This year was supposed to be different.
The Chiefs made a mockery after the AFC West again after all
The more things change, the more they stay the same
Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
The Chiefs were losing Tyreek Hill and coming off a season where they didn’t even make the Super Bowl.
The Los Angeles Chargers spent a lot of money and draft capital to go and get Khalil Mack, JC Jackson and Sebastian Joseph-Day.
The Denver Broncos traded for Russell Wilson in hopes of advancing a roster that is built for the playoffs.
The Las Vegas Raiders traded for arguably one of the five best receivers in the league in Davante Adams, signed Chandler Jones and hired Josh McDaniels to go with Maxx Crosby, Derek Carr and Darren Waller.
And yet, here we are. In November, and the AFC West has gone from potentially the league’s best to being basically over before Thanksgiving. The Chiefs are primed to win the AFC West for the seventh year in a row.
Of course, there is some context needed to explain this and how we got to this point. The Chargers have dealt with injuries across the board. Starting LT Rashawn Slater is out for the rest of the season, and so is Jackson. Edge rusher Joey Bosa has been out since Week 3, and the Chargers defensive line has been decimated by injury as well.
The Raiders have been rife with inconsistency, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Davante Adams is second in the NFL in touchdowns, but some games it feels like he disappears. In addition, Chandler Jones has not been good in the silver and black, hampering the defense.
The Broncos ... where do we begin? Despite one of the best defenses in the entire league, the offense has averaged 14 points a game. Russell Wilson has been one of the worst QBs in the NFL and Nathaniel Hackett gave up playcalling to get a spark on offense. It didn’t work.
More importantly, this is a testament to how good the Chiefs are as an organization. They lead the NFL in points per game without Tyreek Hill, and Patrick Mahomes is having an MVP level season. There are new faces in the receiving core and the defense, but one thing remains the same: Kansas City at the top of the division.
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