By Kenny Burgess Contributor
Updated 8/1/23 3:35am ET
The AFC West will be one of the most intriguing divisions to follow this upcoming season. It is home to the defending Super Bowl champions and there are some old faces in new places. When talking about the AFC West, it always starts with the Kansas City Chiefs. Last season, Patrick Mahomes and company brought home another Super Bowl title after a dominant season. There is no reason to think Kansas City will take a step back as long as Mahomes is under center. The Chargers have one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL in Justin Herbert and even though they made the playoffs last season, expectations are higher. The Raiders are looking to rebound after a disappointing season and have a new quarterback at the helm. The Broncos had high expectations heading into last season after acquiring Russell Wilson, but they greatly underperformed. Denver also brought in Sean Payton this offseason in hopes that he can get Wilson and his team back on track.
Kansas City Chiefs (2022 Record: 14-3)
What didn’t go right for the Chiefs last season? Many experts thought the Chiefs would take a step back after moving on from Tyreek Hill, but they couldn’t have been any more wrong. Mahomes led his team to the best record in the AFC, earning another Super Bowl win. Mahomes also won his second league MVP. The Chiefs had the top offense in yards and points per game and I don’t see them regressing any time soon.
The Chiefs enter the season as the favorites to win the Super Bowl again and their odds sit at +600. Kansas City is also favored to win the division at -180 with a win total of 11.5. It doesn’t seem like the Chiefs will be going away so expect them to be playing meaningful games in January once again.
Los Angeles Chargers (2022 Record: 10-7)
The Chargers took a step forward last season, but those good vibes were crushed when they blew a 27-point lead against the Jaguars in the first round of the playoffs. Now, the Chargers are not only expected to get to the playoffs, but actually win some games. Expectations are so high because San Diego has one of the best quarterbacks in the league in Herbert. Last season, the Chargers offense was elite and was eighth in total yards. Herbert threw for over 4,700 yards and has some of the best weapons in the game. The Chargers also selected wide receiver Quentin Johnston in the first round to add to Mike Williams and Keenan Allen. The Chargers brought in Kellen Moore to be their offensive coordinator and he is expected to bring the offense to new heights.
The Chargers are the second favorite to win this division at +300 with Super Bowl odds currently at +2200 and a win total of 9.5. This will be a big year for the Chargers and we’ll see if they’re able to take that next step this upcoming season.
Las Vegas Raiders (2022 Record: 6-11)
After making the playoffs in 2021 and adding Devante Adams to the roster, the Raiders seemed poised for a big season. Unfortunately, Las Vegas didn’t play well and it led to longtime quarterback Derek Carr being benched and cut after the season. The Raiders brought in Jimmy Garoppolo to replace Carr and they hope he can be the answer for them. The Raiders’ defense also struggled last year and they were in the bottom ten in both yards and points per game.
The Raiders enter the season with the worst odds to win the division at +1500 and a win total of 6.5. If the Raiders want to improve on last season, they’ll need their defense to turn it around and also get improved quarterback play. It could be a long season in Vegas, but the Raiders are hoping they’ll be a bit better than last season.
Denver Broncos (2022 Record: 5-12)
The Broncos entered last season as a trendy pick to win the Super Bowl and many expected them to be serious contenders after adding Wilson, who proceeded to have the worst season of his career. Denver had the league’s worst scoring offense and brought in offensive-guru Payton as the head coach, hoping he can help get Wilson back on track. If he can do that, Denver could be a scary team as the defense finished inside of the top 12 in both scoring defense and yards allowed per game.
Payton has had a good offense everywhere he’s gone and Wilson is a Pro-Bowl caliber quarterback, so there are reasons to believe in Denver. Currently, the Broncos have the third-best odds to win the division at +700 and their win total is at 8.5. If the defense continues to play well and Denver’s offense can even be league average, this team could be dangerous. It will all come down to Wilson’s play, but at least it can’t be much worse than last season.
Photo credit: Google Creative Commons
