The AFC West standings are beginning to take their final form as some teams are enjoying a good season while others are in the toilet already. The division is not nearly as lethal as many thought it would be. Each team arguably has a glaring weakness, but at least three of them do.
Week seven saw two AFC West teams win and two of them lose. The Chiefs won in typical fashion, putting up a billion points. The Raiders also won their most recent game, while the Chargers and Broncos, two teams horribly bitten by the injury bug, lost in week seven.
As we head to week eight, the Chargers and Chiefs head into their bye weeks. The Raiders just had theirs and the Broncos will have theirs after Sunday.
What do the AFC West standings look like after week seven?
AFC West standings after week seven
1. Kansas City Chiefs (5-2)
The Chiefs appear to have not skipped a beat after losing Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins. The team put up over 40 points against a stingy 49ers defense. Everything is working for them and everything has worked for them for years.
I do think they are a clear second to Buffalo but are a shoo-in for the conference championship again in all likelihood.
2. Los Angeles Chargers (4-3)
The Chargers are 4-3, and after all of the injuries they have gone through, that might be one of the stories of the season. Rashawn Slater and JC Jackson are out for the year. Mike Williams is set to miss a bunch of time, and Joey Bosa won’t return until later in the season.
The Chargers are currently in a playoff spot but it’s clear that injuries and coaching are their biggest issue, so I’m not sure a 9-8 finish, for example, will be good enough to keep the current structure in place.
3. Las Vegas Raiders (2-4)
The Raiders came off their bye and have found their identity. Their offense runs through Josh Jacobs, who is on a tear right now. It’s a scary sight since they have Darren Waller, Hunter Renfrow, and Davante Adams in the passing game.
The defense played well in their week seven win against the Texans and things appear to be pointing up for Vegas. We’ll see if they can keep this up against the Saints.
4. Denver Broncos (2-5)
Another year, another installment of bad Denver Broncos’ offensive football. It’s beyond nauseating. Nathaniel Hackett needs to go and the Broncos need to get a legitimate coach to right the ship.
4 Bradley Chubb trade destinations if Broncos lose to Jaguars
The Denver Broncos could trade Bradley Chubb if they lose to the Jaguars on Sunday morning. Who could make a deal for him?
Four straight losses have all but put a dagger in their season, and a loss against the Jaguars might put a dagger in Hackett’s tenure in Denver.