The AFC West underwent yet another eventful week of play in Week 8, even with only three teams playing. The three teams that played are all currently in a muddy hunt for first place, with Denver leading the pack entering the halfway point of the season. The Chargers started the NFL week with a dominant win over Carson Wentz and the Vikings, while the Chiefs ended the week with a solid win over the Washington Commanders at home.
The Raiders didn't play this week, and it turned out to be one of the best weeks of their season. They're expected to bring in veteran wideout Tyler Lockett following a brief stint with the Titans to start the season. This doesn't change their outlook much, aside from giving them another dependable target for Geno Smith if they are to trade Jakobi Meyers, who reaffirmed his commitment to his trade request.
The top three teams in the AFC West are firmly in the playoff hunt and could all return to the AFC playoffs for a second straight year. In the second year of the expanded seven-team playoffs, it would be the second consecutive year that one division sent three teams to the big dance. The AFC West is arguably the best division in football in 2025.
AFC West Power Rankings, Week 9: Broncos on top, Chiefs climbing
No. 4: Las Vegas Raiders
We said in these rankings last week that the Raiders might be locked into the 4th spot for the remainder of the season, and here they are again. The best part of this week for the Raiders was that they didn't play football. Bringing in Lockett did nothing for their seasonal outlook aside from committing to giving veterans with no future snaps over younger players who could develop. It is unclear whether Smith will start next week for the Raiders after being benched during Week 7. Las Vegas hosts the free-falling Jaguars this week, and a loss could all but knock the Jaguars out of serious contention.
No. 3: Los Angeles Chargers
Following their blowout loss to the Colts, the Chargers picked up a home blowout win over the Vikings. They need to beat the bad teams on their schedule, so kudos to them, but it didn't do much for their seasonal outlook. Justin Herbert is their second leading active rusher, which is unsustainable for a playoff hopeful team. In terms of the playoff picture, they might be closer to the AFC Wild Card picture than the AFC West picture. They travel to the Titans this week to face off with former head coach Mike McCoy.
No. 2: Kansas City Chiefs
The Patrick Mahomes-led Chiefs hosted the Commanders on Monday Night Football and got off to an incredibly slow start. Mahomes was picked on his first two drives, but the Chiefs wound up victors over Marcus Mariota. This game could have progressed differently if Washington had a kicker they trusted, but it's hard to argue that a kicker makes a 21-point difference. The Chiefs head to Buffalo this week for their first true test since the return of Rashee Rice.
No. 1:Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a wagon. After winning five in a row, Denver sits atop the AFC West heading into Week 9, where the Broncos figure to open as slight favorites in Houston against the Texans. Injuries began to pile up at the end of their win over Dallas, including Pat Surtain II and Marvin Mims Jr. How their seasonal outlook changes will depend on each injury, but an injury to either that costs games will have a major impact on Denver's divisional prospects. Their matchup at home with Mahomes and the Chiefs looms large in two weeks.