State of the AFC West at the Halfway Point

It's time to look across the AFC West with nearly half of the season in the books.

Oct 13, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) calls out in the second quarter against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The second month of the NFL regular season is in the books. The Denver Broncos stand at 5-3.

The Broncos defense has been outstanding, holding its October opponents to 16 points per game. The offense has found a groove, especially quarterback Bo Nix, the NFL's best statistical rookie signal-caller of October, with nine total touchdowns and 870 passing yards.

The rest of the AFC West has had its hardships and triumphs through October, but the division crown is still within reach going into November. Let’s take a look around the AFC West to get an outlook on the Broncos' fiercest rivals moving forward.

Kansas City Chiefs | 7-0

The Chiefs are undefeated through two months of football, mainly due to their defense dissecting every offense they’ve faced. Obviously, Patrick Mahomes will get all the love, but he’s become a turnover machine this year and has been bailed out by his defense time and time again.

A lack of pass-catching talent notwithstanding, Mahomes has thrown some questionable interceptions, but thanks to the defensive dominance, he doesn't have to be great all the time for the Chiefs to win games.

Kansas City's next four games are against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Broncos, Buffalo Bills, and Carolina Panthers. The Bills and Broncos threaten Kansas City's undefeated record, but the Bucs and Panthers are lay-ups, so it wouldn’t be shocking to see the Chiefs come out of November with a 3-1 record.

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Los Angeles Chargers | 4-3

The Chargers have also been solid defensively, as none of their October opponents scored more than 17 points. The Broncos and New Orleans Saints offenses were rendered useless in their respective matchups and should continue to be a problem for any opposing offense going forward.

The L.A. offense, however, has been very inconsistent, as their receiving core is holding them back quite a bit. Outside of rookie wideout Ladd McConkey, the rest of the Chargers pass-catchers can’t seem to find a groove. .

It wouldn’t be shocking to see the Chargers trade for a receiver to give them a boost in the passing game. L.A.'s next four games are against the Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, Cincinnati Bengals, and Baltimore Ravens, which is a mixed bag in terms of difficulty.

If Justin Herbert can stay healthy, this squad should be able to bring in a 2-2 record, but the Chargers' inconsistency on offense may be their downfall.

Las Vegas Raiders | 2-6

The Raiders are one of the worst coached and managed teams in the NFL today, and if it weren’t for the Panthers, they’d easily be at the bottom of the barrel. Neither quarterback is inspiring, as Gardner Minshew and Aiden O’Connell are backups at best, and their play has proven that.

The Raiders traded away Davante Adams so he could be miserable in New York instead of in Vegas, leaving rookie tight end Brock Bowers as the lone bright spot on offense. The Raiders are sorely missing Josh Jacobs in the run game, and their offensive line has been banged up all year, making it hard for any rusher to gain ground.

Looking ahead, Vegas faces the Bengals, Miami Dolphins, Broncos, and Chiefs, and honestly, they might suffer through a winless November. 

The Takeaway

The Broncos have a tough schedule ahead, facing the Ravens and Chiefs on the road, but those games are an opportunity to set themselves apart from their counterpart teams of the last several years.

The Broncos defense is stout, and Nix and the offense are starting to figure things out, making them a dangerous foe going forward. November will decide whether the Broncos are genuine contenders or just the pretenders they’ve been for the past eight years. 

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