AFC West standings: Chiefs keep top spot, even without Patrick Mahomes
By Nick Ellis
The AFC West continues to look more and more open each week, but with the injury of Patrick Mahomes, do the Raiders have a legit chance to take the top spot?
The Kansas City Chiefs stay at number one in the AFC West, sitting two games ahead of the Oakland Raiders after Week 7. The Chiefs will be without Patrick Mahomes for at least three weeks, so if anyone wants a chance to take the top spot over the Chiefs, they will need to make these next few weeks count.
Kansas City faced off with the Denver Broncos in Week 7, where the Chiefs dominated the Broncos, even without Mahomes. The Broncos were riding a short win streak, while the Chiefs were looking as beatable as ever. Unfortunately for the Broncos, the Chiefs did not listen to what the media had to say, and they played like one of the best teams in the NFL.
The Broncos, on the other hand, struggled on both sides of the ball, specifically Joe Flacco and Noah Fant. Flacco is proving to not be the guy to lead Denver, and Noah Fant has struggled catching the ball all season. If the Broncos are going to become a playoff contender anytime soon, they are going to need to make some changes.
The Raiders were looking great the last few weeks, defeating the Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears in back to back weeks. The Raiders rolled into Green Bay with high confidence, but Aaron Rodgers and the Packers took it to the Raiders, dominating them 42-24.
The Raiders are still a playoff contender, but they will need to make some changes. The secondary and pass rush struggled all day against the Packers, and until they fix that, they will not beat the best offenses. The Raiders will be ending their streak of tough road games soon, and if they can win next week, they will be in a good spot.
The Chargers have an incredibly talented roster, but they cannot figure it out. The Chargers have only won two games this season, and after losing a heartbreaker against the Titans this week, the Chargers may be a lost cause.
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The Chargers are always plagued with injury, and that issue does not seem like it will be fixed any time soon, especially with how banged up their offensive line is. The Chargers had a chance to win this week, but they could not score at the one-yard line on multiple occasions.