AFC West Power Rankings: Where do the Broncos stand after Week 5 victory?

Week 5 of the 2024 NFL Season is officially in the books, so let's roll out our latest AFC West power rankings. The Denver Broncos have to be feeling good after winning their third game in a row and after seeing Bo Nix play the best game of his NFL career.

Nix threw two touchdowns and ran for another in his first career three-touchdown game. Denver blew out the Las Vegas Raiders in what turned into one of the best wins since Sean Payton took over as the team's head coach beginning in 2023.

The AFC West is beginning to take shape after five weeks. Let's dive into the AFC West power rankings following Week 5.

AFC West Power Rankings: Where do the Broncos stand after Week 5 victory?
4. Las Vegas Raiders (2-3)

I mean, you just have to laugh at this point. I am not sure there are many teams in the NFL who have less going for them than the Las Vegas Raiders, who are likely about to trade WR Davante Adams and who also got blown out by the Denver Broncos in Week 5. The Raiders got out to an early 10-point lead before Patrick Surtain II took the game into his own hands.

Head coach Antonio Pierce appears to be in way over his head, and the QB situation is just dreadful. I am not sure how the Raiders win more than a few more games the rest of the way, which would set them up to reset at QB in the 2025 NFL Draft.

3. Los Angeles Chargers (2-2)

The Los Angeles Chargers lost two games in a row heading into their Week 5 bye. The bye was definitely needed to help LA regain their footing and get healthier. This team lacks notable talent on both sides of the ball but are well-coached enough to win eight-ish games in the 2024 NFL Season.

Oddly enough, Justin Herbert has not thrown for 200 yards yet in a game, so that's interesting to say the least. The Chargers aren't a playoff team and don't have high-end talent on offense to scare opposing defenses. It's not crazy to think that the Denver Broncos can sweep the LA Chargers for the second year in a row.

They play each other in Denver in Week 6.

2. Denver Broncos (3-2)

The Denver Broncos have a lot going for them. They have a +23 point differential and the 2nd-ranked scoring defense in the NFL. They've got three players with at least 100 rushing yards and four players with at least 130 receiving yards. The defense has notched a whopping 19 sacks and 41 QB hits on the season.

The team is riding a three-game winning streak as well that has seen their rookie QB not throw an interception and has greatly improved his efficiency overall. The Broncos are building something here and could continue their win streak in Week 6 when they host the LA Chargers, a talentless team coming off of their bye week.

1. Kansas City Chiefs (5-0)

The Kansas City Chiefs really do not feel like a 5-0 team at all if you ask me. Their scoring offense ranks 14th in the NFL, putting up 23.6 points per game. Patrick Mahomes has thrown six touchdowns against six interceptions for a pretty poor 88.9 passer rating.

The defense has just nine sacks on the season, which puts them on pace for only 31 on the year, and their top two receivers are out for the year in Hollywood Brown and Rashee Rice. They also have a +33 point differential.

I mean yeah, the Chiefs are good, but I'm not sure they're close to being great. They lack the juice on offense they once had, and Patrick Mahomes is just not taking good care of the football. There are multiple teams in the AFC who are currently better than the Chiefs, record aside.