Kansas City Chiefs (6-0)
Week 6: Won 24-7 vs. Oakland
How it happened:With a ravenous defense leading the charge, the Chiefs sacked Raiders quarterback Terrelle Pryor 10 times – and that abundance of pressure paid off for Kansas City. After the Raiders jumped out to a 7-0 lead midway through the second quarter, the Chiefs reeled off 24 unanswered points – as Kansas City turned three second-half interceptions of Pryor into 17 points, ultimately proving to be the difference in the game.
It was over when:The Chiefs intercepted Pryor twice in the game's closing minutes. Holding onto a 14-7 lead late in the game, cornerback Marcus Cooper stepped in front of a Pryor pass with 4:07 to play, leading to a 33-yard Ryan Succop field goal that made it a two-score game. On the ensuing possession, defensive back Husain Abdullah picked off Pryor and returned it for a touchdown, sending Arrowhead Stadium into a frenzy and capping the Chiefs' scoring.
Key performer: Tamba Hali spent his entire afternoon in the Raiders' backfield – or so it seemed. The Chiefs' Pro Bowl linebacker registered 3.5 sacks and five quarterback hurries of Pryor. Hali's effort raised his season total to 7.5 sacks in 2013, good for fourth best in the NFL; his teammate, linebacker Justin Houston, is tied for the league lead with 9.5.
What's next:One of only two unbeatens remaining in the NFL (along with the Broncos), the Chiefs will host the Texans (2-4), who have dropped four straight games.
Between the hash marks:-Running back Jamaal Charles scored a pair of rushing touchdowns from 7 and 2 yards out on Sunday, and Charles' versatility was on display as he totaled 78 rushing yards and a team-high 50 receiving yards. That's hardly a new trend; in addition to his 475 rushing yards, Charles' 300 receiving yards this season are second on the team only to wide receiver Donnie Avery (310 yards).
-Arrowhead Stadium has long held the reputation as one of the noisiest venues in the NFL. That reputation was confirmed on Sunday when the stadium set the Guinness Book of World Records' mark for loudest outdoor sports stadium with a reading of 137.5 decibels.
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Oakland Raiders (2-4)
Week 6: Lost 24-7 at Kansas City
How it happened: The Raiders had been undefeated in their previous six outings at Arrowhead Stadium, and Pryor got Oakland off to another strong start with a 39-yard touchdown strike to wide receiver Denarius Moore. That was the final time the Raiders offense would cross the 50-yard line, however, until Pryor completed an 18-yard pass to wide receiver Rod Streater on the second-to-last play of the game.
It was over when:Cooper intercepted Pryor with 4:09 to play, setting up the Chiefs with excellent field position and allowing Succop to extend Kansas City's lead to 10 with a field goal.
Key performer:Linebacker Nick Roach helped anchor a Raiders defense that held tough all afternoon long, finishing with a team-high eight tackles and sacking Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith once for a 10-yard loss.
What's next:The Raiders will look to recoup during their bye week before playing host to the Steelers on Oct. 27.
Between the hash marks:
-The Raiders defense was stingy on Sunday, limiting the Chiefs to just 216 yards of total offense – including just 128 passing yards from Smith.
-Although he was constantly under duress on Sunday, Pryor finished the game with 60 rushing yards on six attempts. He has rushed for more than 30 yards in all five games he's played this year, and Sunday marked the third time he's cracked the 50-yard rushing mark.
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San Diego Chargers (3-3)
Week 6: Won 19-9 vs. Indianapolis
How it happened:Behind an efficient performance from quarterback Philip Rivers (who completed 22-of-33 passes for 237 yards and a touchdown) and the steady running of Ryan Mathews (22 carries for 102 yards), the Chargers held the ball for 38:31 and did not commit a single turnover, keeping Colts quarterback Andrew Luck off the field for much of the evening.
It was over when: Cornerback Derek Cox intercepted Luck with 1:07 left to play, ending all hope for a Colts' comeback – the interception came just four plays after Nick Novak kicked a 50-yard field goal, his fourth of the game, to give the Chargers a 19-9 lead.
Key performer:Rookie wide receiver Keenan Allen was a dependable target for Rivers, hauling in nine catches for 107 yards and a 22-yard touchdown grab in the second quarter. After recording just 30 receiving yards through the first three weeks of the season, Allen has emerged with 302 yards in the last three weeks.
What's next:The Chargers will travel to Jacksonville to play the Jaguars (0-6) on Sunday.
Between the hash marks:
-The Chargers defense kept Luck in check, allowing the quarterback just 202 passing yards; Luck's 66.3 quarterback rating was his lowest of the season.
-Mathews cracked the 100-yard mark for the first time since Dec. 11, 2011. He rushed for more than 1,000 yards that season.
Denver Broncos (6-0)
Week 6: Won 35-19 vs. Jacksonville
How it happened:The Broncos used a trio of second half touchdowns from running back Knowshon Moreno to overcome a trio of turnovers and put away the Jaguars. Stellar in the second half throughout much of its franchise-record 17-game regular-season winning streak, Denver once again finished strong on Sunday, outscoring Jacksonville 21-7 after the break. The Broncos have now outscored opponents 151-80 in the second half of games this season.
It was over when:Moreno scored his final touchdown of the day on a 3-yard plunge with 9:09 remaining. The score was set up by a Kayvon Webster interception, followed by a 31-yard strike from quarterback Peyton Manning to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, moving the Broncos deep into Jaguars territory.
Key performer:When Moreno touched the ball in the red zone on Sunday, he made it count. The running back scored on three of his 15 carries, finding the end zone on runs of 1, 8 and 3 yards. He also chipped in 62 receiving yards on seven catches, including a key 28-yard catch-and-run on third-and-20 on the Broncos' opening drive, keeping the offense on the field and leading to Manning's 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end Julius Thomas.
What's next:The Broncos travel to Indianapolis for a Sunday-night showdown with the 4-2 Colts, who lost 19-9 at San Diego on Monday night.
Between the hash marks:
-Manning threw two touchdown passes on Sunday, bringing his total to 22 on the season – it's the most prolific start through six games in NFL history (Tom Brady's 21 in 2007 was the previous high total), and Manning moved past Dan Marino into second place all-time with his 204th career game with at least one touchdown pass. Manning's 92.9 quarterback rating pushed his NFL-record streak to 18 consecutive regular season games with a QB rating of 90.0 or above.
-Malik Jackson's two sacks and three tackles for a loss were career bests – after registering just five tackles as a rookie in 2012, Jackson has posted 13 tackles and 3.5 sacks so far this season.
