AFC West power rankings heading into Week 1: Who is No. 2 behind Chiefs?

The 2024 preseason is officially in the books and Week 1 of the season is just a week away. The AFC West is one of the most compelling divisions in the entire sport with the defending Super Bowl Champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the return of Jim Harbaugh to the NFL on the LA Chargers.

To win the Super Bowl you have to get through the Chiefs, that is the case for all 31 other teams in the NFL. For the AFC West specificall it is a bit tougher of a task as teams in the division have to not only play the Chiefs twice, but essentially compete for second-place behind Kansas City.

Anything can happen in the course of the season and Kansas City could finally fall off its pedestal. However, heading into Week 1, the question is not about who the best team in the division is — it is about who the second-best team is.

4. Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders have the worst quarterback situation in the division and one of the worst in the entire league. Gardner Minshew's stock is high after nearly making the playoffs with the Indianapolis Colts last season but he still among the bottom tier of quarterbacks in the NFL.

Losing Josh Jacobs could prove costly for this Raiders offense that is going to have to keep Davante Adams happy with a quarterback that might not be able to. The pass rush in Vegas is one of the best in the league but the rest of the defense is not up to speed.

It will be interesting to see how the Raiders rally behind Antonio Pierce in a full season as it will prove whether or not last year was a flash in the pan. The Raiders might be a competitive team that keeps opponents honest throughout the season, but it is hard to see Vegas winning very many games.

3. Denver Broncos

Bo Nix is the fifth-oldest rookie quarterback to start a team's season opener sine 1950 and as a result, he may be more polished in year one than any other quarterback not named Caleb Williams. The ceiling might not be as high but in terms of instant results, Nix might prove to be a huge upgrade over Russell Wilson.

It would take a C.J. Stroud-like season for Nix to make the Broncos a competitive team in 2024, however. The weapons on offense have only gotten worse and the defense is not the same Vic Fangio-led unit that kept Denver in games.

The 2024 season feels like it will be the year before the breakout for the Broncos. They might be competitive, but they ultimately are not a playoff team, especially in this division.

2. LA Chargers

Last season's last-place finisher is the second-best team in the AFC West heading into the regular season. The Chargers only won five games last season but the team also dealt with injuries to Justin Herbert and one of the worst coaching situations in the league.

Going from Brandon Staley to Harbaugh truly is one of the biggest coaching improvements in recent NFL history and every year fans are reminded how important coaching is. Just the addition of Harbaugh alone, with a healthy Herbert, is good enough for 2-3 more wins for the Chargers.

Add in the fact that the Chargers have one of the easiest schedules in the league against subpar quarterbacks and there is a path for Herbert and Harbaugh to grind their way to 10 wins. The overall talent on the roster is not there to dethrone the Chiefs, but the Chargers are still building something special.

1. Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs are looking to do something no team in NFL history has ever done: win a third-consecutive Super Bowl. The Chiefs have to go through a tough battle not only against the teams on the schedule but against complacency as well.

If Travis Kelce continues to regress with age and the young receivers don't work out then it might be another year where the Kansas City offense is average during the regular season. However, now, the Chiefs have one of the best defenses in the league, making it even harder to beat them.

It would take something drastic for the Chiefs not to win the AFC West for a ninth-consecutive year.