Are the Chargers at the Top of the AFC?

Holistically, the Chargers’ defense has a strong case as one of the best in football. What Jesse Minter has done to transform this group is remarkable. The unit is playing as cohesively and seamlessly as any contending team.

The Bolts held the Chiefs to 5-for-14 on third downs and just 3.2 yards per carry. They also intercepted Geno Smith three times. Across both games, they totaled six sacks for a loss of 44 yards.

Against the Raiders, the defense stayed in a two-high shell for most of the night. The Raiders tried to run the ball with little success, and when they looked deep, their receivers were completely locked down. They were shakier against the Chiefs, struggling to contain Patrick Mahomes in the pocket and giving up a few deep shots. Even so, their ability to close the game in a tough Week 1 matchup cannot be overstated.

Joe Alt is a Future HOF Tackle

The absence of Rashawn Slater was undoubtedly a significant blow to the Chargers’ preseason optimism. Fortunately, the offensive line has performed far better than most expected.

Joe Alt has stepped in at left tackle for Slater and somehow looks even better than he did during his stellar rookie year. Through his first two seasons, Alt has faced the likes of Chris Jones and Maxx Crosby three times, yet he already carries himself like a future Hall of Famer regardless of who lines up across from him. He earned a 91.4 pass-blocking grade against the Chiefs and did not allow a single pressure in either game.

What’s just as encouraging is how the rest of the line has held their own, giving Justin Herbert the cleanest pocket he’s had in years. They’re not perfect, but they’re far from a liability—and that stability has elevated the entire offense.

Is Herbert a Top-3 QB?

Justin Herbert has been the driving force behind the Chargers’ offense. Against the Chiefs, he delivered lasers under pressure; against the Raiders, he threw a 60-yard touchdown to Quentin Johnston and made several high-stress reads look effortless.

While last season’s playoff loss to the Texans drew heavy criticism, Herbert has been consistently elite since entering the league, and the Texans’ narrative was blown far out of proportion.

Through two games, he has thrown for 560 yards with five touchdowns and zero interceptions, posting a 127.8 passer rating.

By every measure, Herbert is playing like a top-three quarterback. His accuracy, decision-making, and ability to elevate those around him are key reasons the Chargers’ offense is firing on all cylinders.

Control Over the AFC West?

The Chargers opening the season with three straight divisional games means they’re just one win away from cementing themselves at the top—at least for now.

The Chiefs have dug themselves a tough hole, already dropping a game to the Chargers and then the Eagles. The Raiders’ only win came against a bottom-tier Patriots team, and their one-dimensional offense has already shown cracks under modest pressure.

The Broncos beat the Titans in Week 1 and fell to the Colts in Week 2, both in close fashion. But the box scores don’t capture just how little the Broncos are generating offensively. There’s a glaring lack of cohesion across the offense, and Bo Nix has begun to slip into the infamous sophomore slump. If not for their top-five defense, which hasn’t fully lived up to that billing, the Broncos would already be a non-factor.

The Chiefs still have two constants that are impossible to overlook: Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid. That said, their defense isn’t what it was in 2024, and their offense revolves almost entirely around one game-changer—their quarterback—who also happens to be their leading rusher.

The absences of Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy have clearly hurt them, and their eventual return should reignite some of the missing spark. Still, dynasties don’t last forever, and if Super Bowl LIX proved anything, it’s that the Chiefs struggle against teams with enough star power to match or surpass their shrinking core of superstars.

How Many Contenders Are There?

Across the rest of the AFC, the real competition may come from the Bills, Ravens, and, surprisingly, the Colts.

Of those three, the Bills are the only team that looks just as complete, or perhaps even more so, than the Chargers. The Ravens have historically unraveled in key moments. At the same time, the Colts remain an anomaly, one that requires more dominant performances to be taken seriously as a contender (though their zero punts in the first two weeks might suggest otherwise). The Bengals also opened 2-0, but with Joe Burrow sidelined for three months, it’s hard to view them as legitimate contenders for now.

Even with just two games in the books, the Chargers’ future already looks far brighter than many (Chargers fans included) initially gave them credit for. The defense has firmly established itself as one of the league’s best. Herbert is playing at an MVP-caliber level. There is profound depth at receiver.

Looking ahead, the challenge is simply getting over the hump and proving they can go toe-to-toe with the league’s other elite teams, a test they already seem capable of passing.