For a long time, the AFC West was a gauntlet for any quarterback basically no matter what team you were facing off against. From 2011-2017, teams facing the Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs, and Los Angeles Chargers were going up against prime versions of Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware, Khalil Mack, Justin Houston, Tamba Hali, Melvin Ingram, and plenty of others.
But it's a new era in the AFC West. Only one of the particular players mentioned there remains in the division, and Khalil Mack is no longer with the team on which he used to be a dominant force. Even though it's a new era of pass rushers in the AFC West, this is still a division that features some of the most feared pressure players in the league.
But which teams have the best pass rush duos in the division? This does not mean they have the best EDGE duo in the division, but the best two pass rushers. Let's look at the division from worst to best.
AFC West pass rush duos ranked from worst to best in 2023
4. Joey Bosa & Khalil Mack - Los Angeles Chargers
Los Angeles Chargers fans will be furious at this, but the reality of the situation is, the combination of Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack has not been what many thought it would when the Chargers acquired Mack in a trade with the Chicago Bears. At this stage of his career, Mack is a really solid player off the edge, but he's no longer an elite pass rusher.
Joey Bosa is the NFL's version of Joel Embiid, or Anthony Davis, or something like that. He is constantly receiving tons of hype and he's constantly spending more time on the sideline due to injuries. Last season, he was limited to five games and he still had a solid 6 QB hits, 6 pressures, and 2.5 sacks.
Ranking the Chargers duo of Bosa and Mack fourth is not a show of disrespect, by any means. These guys are good. But in terms of applying pressure, they are not the best in the AFC West. Mack had 18 pressures and 8.0 sacks last season along with 12 QB hits and two forced fumbles.