The AFC West Is A Crazy 3 Team Race!

The case for them is simple. Can the greatness of Justin Herbert overcome the plethora of injuries Los Angeles has sustained? So far, they have lost Najee Harris for the season and have had numerous defensive players in and out of the lineup, most notably Khalil Mack and Derwin James.

The Chargers have sustained some injuries in their offensive line, which has led to Herbert getting sacked 22 times in eight games. He has also been hit an additional 60+ times. For them, the key is the health of tackle Joe Alt.

Los Angeles can impose their will on the ground with Alt. That is going to have to be their formula for the rest of the season. Dropping Herbert back 40+ times a game is a disaster waiting to happen.

The Chargers are 12th in rushing offense. They will need to be in the top eight to make some real noise. If they can get a consistent ground game, that will give Herbert more time in the pocket, and we all know how much damage he can do when he has time.

Just look at the game against the Minnesota Vikings last Thursday. That game is what Los Angeles should try to duplicate moving forward.

Denver Broncos

The key to the Denver Broncos winning the AFC West rides on their defense. The defense is top five in basically every major statistical category. As we saw in the Super Bowl, there is no counter for a good pass rush, and Denver right now leads the league with 36.

The Broncos do a great job dominating the trenches on both sides. While having the most sacks, they’ve only given up eight on offense. That is the biggest discrepancy in sacks through the first eight games in NFL history.

Denver now has a legit run game. This was something they were severely lacking in 2024. In 2025, they are ranked third in yards per game with 137.8

With Bo Nix improving with the season going along, they are a real threat not just in the AFC West but in the conference. Nix, in the last five quarters, has eight total touchdowns. He has been much better after his slow weeks 1-3.

If Nix’s play trends in the same direction as it is right now, good luck to the rest of the division.

Kansas City Chiefs

The case for Kansas City to win the AFC West is not over. Many, including myself, thought they were going to have a down year in 2025 after starting 0-2 and looking very poor in week three against the New York Giants.

That all changed, however, after the Chiefs’ dominant win over the Baltimore Ravens in week four. They won 37-20 with Mahomes throwing four touchdowns. Since the beginning of the Ravens game, he has thrown for 14 touchdowns and three interceptions and run in for a couple more.

Mahomes is back, and they have a legit wide receiver core again with Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, and Hollywood Brown. Travis Kelce looks rejuvenated and had his best game this season against the Washington Commanders, nearing 100 yards and scoring a touchdown.

The scariest aspect of Kansas City is its defense. They had one bad game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday Night, but other than that, they have been incredible. In their last two games, they have given up just seven total points.

Mahomes and the offense appear to be back to form after a few years, and now they have an elite defense to complement it. That is terrifying.

End Of My AFC West Rant

The AFC West has a case for having three of the five best teams in the conference. All three of these teams have a legit chance of playing in the AFC Championship game.

Will the Chiefs’ dynasty continue to assert its dominance and win the division for the 10th straight year? Will the Bolts finally break through and take it from them? Or will the comeback kids from Colorado have other plans?

Better luck next year to the Las Vegas Raiders.