What a year it’s been in the AFC West. Three powerhouse teams are dueling it out for the No. 1 spot in the division while the San Diego Chargers are still searching for answers.
At the moment, to many fans surprise, the Oakland Raiders are in first place in the division with an 8-2 record. Jack Del Rio’s squad got an impressive victory over the Houston Texans on Monday Night Football in Mexico City, and they are on pace to make the postseason for the first time since the 2002-03 season when they made it to the Super Bowl.
But winning this division won’t be easy. Sitting right behind the Raiders are the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos, who are each 7-3. The Chiefs, who are coming off a disappointing loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, currently hold the No. 2 spot in the AFC West over the Broncos despite the fact that these two teams have yet to play one another. The reason for this is because the Chiefs have a superior divisional record.
The Chiefs are 2-0 against AFC West teams with wins over the Chargers and Raiders while the Broncos are just 1-1 in the division. The Chiefs have yet to play the Broncos this season, but they face off next week and again in a critical Sunday Night matchup in Week 16.
It’s also important to note that the Raiders defeated the Broncos back in Week 9, which has been their only matchup thus far. The Raiders and Broncos will square off again in Week 17, the final week of the regular season.
The Broncos have won the AFC West five consecutive seasons.
The 4-6 Chargers have been the bottom dwellers of the division all season long, and unless they can pull off a miracle, and get some luck, they will miss the postseason for the sixth time in the last seven seasons.
AFC West Standings as of Week 11
1. Raiders: 8-2
2. Chiefs: 7-3
3. Broncos: 7-3
4. Chargers: 4-6
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