The NFL season is around the corner, and all 32 teams are on equal footing for now. Let’s take a look at the past season for each AFC West team, including predictions for each team heading into the 2024-25 season.
AFC West BetMGM Best Bets
AP Defensive Player of the Year: Maxx Crosby (+900)
AFC West – Winner: Chiefs (-250)
AFC West – Straight Forecast: 1st Chiefs/2nd Raiders (+375)
Denver Broncos
Season Recap
This was the Broncos’ 54th season in the NFL and first under head coach Sean Payton. After a rough 1-5 start, the team started to surge winning five straight games for the first time since 2015 to improve upon their 5-12 record from the season prior. That luck fell short when the Broncos won just two of their final six games, suffering their seventh consecutive losing season and missed the playoffs for an eighth consecutive season.
Major Offseason Moves
The Broncos gained Bears’ punter Trenton Gill, Commanders’ linebacker Cody Barton and Chargers’ tight end Hunter Kampmoyer. They lost center Lloyd Cushenberry, linebacker Josey Jewell and linebacker Ben Niemann.
Make/Miss Playoffs: Miss
Kansas City Chiefs
Season Recap
This was the Chiefs’ 64th overall and eleventh under head coach Andy Reid. Coming into the season as defending Super Bowl champions, the Chiefs became the first team to repeat as Super Bowl champions since the New England Patriots in 2003 and 2004. Although they failed to improve on their 14-3 record from the previous season, they still secured their 11th consecutive winning season. Their 11-6 record was their least successful under quarterback Patrick Mahomes, but nonetheless doesn’t matter as they continued on to be Super Bowl champions.
In the playoffs, the Chiefs outscored their opponents 70-41, making their way to compete and win over the San Francisco 49ers, 25-22 in overtime in Super Bowl LVIII.
Major Offseason Moves
The Chiefs added Rams quarterback Carson Wentz, Cardinals wide receiver Marquise Brown and Bills punter Matt Araiza. They lost safety Mike Edwards, wide receiver Richie James and wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
Make/Miss Playoffs: Make
Las Vegas Raiders
Season Recap
This was the Raiders’ 54th season in the NFL and second and final under the head coach/general manager tandem of Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler. This was the first season since 2013 without longtime quarterback Derek Carr as he was released on February 14, 2023. The Raiders improved on their 6-11 record from the previous season following a Christmas Day win over the Kansas City Chiefs. The Raiders were soon eliminated from playoff contention for the second year in a row after a loss to the Indianapolis Colts the next week. On December 14, 2023, the team set a franchise record for most points scored in a game, defeating the Los Angeles Chargers, 63-21.
Major Offseason Moves
The Raiders gained 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, Patriots wide receiver Jakobi Meyers and Titans tight end Austin Hooper. They lost quarterback Derek Carr, tight end Darren Waller and guard D. J. Fluker.
Make/Miss Playoffs: Make
Los Angeles Chargers
Season Recap
This was the Chargers’ 54th season in the NFL and third and final under head coach Brandon Staley. The team failed to improve on their 10-7 record from the season prior, finishing 5-12 in the 2023 season. The second-half collapse can be blamed on a devastating blow when they lost franchise quarterback, Justin Herbert following a Week 14 loss to the Denver Broncos to a broken finger.
Major Offseason Moves
The Chargers gained running back J. K. Dobbins, center Bradley Bozeman and tackle Alex Leatherwood. They lost center Corey Linsley, tackle Tyler Smith and wide receiver Keenan Allen.
Make/Miss Playoffs: Miss
Division Winner Prediction
It’s kind of obvious that the Kansas City Chiefs will take over the division once again. None of the other teams are going to be consistent enough to keep up with the Chiefs this season, so count on them to be the winners.
First & Jenn 
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