The AFC West is 2-2 after Week 1 of the 2024 NFL Season. Let's dive into some division power rankings as we head further into the regular season. The division is clearly a one-horse race, as the three other teams did enact some form of major change this past offseason.
Two teams are 1-0 heading into Week 2, and two teams are 0-1. The top team in these AFC West power rankings is probably going to stay the same for a majority, or all of the season, but let's try to get some clarity with the rest of the division and roll out our AFC West power rankings after Week 1.
AFC West Power Rankings: Broncos avoid total disaster after Week 1 loss
4. Las Vegas Raiders (0-1)
You have to just laugh at the Las Vegas Raiders. This team is a top-to-bottom disaster and lost by double-digits in Week 1 to the Los Angeles Chargers. Questionable coaching decisions and not having a franchise QB are things that will plague the Raiders most of the 2024 NFL Season.
There is just no chance that the Broncos are going to be ranked last in these AFC West power rankings. The Raiders have higher-end talent and some may argue that their QB situation is more stable for now. Las Vegas is not a good team and won't be a good team in 2024. The Broncos should be able to sweep the Raiders this season.
3. Denver Broncos (0-1)
The Denver Broncos had a fighting chance against the Seattle Seahawks. If the Broncos had stopped Seattle on third and medium, they would have gotten the ball back late in the game and may have been able to win.
Denver showed a lot of grit on both sides of the ball, and given that QB Bo Nix was making his first ever NFL start, the Broncos did come out with a lot of promise going forward. Nix should settle into the offense more, and not every game is going to be against a tough defense in a hostile environment.
2. Los Angeles Chargers (1-0)
The Los Angeles Chargers won their first game of the Jim Harbaugh era, earning a victory overly the lowly Las Vegas Raiders. The Chargers won't be a great team in 2024, but their coaching might be good enough for them to finish with a winning record. Going from Brandon Staley to Jim Harbaugh could be one of the more aggressive coaching changes in NFL history.
The Chargers figure to be a much tougher team for the Denver Broncos going forward, as it does not feel like LA is going to be in the business of giving away games like they did in the Staley era.
1. Kansas City Chiefs (1-0)
The Kansas City Chiefs are the best team in the NFL until further notice. They've won three out of the last five Super Bowls and seem poised to again make a deep playoff run. KC took down the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1 of the 2024 NFL Season and will now host the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2, so they could be in line for two huge tiebreakers with a win
They'd have a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Ravens and the Bengals, which could come in handy. Kansas City has elite talent on both sides of the ball, and if they fixed their WR troubles, the offense and Patrick Mahomes could reach new heights.