The State of the AFC West
By Zachary Smith
After Week 12, the playoff race is heating up across the NFL. The AFC West currently has two teams in position to make the playoffs, while two other teams will be playing spoiler down the stretch.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs sit atop the AFC West with a 10-1 record. (Mark LoMoglio/AP)
After beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27-24 and the Raiders losing to the Falcons, the Chiefs have all but clinched their 5th straight division title. Mahomes lit up the Bucs with a 462-yard, three-touchdown performance, while Tyreek Hill caught 13 balls for 269 yards and three touchdowns.
The Chiefs have one more major challenge on their schedule in the New Orleans Saints. The Saints defense has played at a high level this season and Drew Brees should be back by then, so this game has potential to be a game of the year candidate. Outside of this, the Chiefs have games against the Broncos, Dolphins, Falcons, and Chargers that can determine if they will go into the playoffs as the 1st or 2nd seed.
Patrick Mahomes has played at a high level again and is looking to win his 2nd MVP in three years. If he continues playing at this level, the Chiefs have a great chance of repeating as Super Bowl Champions.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders currently sit in 2nd place with a 6-5 record. (John Bazemore/AP)
Coming off an embarrassing 43-6 loss to the Falcons, the Raiders have a game against the 0-11 Jets before a critical matchup against the Colts. Due to how close the playoff race is in the AFC, all games from here on out are must win for Las Vegas. The matchups down the stretch against the Colts (7-4) and the Dolphins (7-4) will have huge playoff implications.
The Raiders have one of the easiest schedules in the NFL from here on out, so they must convert on these favorable matchups. With only two of their remaining five games coming against teams with winning records, this is their chance to clinch their 2nd playoff berth since 2002.
Derek Carr and the offense have played at a high level for most of this season, they must continue that in order to carry this team into the playoffs.
Denver Broncos
The Broncos are in 3rd place with a 4-7 record. (USA TODAY Sports)
During a week where COVID-19 hit every quarterback on their roster, the Broncos were forced to start a wide receiver from the practice squad: Kendall Hinton. The results were as expected, and the Broncos were dominated 31-3 by the Saints.
Sitting at 4-7 currently, the Broncos’ chances of making the playoffs are all but gone. However, with games against the Chiefs, Bills, and Raiders coming up, they have a chance to play spoiler. For the Chiefs, if they managed to somehow pull off the massive upset, they could put a huge dent in their quest for the #1 seed. In the case of the Bills and Raiders, they can potentially be a reason that the Bills drop in the standings, or potentially miss the playoffs due to their Week 17 matchup with Las Vegas that could determine if they make the playoffs.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers are currently in last place with a 3-8 record. (Adrian Kraus/AP)
Led by Justin Herbert, the Chargers season has been highlighted by heartbreak. Every loss the Chargers have suffered this season has been by single digits, except for their 10 point loss to the Bills in Week 12. If a couple of plays go their way, the Chargers record could be flipped.
Even though their 3-8 record seems bad, teams better not overlook them, because they are dangerous. The Chargers will not make the playoffs this season, but they can have a huge impact on the playoff standings down the stretch. With games against the Raiders and Chiefs, the Chargers have a chance to affect those two teams' seedings, which also depends on if the Raiders make the playoffs at all. They will have to bring their A game because a win over any of those teams could affect them greatly come January.
Zachary is a sports writer for La Tonique.
