Of all the divisions in the NFL, none of them have been more one-sided in recent years than the AFC West. If you want to know “How the West Was Won,” I have three words for you: Kansas City Chiefs. They have been division champions every year since 2016. The last time someone else won was the Denver Broncos in 2015 and Peyton Manning was the quarterback.
The Broncos won five straight AFC West titles from 2011 to 2015. The Los Angeles Chargers haven’t won the division since 2009, but they did win four straight from 2006 to 2009. Then there are the Las Vegas Raiders. They haven’t won the division since 2002. Their quarterback that year was Rich Gannon, who is now 58 years old. Things are not going to change for the Silver and Black anytime soon, but more on that later in the article.
Chiefs In First Again
Like my previous three Midseason AFC Division Breakdowns, we start with the division leader. The Chiefs have won eight straight division titles and two straight Super Bowls. They are the only undefeated team and have a two-and-a-half-game lead in the division. Once again they are one of the best teams in the NFL and a Super Bowl contender.
Despite being undefeated, they certainly haven’t been dominant. Five of their seven wins are by one score. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes is having the worst statistical season of his career. The offense is not the same after receiver Rasheed Rice’s knee injury. The Chiefs did just trade for veteran DeAndre Hopkins to add some WR depth.
The Chiefs are no longer an explosive offensive team as in years past. Travis Kelce is still a great tight end but not as dominant as he once was. Taylor Swift might disagree with me on that one. The Chiefs continue to win by playing good defense and making plays when they count. As long as Mahomes stays healthy, I expect them to run away with the division once again.
Surprise Team in Second
The Denver Broncos have quietly won five of their last six games and are in second place in the division. They have to be one of the more surprising teams in the NFL. The Broncos are winning with a rookie starting quarterback and not a lot of weapons on offense. Bo Nix has not made a lot of mistakes like most rookie quarterbacks, and it has helped them win some close games.
Where the Broncos have excelled is on defense. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has them third in the NFL in points and yards allowed per game. They were able to hold the Buccaneers and Jets to seven and nine points respectively. Those defensive performances helped the Broncos pull off two road upsets.
Broncos fans have to be pleased with the 5-3 start. However, the schedule is not going to be easy in November. They are on the road against the Ravens and the Chiefs the next two weeks. Then. they have the Falcons at home. Those teams are a combined 17-6. The 5-3 record could easily turn into 5-6. But veteran head coach Sean Payton has done a terrific job this season. I wouldn’t count the Broncos out in any of those games with him leading the team. He deserves a ton of credit and should be a Coach of the Year candidate.
Jim Harbugh’s Team in Third
The third-place Chargers are pretty easy to figure out. They are 3-0 against teams with losing records and 1-3 against teams .500 or better. New Head Coach Jim Harbaugh likes to run the ball and play defense. The good news is they are 1st in the NFL in points per game allowed. The bad news is they are 23rd in points scored per game.
When the Chargers score 20 points in a game they are 4-0. When they score fewer than 20, they are 0-3. So it’s pretty simple. If they score 20 points, they win. If they don’t, they lose. The defense has done their job. The offense needs to step up.
Quarterback Justin Herbert looks like he is finally healthy. I lost count of how many injuries that guy has had in his career. Rookie right tackle Joe Alt is off to a great start and has helped a much-improved offensive line. Fellow rookie Ladd McConkey looks like a second-round steal and leads the team in receiving. If the offense continues to improve, the Chargers could move up in the division standings. I expect them to move into second place by the end of the season.
Last Place Raiders
Finally, we have the Las Vegas Raiders. It has been a rough 20 years for the franchise. They have only made the playoffs twice during that stretch. The last time they won a playoff game the #1 movie in America was Spider-Man. And we are not talking about the Tom Holland or even Andrew Garfield versions of the character. We are talking about Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man.
It’s not been much better this year as they are last in the division. Despite beating the Ravens on the road in Week 2, the Raiders record stands at 2-6. They have already given up on the season by trading away their top receiver, Davante Adams. The Raiders aren’t doing much on offense and quarterbacks Aidan O’Connell and Garder Minshew aren’t the answer.
There is one silver lining to the season. First-round pick Brock Bowers looks like a home run selection. He is already the best young tight end in the game. Some of the teams picking ahead of the Raiders may be kicking themselves for years to come.
General Manager Tom Telesco is in his first year with the Raiders and his task is to turn the Raiders into a contender again. The first step will be finding a franchise quarterback, something the Raiders have struggled to do. Finding one of those can completely change your franchise. Just look at Houston and Washington.
Final Thoughts
The Chiefs have been in control of this division for a while now. They aren’t prepared to give it up anytime soon. The Broncos and Chargers have improved from last year and with a strong offseason, they could put an end to the Chief’s dominance. The Raiders are further behind, but they have nowhere to go but up, right?
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