before the team reverted back to its un-clutch form.

They moved backward on a delay of game penalty -- and out of a timeout no less. Then, replacement left tackle Chris Hairston jumped in the neutral zone.

That removed any sense of mystery from their final playcall. They had to throw.

Danny Woodhead nearly caught Rivers' pass. But "nearly" doesn't cut in the the NFL.

"It's been the story of our season -- losing close games," Rivers told reporters after the game. "This was a lot like a couple others we lost this year. We got down there, had our chances throughout the game, couldn't end it. Kind of been the deal all year long."

QUICK HITS: Andy Reid is the only Chiefs coach to preside over multiple seven-game winning streaks ... The Chiefs are only two games behind the Broncos in the AFC West race ... Dee Ford (3.0 sacks) finally had his breakout game in Kansas City ... Alex Smith's interception-less streak ended at 312 attempts. That's the second-most in NFL history ... Mitch Morse (concussion) could return this week vs. Baltimore ... Denver sunk out of the AFC's No. 2 seed with a loss ... Brock Osweiler is expected to start vs. Pittsburgh ... Denver touchdown efficiency in the red zone? 16 for 36... DeMarcus Ware (back) will play a more active role in Week 15 ... If Ben Roethlisberger throws for 300-plus yards, he'll be the first to do it vs. Denver all year ... Oakland's mysterious two-point try was due to long-snapper Jon Condo's injury ... Sebastian Janikowski is hitting only 76 percent of his field-goal tries ... The Chargers and Raiders reconfirmed their plan to work "as one" in Los Angeles relocation ... This weekend's game could be the last at Qualcomm Stadium ... San Diego has scored only one touchdown vs. AFC West foes.