The Denver Broncos had an 11-game win streak at one point in the 2025 NFL Season, and Denver ended up positioning themselves so nicely that a late-season loss against the Jacksonville Jaguars actually didn't negatively impact Denver in the playoff push.
The Chargers rested many of their starters in Week 18, which allowed Denver to cruise to a victory in the second half. Now since on the bye, the Broncos sat back and watched the interesting AFC Wild Card Round thus far. With the Chargers' loss to the New England Patriots and the Buffalo Bills' win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Broncos are hosting the Bills in the Divisional Round.
It's the second year in a row Denver and Buffalo are meeting in the playoffs, but the Chargers' embarrassing loss to the Patriots only further proves how far ahead the Broncos are now in the AFC West.
Between the dysfunctional Chargers, directionless Chiefs, and sloppy Raiders...
Justin Herbert threw for 159 yards and led his team to three points in the Wild Card Round. The Chargers also allowed six sacks against a below-average Patriots pass rush, and despite resting a ton of starters in Week 18 to get prepared for the Wild Card Round, the Chargers got flat-out embarrassed.
This game was a total dud for LA, and it leaves them with a ton of questions, especially at two of the most important units in all of sports: the offensive line and quarterback. It's clear that Justin Herbert just can't play up to the high stakes in the playoffs, as he now has an 0-3 record and three atrocious performances.
The offensive line is also a mess, and it's clear that Chargers' GM Joe Hortiz isn't capable of fixing that unit. Overall, LA's roster just isn't that special, and we haven't even talked about the Kansas City Chiefs or Las Vegas Raiders, two teams with little direction and bad rosters.
The Chiefs won just six games in 2025 and might not have Patrick Mahomes back at full strength until the second or third month of the 2026 season, and the Raiders just can't even get their footing under them at all.
Taking a big picture look at the AFC West really proves how far ahead the Denver Broncos are. They should be able to again win this division in 2026 and could begin a nice run here while the other three teams try and catch up.