Raiders Have Best Shot of Dethroning AFC West Champs

The Kansas City Chiefs have won the AFC West eight consecutive seasons. However, the Las Vegas Raiders have the best chance of any team in the division of dethroning the champs.

Dec 25, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) / Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The defending Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, have won the AFC West for the last eight seasons. As reigning back-to-back league champions, it seems the Chiefs cannot be stopped inside the division or out. However, it is the National Football League, and anything can happen on any Sunday.

The Chiefs are, frankly, a well-oiled machine, which is what the Las Vegas Raiders hope to become in this new era of Raiders football. Kansas City was once a storied NFL franchise with a long drought between Super Bowl victories before trading up for quarterback Patrick Mahomes changed their fortunes and the fortunes of those competing with them, especially within the AFC West.

The Chiefs have not looked back since Mahomes became the their starter. The rest of the AFC West has been playing catch-up ever since. During the time the Chiefs rattled off eight straight division titles, the Raiders have had multiple starting quarterbacks and could potentially have another if Gardner Minshew beats out Aidan O'Connell for the starting position this offseason.

The Raiders have almost an entirely new coaching staff. The coaches who remain on the team from the previous regime, mainly Coach Antonio Pierce and Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham, have shown the ability to get the most out of an upstart defense. With new General Manager Tom Telesco, who has already spent many years in the division, continuing to add to the roster, the Raiders are in a good position.

Telesco's knowledge of the inner workings of the Chargers' roster, at least for the next couple of seasons, automatically gives the Raiders the upper hand over Los Angeles within the division. Not to mention, the Raiders have a better roster from top to bottom than the Chargers.

The Broncos are currently in a complete rebuild and have yet to find a legitimate quarterback. Although the Raiders have a quarterback competition this season between O'Connell, Minshew, and a quarterback that should be added in the future, they are also a better team than the Broncos.

As the Raiders build out their roster over this season and the next few seasons, they hope to assemble a team that can give the Chiefs a run for their money within the division. As their Christmas Day victory over Kansas City last season proved, the Raiders are not that far off.

The NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Mich., on April 25-27, 2024. The Las Vegas Raiders currently have the No. 13 overall pick.

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