State of the AFC West

November football is set and the AFC West landscape is almost set in stone. The Denver Broncos are at the end of their bye and sit at 8-5, which didn’t seem possible given their limited offensive weapons, rookie quarterback and questionable decision to keep Vance Joseph as defensive coordinator.

But Denver defied all odds. The Kansas City Chiefs And Los Angeles Chargers did well while the Las Vegas Raiders drown in mediocrity once again for another season.

With the Broncos on the verge of a Week 14 bye, let’s take a step back and assess where their AFC West rivals stand one week into December.

The Chiefs are still in control of the division, beating the Raiders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers and Broncos in closely contested contests. However, the Chiefs suffered their first loss of the season against the Buffalo Bills, so they are effectively mortal.

However, they are not the Chiefs we are used to as they were not explosive offensively, even against the Panthers and Raiders who are terrible defensively. The Chiefs are clearly a very well-coached team with Andy Reid at the helm, but they can’t fly as close to the sun in the playoffs as they did in the regular season.

Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than to do good, and in some cases the windfall has been in Kansas City’s favor, but there’s no denying that the Chiefs are still a powerhouse with Patrick Mahomes and Reid leading the way .

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The Chargers came out of November with a record of 3-1. The only flaw was against the Baltimore Ravens, who won the Harbaugh Bowl again, but only by a single touchdown.

Justin Herbert continues to show that he is a top quarterback in the NFL while his pass catchers are still woefully inconsistent. The LA defense was absolutely spectacular, making life difficult for players like Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow.

The primetime slugfest between the Bengals and Chargers was unforgettable and showed how much Jim Harbaugh has turned this humble franchise around. The Chargers are in a perfect position for the playoffs, but the Chiefs, Broncos and Buccaneers will decide their seeding.

That’s especially true as the Chargers face the Chiefs on Sunday night in Arrowhead.

November looks like October, especially with the way the Raiders played. Just like last month, the Raiders were once again winless and lost in embarrassing fashion to the Chiefs and Broncos.

Starting quarterback Gardner Mishew suffered a season-ending collarbone injury against Denver, and his replacement, Aidan O’Connell, was equally miserable. Maxx Crosby was the Raiders’ lone bright spot, wreaking havoc on all opposing offenses, but he can’t win football games on his own.

While nothing is official, it’s safe to say that Las Vegas will be looking for a different head coach and quarterback in the offseason since it means losing another year.

The AFC West remains competitive for the Broncos, Chiefs and Chargers, all of whom could clinch their playoff spots in December. The division is as strong as ever, and this final month will test the spirit of each team.

This is the time of year when champions are made, and it will be exciting to see who rises and who is pushed out.

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