There is a saying in today’s world that in order to be the champs, you have to beat the champs. Heading into the 2023-24, the Kansas City Chiefs wear the belt as defending Superbowl Champions, and every team is looking to topple them and sit on the throne. The Chiefs winning the division has been critical to their overall success after making the last five AFC Championship Games and hosting the game as one of the top two seeds. The team has won 3 of those five games propelling them to 2 Superbowl championships. The question is, will they repeat and defend their crown in the division? In this article, we look at the final division in our season preview, project their records, and who wins it.
1. Kansas City Chiefs-13-4
The last time the Kansas City Chiefs failed to win the division was when Kobe Bryant scored 60 points in his NBA game, Lebron delivered a title to Cleveland, and the Cubs broke a 108-year curse to win the World Series. Yes, all those events took place in 2016, and since then, the Chiefs have all the banners to show for it. I cannot see how the streak ends in 2023. In the Patrick Mahomes era, the Chiefs have been dominant against the AFC West by going 16–0 in his divisional road starts. That is mind-blowing! Overall, the Chiefs are 27–3 when Mahomes starts against their divisional opponents. The roster returns with most of the players who lifted the title in Arizona. The offensive line is also one of the best in the league, while the running back duo of Isiah Pacheco and Jerick McKinnon is tough to handle. Defensively, the Chiefs have elite playmakers highlighted by tackle Chris Jones, inside linebacker Nick Bolton, and corner L’Jarius Sneed. There are questions at the Wide Receiver spot with the loss of Juju Smith-Schuster, but with Patrick Maholmes at the helm, he will find a way to get the ball to his young talent. I have the Chiefs winning the division for the eighth consecutive season and one of the top two seeds in the conference.
2. Los Angeles Charges-11-6
The Chargers are the best team to challenge the Chiefs because they have the second-best quarterback in the division, Justin Herbert. Herbert has the potential to be an MVP candidate because he completed 68.2% of his passes, throwing for 4,739 yards, 25 touchdowns, and ten interceptions last season. Herbert will have playmakers at his disposal with Mike Williams, Keenan Allen, and first-round pick Quentin Johnston guaranteeing the moving of the chains. The team has also solidified a weakness on their offensive line with Corey Linsley as an anchor in the middle, Rashawn Slater as a cornerstone, and the tandem of Zion Johnson and Jamaree Salyer faring well last season. The biggest question about this team is coaching. Last season ended with a disastrous loss on wild card weekend to the Jaguars after leading the road matchup 27-0 in the second quarter. The team failed defensively to stop Trevor Lawrence, and the offense failed to run the ball and make plays to preserve the lead. In the past, Coach Brandon Staley has made questionable decisions to go for it on 4th down rather than be conservative. He will be on the hot seat to prove that he can make this talented roster, make a deep run in the playoffs, and challenge the Chiefs in the west. If he fails to get over the hump, then he might be looking for a new job.
3. Denver Broncos-9-8
The saving grace for a Broncos fan entering the 2023 season is that it can’t get any worse, right? The Broncos finished the 2022 season with a 5-12 record and the franchise decided that Nathaniel Hackett was the man to fall on the sword with his firing as Head Coach. Hackett should take some of the blame, but Russell Wilson is not free from blame because he was considered the missing piece to push the franchise to the Superbowl. Instead, the team regressed and went in a different direction by hiring Sean Payton. Payton brings stability, and experience, and one of the most dynamic offensive minds in the league. Last season, the Broncos lost three of those in overtime, and two losses were just by a single point. It means that the team had problems in late-game execution, and perhaps this will propel them to a winning record. However, I don’t see them making the playoffs because the team lacks a good offensive and defensive line. The NFL in 2023 is about winning in the trenches, and failure to win that battle relegates them to third in the division and just missing the wild card spots.
4. Las Vegas Raiders-5-12
The Raiders always feel like a franchise spinning uncontrollably in mud and trying to find dry land. The team has made the playoffs in two of the past seven seasons, but they were never realistic challengers in the division and for a championship. After building their roster around Derek Carr for years, the management moved in a different direction by acquiring Jimmy Garoppolo. The team looks stacked on the offensive side with playmakers including DeVante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, Hunter Renfrow, and Michael Mayer. However, they have neglected their defense, making it difficult to win in a stacked conference. Also, they have offensive line issues, making it a long season in Las Vegas. The reward for Josh McDaniels and the franchise is that their record will put them in line to grab the jackpot next April in drafting USC Trojan’s quarterback, Caleb Williams. However, Mark Davis may decide that Coach Josh McDaniels is not the one to nurture the uber-talented quarterback. We will just have to wait and see!