The Denver Broncos, for the first time since the month of September, have lost a game. It's rare to see a winning streak last three months in any sport, but as exciting as the winning streak was, it's equally disappointing to see it come to a screeching halt.
The Jacksonville Jaguars came into Denver on a mission, and they blew the Broncos away on their home field. It was a close game through the first two quarters and change, but the Broncos' defense completely broke down in the second half, the wheels fell off for the offense, and the team just got beat in all three phases.
How did the rest of the AFC West look in Week 16? We're taking a look at the state of the division, which has now tightened up a little bit more, ahead of Week 17 action.
NFL Power Rankings: Chargers closing the gap on Broncos with two games remaining
4. Kansas City Chiefs
The fact that the Chiefs have four more wins than the Raiders at this point is irrelevant. They are now down to their third-string quarterback after a devastating knee injury suffered by backup Gardner Minshew, and that comes on the heels of Kansas City placing a number of notable players on IR and keeping them off the field.
The Chiefs' team the Broncos will face on Christmas Day is going to be a shell of the team that started the season. Some of the familiar faces will still be out there, but this team just got blown out on the road against the Titans, which is indicative of just how bad of shape they're in right now.
3. Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders are 2-13 at this point, so they're terrible. But I would be lying if I said I wasn't slightly hoping they would find a way to upset the Houston Texans in what ended up being a really great game. The Raiders gave the Texans all they could handle in a 23-21 loss on Sunday, and their stars on offense shined bright.
Especially Ashton Jeanty.
The Texans needed a pick-six off of Geno Smith (go figure) to effectively create the separation needed to beat the Raiders, because they got wrecked by Jeanty to the tune of 188 yards of offense and two total touchdowns.
2. Los Angeles Chargers
Going up against the Dallas defense is not a fair measuring stick at this point, but the Los Angeles Chargers played really well on offense on Sunday. So well, in fact, that it was probably the first time in a couple of months that I've been thinking to myself, "Dang, the Chargers are really good."
That's not to say they haven't been good all year. The Chargers, just like the Broncos, have been resilient. They've won some tight games. They've won ugly. They've won big. Honestly, they're more similar to the Broncos than they are different.
If the Broncos play the Chargers like they did the Jaguars, they're going to blow the AFC West lead in Week 18. The Chargers are playing well, and despite his hand surgery, Justin Herbert looks locked in. He's carrying their offense.
1. Denver Broncos
The Broncos just suffered a loss, but that loss doesn't negate the previous 11 games. This is a team that has endured so much throughout the course of the season. They've proven they can win in a variety of different ways, but has the defense collapsed beyond recognition?
The disturbing trend of Vance Joseph's defenses breaking down in the second half of seasons has continued here in 2025. In fact, I stopped writing this post for about 15 minutes to do some research. Joseph's defenses in December/January have been rough since he came back to Denver.
In 2023, they allowed 22.8 points per game defensively in those months, including complete defensive debacles against the Lions and Patriots.
In 2024, the Broncos' defense was an absolute sieve after the bye (and the week prior vs. Cleveland), giving up a whopping 28 points per game (not including the game against Kansas City's backups).
In 2025, including the November 30 game against the Commanders, the defense is allowing 25.8 points per game. It's simply unacceptable.
The Broncos have to figure out a way for the defense to get back on track before it costs them a shot at winning it all.