The Denver Broncos have now won two games in a row after their dramatic Week 3 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football. Denver now has a winning record to finish September for the first time in the Sean Payton era as well.
At 2-1, the Broncos have taken care of business at home both weeks and actually won't return home until October 15th, a Thursday Night Football game against the Seattle Seahawks. While it's early, the AFC is slowly beginning to take shape.
And yes, the Broncos are in third place in the AFC West technically, but it's clear that the Broncos are the best team in the division after Week 3. Let's dive into the latest AFC West power rankings.
The Denver Broncos take back the top spot in the AFC West, and here's why...
4. Los Angeles Chargers, 0-3
The Los Angeles Chargers had a fighting chance against the Buffalo Bills until they didn't. This team continues to churn out shaky performances and are now 0-3 on the year. We did just see a team, the 2025 Houston Texans, make the playoffs after starting the year 0-3, but the Chargers don't seem to have the personnel to make such a rebound.
And with the schedule only getting more intense, an 0-4 or 0-5 start is really not out of the realm of possibility. The Chargers are just a mess all over the place. The team is poorly coached, the players aren't good enough, and the quarteback isn't playing as well as he should be.
3. Las Vegas Raiders, 3-0
You might think I'm being unfair to rank the Las Vegas Raiders so low, but the AFC West does appear to again be a competitive division. The Raiders have earned wins over the Miami Dolphins, Chargers, and New Orleans Saints, not exactly a gauntlet to begin the year. Las Vegas will soon play Kansas City, New England, Buffalo, and the Rams in the coming weeks, so there could be a losing streak brewing.
The offense has played well, and the defense has stepped up thus far, but I am not sure this team has the overall roster ceiling to keep playing this well. Kirk Cousins has been largely excellent thus far, but he's a bit removed from his best years and doesn't consistently threaten downfield.
Listen, the Raiders have won their first three games, and that deserves a ton of praise, but I also believe it's not ridiculous to suggest that this team is still rather flawed overall.
2. Kansas City Chiefs, 3-0
How could I possibly put the Kansas City Chiefs above Denver in these power rankings, the Chiefs blew the Broncos out!
Well, in Weeks 2 and 3, the Chiefs needed an overtime game at home to defeat the shaky Indianapolis Colts, and weren't able to put the Dolphins away until the fourth quarter. Yes, the Chiefs are good, but quality of opponent matters.
Conversely, the Broncos have notched two outstanding wins against teams that combined to win 25 regular season games last year in Weeks 2 and 3. Denver has simply beaten better teams this year and have shown an overall higher team ceiling.
That doesn't mean the Chiefs aren't worth paying attention to, but as of now, they take a backseat to the Broncos...
1. Denver Broncos, 2-1
After getting embarrassed and pushed around by the Chiefs in Week 1, the Broncos responded with two big-time home wins against Jacksonville and Los Angeles. Those wins are honestly better than your average NFL victories, as the Jaguars and Rams are two of the best teams in the sport, but so are the Broncos.
The Broncos scored all but three points in these two weeks in the second half. They were blanketed in the first half by the Rams on Sunday Night Football and just can't help but to keep getting in these one-score games.
Now at 2-1, the Broncos avoid falling two games behind the Chiefs and Raiders and are also finishing up September with a winning record for the first time in the Payton era, as I mentioned earlier. These two quality wins thrust Denver back to the top of the division.
Add us as a preferred source on Google