AFC West Roundup: Broncos Keep Rolling, Chargers Rally, and Raiders Keep Searching
Broncos: Winning Streak Hits 11, But They’re Still Not Satisfied
The Denver Broncos are officially the hottest team in football. After knocking off the Packers 34-26 in Week 15, they’ve now rattled off 11 straight wins - and yet, if you ask cornerback Patrick Surtain II, they’re still far from their ceiling.
“It means a lot,” Surtain said after the game. “We just kept talking about it the whole week, how big of a game this was. We always say we’re going to play in bigger and bigger games down the stretch.”
And that’s the key - this team isn’t just stacking wins, they’re building toward something. Surtain’s comments reflect a locker room that knows it hasn’t peaked yet.
That’s a scary thought for the rest of the league. Denver is playing with confidence, but not complacency.
They’re winning, but they’re still hungry. That’s the kind of mindset that makes a contender truly dangerous in December and beyond.
“We’re not a finished product at all,” Surtain added. “We’ve still got a lot more work to do. And that’s the scary part about it.”
Denver’s defense continues to make timely stops, and the offense is finding rhythm and balance. If they clean up the details - and Surtain seems to think they will - this team isn’t just a playoff threat. They’re a problem for anyone in their path.
Chargers: Second-Half Surge Stuns Chiefs
Down 13-3 at halftime against the Chiefs, the Chargers looked like they were headed for another frustrating loss. But something clicked in that locker room, and what followed was arguably their most complete half of football all season.
“It felt like we were going to have to play our best game,” head coach Jim Harbaugh said. “At halftime, that’s what we said - ‘Let’s go play our best half of football of the season.’ And our guys did.”
They absolutely did. The offense came alive, the defense tightened up, and the Chargers clawed back to take down Kansas City in a gutsy, statement-making win.
It wasn’t just about execution - it was about resilience. They beat the Chiefs, they beat the crowd, and they beat the elements.
“To beat the other team, but beat the crowd… had some elements, got to beat the elements, too. It makes you feel like a man,” Harbaugh said. “Really proud of our team.”
This was the kind of win that can galvanize a group. The Chargers haven’t always been consistent this season, but if they can bottle up that second-half energy, they’ve got enough talent to make a late-season push.
Raiders: Skid Continues, But Carroll Isn’t Pointing Fingers
It’s been a rough stretch in Las Vegas. The Raiders dropped their eighth straight game in Week 15, and for the second time during that streak, they were shut out. It’s the kind of slump that could derail a team’s morale - but head coach Pete Carroll isn’t letting that happen.
“There’s so much pressure that comes right from here,” Carroll said, pointing to himself. “Nobody can pressure me more than myself. My expectations and the standards that I’ve lived by and worked by are so high that they’re almost impossible to meet.”
That internal drive has defined Carroll’s coaching career, and it’s clear he’s still holding himself - and his team - to that same standard, even in the face of mounting losses.
Despite another disappointing performance, Carroll doesn’t believe the team has checked out. He credits the opponent - a “very well-loaded team” - for simply taking control of the game.
“They just did their thing today, on both sides of the ball,” Carroll said. “We couldn’t stop their offense and get off the field on third down. A couple penalties got in our way, and they were able to do what they needed to do.”
Carroll didn’t sugarcoat the issues. The Raiders struggled to move the ball, couldn’t convert on third down, and were outmatched in every phase. But he also didn’t frame it as a team giving up - just one that got beat by a better squad on the day.
“I don’t think it’s some big psychic change that took place,” he said. “I think we just got whipped.”
It’s a tough pill to swallow, but Carroll’s message is clear: the standard remains, even in tough times. Whether the Raiders can stop the slide remains to be seen, but their coach isn’t going to let the locker room lose its edge.
Bottom Line:
The AFC West remains one of the league’s most intriguing divisions.
The Broncos are surging with purpose, the Chargers just pulled off a season-defining comeback, and the Raiders - while still reeling - are trying to hold the line. With just a few weeks left in the regular season, every snap matters.
And in this division, nothing’s settled yet.