With the four Divisional Round games taking place on Saturday and Sunday, there is a real chance the AFC Championship Game could be an AFC West matchup.
This weekend, the AFC West will be well-represented in the Divisional Round, as the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday, and the Los Angeles Chargers play the New England Patriots on Sunday. In fact, the Chiefs are the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC, and will get the party started as the early game Saturday.
Patrick Mahomes is the likely MVP of the NFL this season, after throwing for over 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns in his first season as a starter. He led the Chiefs to a 12-4 record in 2018, the same mark as the Chargers, who beat the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card round last Sunday to advance.
While the Chiefs are the favorite against the Colts, the Chargers are not against the Patriots, as they have to head back East for the second weekend in a row. They will be facing a Patriots team that is led by Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, the authors of five Super Bowl titles, and the No. 2 overall seed in the AFC in 2018.
The Patriots are not as impressive as they have been in years past, and the Chargers are a sexy pick to upset the reigning AFC champs inside Foxboro. If the Chargers can upset the Patriots, and the Chiefs take care of business at home against the Colts, we could be looking at an All-AFC West AFC Championship.
But how likely is that to happen?
Well, in order for the AFC West battle to happen then they will have to beat the two quarterbacks who have combined to participate in eight of the last nine AFC Championship Games. Brady and Andrew Luck have been two of the better quarterbacks in the NFL for years now, and with Luck enjoying a renaissance after missing most of the last two years due to injury, the Colts look like a real contender in the AFC.
The Chiefs will likely have enough firepower to win at home, but you have to be worried about the play of their defense, which is one of the worst in football. Los Angeles is one of the hottest teams in football this season, and if Philip Rivers is ever going to win a Super Bowl, you have to think this could be the year.
My guess is that the Chargers upset the Patriots on the road, but the Chiefs once again find a way to lose in front of the home fans. Of course, the other option is a Brady vs. Luck AFC Championship Game, which would be must-see television in its own right.