AFC West power rankings: Where do the Broncos stand in preseason Week 2?

2. Denver Broncos (1-0)

The Denver Broncos earned a four-point win versus the Indianapolis Colts in their first preseason game, and all three of Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham, and Zach Wilson played quite well. Nix got the most attention, as he went 15/21 for 125 yards and one touchdown. And while his outing was not excellent, WR Josh Reynolds did drop a touchdown pass from Nix.

So his numbers could have looked a good bit better. Nonetheless, Denver showed a lot of promise on both sides of the ball, as their run defense looked stout. The team struggled a bit with penalties, but at the end of the day, a win is a win. Sean Payton has to be pleased to an extent with what he saw from his squad in Week 1.

This was also an away game, so this makes the win that much more impressive, but even though Denver was the only team in the AFC West to win in preseason Week 1, they cannot yet be ranked as the best team.

1. Kansas City Chiefs (0-1)

The Kansas City Chiefs lost by 13 points to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1 of the 2024 NFL Preseason, but their four quarterbacks combined to go 22/27 for 184 yards. It's pretty clear why the Chiefs are still the top team in the division. They've won three out of the last five Super Bowls and are still firmly in the Patrick Mahomes era.

The Chiefs did have to trade CB L'Jarius Sneed to the Tennessee Titans, and their tackle play does not seem to be much better from last year. I would also add that their WR room still seems a bit inconsistent, and the aging Travis Kelce might show more of that in 2024.

The Chiefs will still firmly be in the Super Bowl contention bubble as long as Mahomes himself does not hit a wall, but this roster is far from perfect, and the Broncos did expose them at home during the 2023 NFL Season.