The AFC West has a new look this season - and for the first time in a long time, it doesn’t run through Kansas City.
After the Chiefs fell to the Texans last night, they dropped to 6-7 on the year. That’s not just a bad loss - it’s a sign of a team that’s slipping at the wrong time. With the Raiders already out of the playoff picture at 2-11, the AFC West has officially turned into a two-team race between the Denver Broncos and the Los Angeles Chargers.
Let’s start with the Broncos. At 11-2, they’ve put together one of the best records in the AFC - tied for the top spot, in fact.
But this isn’t a dominant 11-2. There have been questions all season about how sustainable their success really is.
A handful of their wins have come by razor-thin margins, and while winning close games is a skill, it’s also a formula that can flip fast if the ball bounces the other way. This is a good team, no doubt.
But they’ve looked beatable.
That’s what makes the Chargers’ position so interesting. Sitting at 8-4 heading into a primetime showdown with the Eagles, they’ve got a real shot to make a statement. A win tonight would bump them to 9-4 - not enough to take over the division lead just yet, but more than enough to keep pace and stay in the thick of the AFC playoff hunt.
And let’s be honest - while a wildcard berth is nice, the Chargers would much rather take the division crown. That means no road trip in the first round, no facing a top seed right out of the gate.
It means control. And in a division that, for years, has been owned by the Chiefs, that control finally feels up for grabs.
This version of the Broncos isn’t the juggernaut we’ve seen from Kansas City in seasons past. Yes, they’re winning - but they’re also walking a tightrope. If the Chargers can string together wins down the stretch and the Broncos stumble even once or twice, the door swings wide open.
So as the Chargers prepare to face a tough Eagles team tonight, the stakes are clear. This isn’t just about playoff positioning - it’s about taking advantage of a rare opportunity in the AFC West.
For the first time in years, this division feels wide open. And right now, it’s a two-team sprint to the finish.