Things didn't go as planned in the Las Vegas Raiders' Week 4 showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs. While the Silver and Black are starting to get some recognition after battling Kansas City until the end, they finally dropped a game in the standings, falling 30-27 at home on Sunday.
A win would have given Las Vegas sole possession of the top spot in the AFC West, but a few key errors contributed to Klint Kubiak's team coming up short. But the landscape of the division changed over the weekend as well, meaning this year is not a lost cause by any means.
And while the Raiders no longer have a share of first place in the AFC West, they only lost ground on one team this past weekend. With that in mind, as we've done every Tuesday during the 2026 NFL season, let's talk about what happened around the division on Sunday and preview Week 5, all in one.
Week 4 AFC West roundup: Raiders drop close one to Chiefs, Broncos get beaten soundly, Chargers' struggles continue
Here are the current standings in the AFC West:
Kansas City Chiefs 4-0
Las Vegas Raiders 3-1
Denver Broncos 2-2
Los Angeles Chargers 0-4
Thankfully, while the Raiders lost to the Chiefs, the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers lost to the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks, respectively. So, Las Vegas is still sitting pretty at No. 2 in the division standings and No. 6 in the AFC playoff picture, both of which are remarkable.
We'll start with the only inter-AFC West matchup: Raiders-Chiefs.
By all accounts, Las Vegas arrived in this game; these are not the same old Raiders. Even though they ultimately wound up on the wrong side of the scoreboard, this team showed tremendous fight and looked like they didn't just belong in the game, but like they were capable of winning it, too.
The Raiders' passing attack was tremendous, as Kirk Cousins had a field day targeting the tight end trio of Brock Bowers, Michael Mayer and Ian Thomas. But the offensive line was horrid in both pass protection and run-blocking, performing even worse than they did last week against the Saints.
On Sunday, they gave up 27 pressures and 12 quarterback hits, and they didn't give the running backs very many clean lanes to run through. On every snap, at least one player had a key breakdown, and that's why the rushing attack mustered just 72 yards on 26 carries, good for 2.6 per attempt.
Defensively, Las Vegas could not stop Kansas City on the ground, as Kenneth Walker III ran for 177 yards and two scores, and he also bolted for a 76-yarder in the fourth quarter. The Raiders got after Patrick Mahomes, but not enough, and he made them pay through the air with timely explosive plays.
Kansas City also won in the third phase of the game, as the Silver and Black's special teams unit was uncharacteristically bad on Sunday. The Chiefs made plays when they needed to, and the Raiders simply did not. Andy Reid's team looks like a contender again, and Kubiak's isn't very far off.
Denver's two-game win streak was snapped as they got beaten soundly by the 49ers, 24-14. Bo Nix is being dragged by fans, at long last, for not throwing the ball downfield, and something clearly is not clicking with the new Davis Webb-run offense. Perhaps Las Vegas dodged a bullet there.
The rushing attack hadn't been great for the Broncos either, and Jaylen Waddle and Courtland Sutton just aren't getting involved as much as folks expected. Their defense continues to have weak spots as well, like Alex Singleton. And the losses of John Franklin-Myers and Jonathan Cooper are glaring.
For the Chargers, it was a rough start, with Justin Herbert throwing a dumbfounding interception on the first play from scrimmage. He tossed another one before halftime, and in the first half, their offense had five straight punts and just 25 total yards in that stretch. It was a complete train wreck.
They finally got it going in the second half, scoring on three straight possessions, before fumbling the game away at the end. Their offense is streaky at the absolute best, and defensively, they gave up 30 points, despite the yardage totals not being high for Seattle. That points to special teams issues.
All told, Los Angeles turned it over four times and had just one takeaway, they ran well but couldn't stop the run, and the passing attack is just not clicking for the Chargers. This team is a destitute 0-4 and looks disjointed. Rumors are that Khalil Mack could want out, and that may just be the start.
Brief preview for the Raiders and the AFC West ahead of Week 5
It doesn't get any easier for the Silver and Black, as they travel back to the east coast for the second time in three weeks to take on a New England Patriots team that suddenly has life. After starting the year 1-2 and getting blown out last week, the Patriots beat the previously undefeated Buffalo Bills.
Drake Maye looked like himself again, and New England got some big contributions from players like TreVeyon Henderson and Romeo Doubs. They also won without Christian Gonzalez or Christian Barmore. If they're back for Week 5, it could be even tougher for Las Vegas on the road.
Jim Harbaugh's team doesn't get any reprieve, either, as the Chargers have to face a Broncos team that is still probably better than their record indicates, considering their strength of schedule. Denver can't afford to misstep against the division's bottom-dweller, but they seem to struggle against LA.
Raider Nation should be pulling for the Chargers here.
Kansas City has an early bye week, so they'll be off on Sunday and will return to the gridiron in Week 6 for a home game against the Chargers, who will be fresh off a tough AFC West matchup with Denver.
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