Kansas City Chiefs (9-0)
Week 9: Won 23-13 at Buffalo
How it happened:After falling behind 10-3 at the half at Ralph Wilson Stadium, the Chiefs' defense came through with a pair of second-half touchdowns that dramatically swung momentum in Kansas City's favor, ultimately preserving the Chiefs' unbeaten record. With the Bills knocking at the door of a two-touchdown lead early in the third quarter, Chiefs cornerback Sean Smith stepped in front of Bills quarterback Jeff Tuel's pass at the goal line and returned the interception 100 yards for a touchdown, knotting the score at 10. Later on, linebacker Tamba Hali scooped up a fumble by Buffalo wide receiver T.J. Graham and returned it 11 yards for a touchdown, giving the Chiefs a 20-13 lead with 12:47 to play that Kansas City would never relinquish.
It was over when:Tuel's pass on fourth-and-4 from the Kansas City 35-yard line fell incomplete in the game's final minute, ending all possibility of a Buffalo comeback.
Key performer:Smith's 100-yard interception return for a touchdown turned the game in Kansas City's favor, and the cornerback also defended two passes and made a pair of tackles.
What's next:Kansas City enters its bye week with the NFL's best record; the Chiefs will travel to Denver in Week 11 for an AFC West showdown on Sunday Night Football.
Between the hash marks:
-Despite allowing 470 yards of total offense, the Chiefs held the Bills to just 13 points – the fourth time this season Kansas City has allowed 13 or fewer points. Through nine games, Kansas City has conceded an NFL-best 12.3 points per game and no team has scored more than 17 on the Chiefs.
-The Chiefs defense and special teams have produced a combined seven touchdowns this season, with Hali scoring his second defensive touchdown of the season on Sunday.
Oakland Raiders (3-5)
Week 9: Lost 49-20 vs. Philadelphia
How it happened:The Raiders allowed seven touchdown passes to Eagles quarterback Nick Foles – who tied an NFL record that is shared by six other quarterbacks, including the Broncos' Peyton Manning. Philadelphia scored 21 consecutive points to open the second half, jumping out to a 49-13 lead with 4:28 to play in the third quarter.
It was over when:Foles tossed his record-tying seventh touchdown, a 5-yard strike to Eagles wide receiver Riley Cooper.
Key performer:The Raiders rolled up 210 yards on the ground, with running back Rashad Jennings leading the way. Jennings picked up 102 yards on 15 carries and scored on an 8-yard touchdown run midway through the second quarter.
What's next:The Raiders will look to rebound when they travel to MetLife Stadium for a date with the Giants (2-6) on Sunday. Oakland plays four of its next five games on the road.
Between the hash marks:
-Raiders quarterback Terrelle Pryor rushed for 94 yards before leaving the game with an injury midway through the fourth quarter. Pryor's 485 rushing yards on the season rank 16th in the NFL. -The Raiders have rushed for more than 100 yards as a team in all but one game – at Denver in Week 3.
San Diego Chargers
Week 9: Lost 30-24 (OT) at Washington
How it happened:In a back-and-forth afternoon of football at FedEx Field, the Chargers fought from behind on the road and rallied from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter. After Redskins kicker Kai Forbath put Washington up 24-14 with a 47-yard field goal with 6:59 to play, Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers and the San Diego offense answered promptly. Rivers drove the Chargers 77 yards by completing six passes, including a 16-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Keenan Allen that narrowed the score to 24-21 with 4:10 to play. After the Chargers defense stopped the Redskins on the ensuing possession, Rivers guided the Chargers 91 yards in the game's final 2:10 – he threw a 6-yard pass to running back Danny Woodhead that was initially ruled a touchdown but was overturned after review. Kicker Nick Novak tied the game with three seconds to play, sending the teams to overtime. Washington received the ball first and never gave it back, marching 78 yards for the game-winning touchdown.
It was over when:Washington fullback Darrel Young plunged into the end zone from 4 yards out in overtime, giving the Redskins the victory.
Key performer:Although Rivers tossed a second-quarter interception that was returned for a touchdown, the quarterback came through with the game on the line. Rivers completed 12 passes on the Chargers' final two drives in regulation, finishing the day by going 29-for-46 for 341 yards and two touchdowns, along with a pair of interceptions.
What's next:The Chargers host the Broncos on Sunday; it will be just the second division game that both teams have played this year.
Between the hash marks:
-Rivers' 2,473 passing yards this season rank sixth in the league – and the quarterback has thrown for 17 touchdowns against just seven interceptions. Rivers has been sacked only 12 times this year.
-Rookie wide receiver Keenan Allen turned in his third 100-yard receiving performance of the season, catching eight passes for 128 yards and a touchdown. After being targeted only four times in the Chargers' first two games of the season, Allen has averaged 99.4 receiving yards per game over San Diego's last five contests.
Denver Broncos (7-1)
Week 9: The Broncos had their bye week.
What's next:After a week off, the Broncos return to action on Sunday when they travel to San Diego.
Between the hash marks:
-After the first eight games, the Broncos offense leads the league in a number of categories, including yards per game (466.6), yards per play (6.6) and points per game (42.1). Not to be overlooked, however, is the offense's 50.5 percent conversion rate on third downs, which also is best in the NFL.
-The Broncos are the only team with three players who rank in the league's top 25 for receptions so far this year. Wide receiver Wes Welker is tied for seventh in the NFL with 50 catches, while wide receivers Demaryius Thomas (48 catches) and Eric Decker (46 catches) are tied for 13th and 18th, respectively.
