Everyone in the NFL landscape expected three teams in the AFC West to be very good this year, and one to struggle immensely. Of course, nobody thought that the Las Vegas Raiders would fall into the former category, and that the Los Angeles Chargers would be the odd team out. But such is the case.
Klint Kubiak's team is now 3-0 to kick off the 2026 NFL season, and the fanbase is beginning to think about the playoffs as a real possibility. Meanwhile, the Chargers are starting to implode while both the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos look like postseason-bound contenders once again.
To stay up to speed on what's happening around the division, let's recap what occurred in the four games that AFC West teams played in Week 3 while also previewing a bit of the action for this coming weekend. The Raiders have a lot to prove in a marquee matchup on Sunday against the Chiefs...
But for now, they are keeping pace.
Week 3 AFC West roundup: Raiders earn comeback win, Chargers lose a close one, Broncos win cheaply, Chiefs sneak by
Here are the current standings in the AFC West:
Las Vegas Raiders 3-0
Kansas City Chiefs 3-0
Denver Broncos 2-1
Los Angeles Chargers 0-3
The Raiders escaped down south with a win over a tough New Orleans Saints team. Unlike their previous two victories, the Silver and Black had to crawl out of an 11-point hole in the middle of the third quarter and complete a comeback win. They scored 19 unanswered points to get it done.
Kirk Cousins played well again, thanks in large part to Brock Bowers' dominance in his return. Las Vegas could not really run the ball again, but they got one huge touchdown run from rookie Mike Washington Jr. Michael Mayer also caught a touchdown, and the inevitable Cody White had one, too.
Las Vegas' offensive line was not tremendous but blocked just well enough. Matt Gay went 3-for-3 on field goals, and the team missed a few extra points to end up with 35 points on offense. Defensively, it was their most up-and-down showing yet, but it was ultimately fruitful.
After giving up four touchdowns in the middle of the game, many of them the fault of Isaiah Pola-Mao, this unit buckled down. They didn't allow a score on the final five possessions of the game, and on the last four, they got takeaways.
Once again, they pressured the quarterback, totaling 20 on the game and getting two sacks and six more hits. They also forced four fumbles and recovered three while breaking up two passes and intercepting another. The Raiders had a pick that was called back for a meaningless penalty, too.
It wasn't a perfect or a pretty showing, but it was a gritty road win to remain undefeated.
Los Angeles was somewhat in the same boat as Las Vegas, forcing so many turnovers, but Justin Herbert and Co. could not capitalize on them. The Buffalo Bills' Josh Allen had three turnovers, and they lost two more fumbles as well, but the Chargers mustered just 16 points in a 24-16 loss.
Herbert had a pedestrian game, and Keaton Mitchell was the far better running back than Omarion Hampton, as Mike McDaniel's offense continues to struggle to create explosive plays on the ground. Tre Harris and Ladd McConkey had solid but ultimately unremarkable games receiving.
Holding Allen to 24 points is impressive, and the Chargers got home for four sacks. They showed glimpses of a team that could compete if it had its head on straight, but Jim Harbaugh's team lacks the juice and cohesion that the Raiders do, and that's why they are 0-3.
We said last week that how the Chiefs fared against the Dolphins would say a lot about how they stack up against Las Vegas. Their 24-10 win over Miami has me thinking that the Raiders will at least play a close game with Kansas City in Week 4.
This game was neck-and-neck throughout, as it was 14-7 at the half and 14-10 at the end of the third quarter. The Chiefs finally separated in the fourth quarter, scoring a touchdown with three minutes left to make it a two-possession game. The Raiders, actually, were more dominant.
Patrick Mahomes looked good but not like a world-beater, and Kenneth Walker III finally slowed down, which is a very good thing. Unfortunately, Rashee Rice continues to find his footing and Travis Kelce has rewound the clock this season to help out a fairly weak Chiefs wide receiver corps.
Defensively, Steve Spagnuolo's group is stout, even though they rebranded this offseason. Nick Bolton is a stud in the middle, and youngster Mansoor Delane is a problem at cornerback. What they didn't do is get after the QB at all, though, registering zero sacks and letting Malik Willis get away.
Still, this is a good Chiefs team who wins in different ways, and it is no wonder that they are 3-0.
Denver needed a bogus missed call at home in primetime to take down the Puka Nacua- and Myles Garrett-less Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football. Forgive me, but I am not moved by this Broncos team just yet. The magic simply has to run out.
Bo Nix had yet another mundane performance that was somehow good enough despite their rushing attack being putrid and their offseason acquisition of Jaylen Waddle not being involved. Their offensive line remains elite and their defense gives them every advantage that they can.
Matthew Stafford got sacked four times and threw two interceptions: one a pick-6, and the other to seal the game in the end zone with no time remaining on the clock. Both were caught by Talanoa Hufanga, of all people.
To be fair, Denver did get diced up; the Rams just didn't finish. The Broncos gave up 116 yards on 5.0 yards per attempt on the ground and 390 yards through the air. Davante Adams went to work on Patrick Surtain II and Konata Mumpfield had four catches for 93 yards and a touchdown.
These Broncos are beatable, and you can't convince me otherwise. They're 2-1, but a shaky 2-1.
Brief preview of the Raiders and the AFC West ahead of Week 4
The Raiders and Chiefs will be battling for AFC West supremacy on Sunday in the late window, as the division's two 3-0 teams face off at Allegiant Stadium. This will be a great early test of where these two teams are at, and it will say if Las Vegas is the real deal or if they still have a hill to climb.
Things don't get any easier for the Broncos this week, as they travel to take on the 3-0 San Francisco 49ers. Of course, they are perpetually banged up and could be without both Nick Bosa and Mike Evans this week, which is typical Denver luck, but they should be challenged nonetheless.
Los Angeles will look to get back on track against the Seahawks up in Seattle, who will be playing extra pissed off after losing a game they shouldn't have in Week 3. Seattle doesn't look quite as dominant as last year (I wonder why?), but Mike Macdonald will badly want to win this master vs. apprentice matchup with Jim Harbaugh.
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