Broncos Eye AFC West Crown, Chiefs’ Reign Nears Its End
Don’t look now, but the Denver Broncos are sitting in the AFC West driver’s seat-and they’re not just cruising, they’re flooring it.
At 10-2 heading into Week 14, Denver holds a commanding lead in the division and trails only the New England Patriots in the AFC playoff picture. With a matchup against the 2-10 Las Vegas Raiders on deck, win No. 11 feels like more of a formality than a fight-though, as always in the NFL, nothing’s guaranteed until the final whistle.
Still, it’s hard to ignore the writing on the wall: the Broncos are in position to snap the Kansas City Chiefs’ seven-year stranglehold on the AFC West. And with just five weeks to go, the math-and the momentum-are both working in Denver’s favor.
According to recent projections, the Broncos are expected to finish 13-4, with Kansas City landing at 10-7 and the Los Angeles Chargers close behind at 9-8. That would give Denver the division title outright-and possibly more, depending on how the top of the AFC shakes out.
Why Denver's in the Driver’s Seat
Even for those still hesitant to fully buy into Denver’s resurgence, the path is clear. The Broncos only have two more road games left, and based on how they’ve been executing-especially on defense and in the red zone-they don’t need to be perfect to close this out. They just need to stay the course.
The Chiefs, meanwhile, are still dangerous. As long as Patrick Mahomes is under center, Kansas City can’t be counted out.
But the margin for error is razor-thin now. Denver’s lead is significant enough that even a late-season surge from KC may not be enough to close the gap.
Then there are the Chargers. Jim Harbaugh’s squad looked promising early, but their schedule down the stretch is a gauntlet.
According to ESPN’s Football Power Index, they’ve got the toughest remaining schedule in the league. With injuries piling up and tougher opponents on the horizon, it’s hard to see them stringing together enough wins to make a serious push.
Finishing Strong Will Be Key
While Week 14 against the Raiders looks like a favorable spot, the Broncos’ final stretch isn’t exactly a cakewalk. After Vegas, they’ll face the Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, and the Chargers to close the season. That’s a four-game stretch loaded with playoff implications and potential pitfalls.
But if Sean Payton’s group can stay locked in, they’re well-positioned to do something no team has done since 2015-finish ahead of the Chiefs in the AFC West.
For a franchise that’s spent the better part of a decade looking up at Kansas City, this moment feels like a turning point. The Broncos aren’t just in the mix-they’re controlling it.
And if they keep this up, the AFC West crown won’t be up for debate much longer.