With two weeks of the 2025 NFL season behind us, the AFC West is one of the most interesting divisions in football for several reasons. With the defending conference champions and modern dynasty Chiefs sitting in the basement of the division, nothing in the AFC West currently sits at the status quo.
Beyond the Chiefs, the Geno Smith / Pete Carroll experiment in Las Vegas is off to a rocky start as Smith threw three interceptions and did not score in a loss to the Chargers on Monday Night Football. On the other side of the ball was the Chargers, who seem to be arguably the most complete team in the conference through two weeks, and are in a prime position to be the team to dethrone Kansas City atop the division.
Finally, there is the 1-1 Broncos, who could easily be 0-2 or 2-0. Denver's first game against the Titans can be characterized as a poorly played win, and one could argue their loss over the Colts was a well-played loss.
AFC West Power Rankings after Week 2
1) Los Angeles Chargers
Being that the Chargers are the only 2-0 team in the division, they get this spot by default. Justin Herbert is once again showing that he is one of the best in the NFL, Ladd McConkey is becoming one of the premier wideouts in football, but their rushing attack appears to be suspect, considering Herbert was the only Charger to crack 30 yards on Monday night.
2) Denver Broncos
The Broncos have turned in the best performances of the 1-1 teams so far, so they grab the second spot. Bo Nix looked much better in Week 2 compared to Week 1, but the defense looked much worse in Week 2 compared to Week 1. Overall, the Broncos look the part of a contender, and have done what most fringe contenders need to do: Win at home, remain competitive on the road.
3) Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs get the benefit of the doubt over the Raiders, mostly considering Patrick Mahomes looks phenomenal and they've played two very good teams to start the year. The issue, however, is that their skill group on offense is clearly one of the worst in football, and there isn't much reason for hope that it will get better. Their margin of victory over the Giants this week should be a good barometer for how real their flaws are.
4) Las Vegas Raiders
Geno Smith looked terrible on Monday night, and Las Vegas just inked him to a new deal this spring. John Spytek made the bold choice to try to reassemble a Seahawks team led by Smith and Pete Carroll that made the playoffs only two of five seasons, didn't win a game when they got there, and peaked in year one with a 12-4 record that they never got close to again. Ashton Jeanty has totaled 81 yards on 31 carries through two NFL games and has seemed awful in pass protection.