{"id":7138,"date":"2016-11-29T12:39:15","date_gmt":"2016-11-29T17:39:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/?p=7138"},"modified":"2016-11-29T12:45:36","modified_gmt":"2016-11-29T17:45:36","slug":"7138","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2016\/11\/29\/7138\/","title":{"rendered":"Breaking Down the AFC West Playoff Picture"},"content":{"rendered":"

It is hard to argue that there is a stronger division in the NFL this season than the AFC West<\/strong>. If the playoffs started tomorrow, the Oakland Raiders<\/strong> and Kansas City Chiefs<\/strong> would both make the postseason, with the Denver Broncos<\/strong> on the fringe. The Raiders are atop the division and would\u00a0enjoy a\u00a0first-round bye if playoffs were to begin this week. Even the San Diego Chargers<\/strong>, currently\u00a0at the bottom of the AFC West, would be in contention for a title in the AFC North<\/strong> or AFC South<\/strong>. Below is how the AFC West will be won this season.<\/p>\n

Breaking Down the AFC West Playoff Picture<\/h2>\n

Oakland Raiders<\/h3>\n

The Raiders (9-2) currently hold the division lead, but can they stay on top? Oakland has\u00a0looked very impressive this year, particularly on offense. Many believe that\u00a0Jack Del Rio’s\u00a0squad\u00a0may be the\u00a0AFC team that\u00a0presents\u00a0the biggest challenge for\u00a0New England Patriots<\/strong> in the playoffs.\u00a0The Raiders\u00a0have two remaining home games, against the Buffalo Bills<\/strong> in Week 13 and the Indianapolis Colts<\/strong> in Week 16. Both are winnable games, but\u00a0they have the potential to go either way. What is most difficult about the Raiders schedule however, is that their remaining\u00a0games within the division are all\u00a0on the road.<\/p>\n

Kansas City Chiefs<\/h3>\n

The Chiefs (8-3) are coming off an overtime win on the road at Denver and are in second place in the AFC West.\u00a0Andy Reid<\/strong>‘s team\u00a0will have difficult tests in the next two weeks, when they take on\u00a0two high scoring offenses.\u00a0The Chiefs are on the road\u00a0at the Atlanta\u00a0Falcons<\/strong> in Week 13 and home against the Raiders in Week 14. From there\u00a0Oakland will\u00a0play the Tennessee Titans<\/strong>, who are competing for a divisional title of their own, and then have a rematch against the Broncos at home.\u00a0The Raiders\u00a0finish up their season on the road at San Diego. That tough schedule aside, the Chiefs are built to be a playoff team. They have a top defense, a strong run game, and a reliable quarterback, in Alex Smith<\/strong><\/a>,\u00a0who keeps the club moving.<\/p>\n

Denver Broncos<\/h3>\n

The next contender in the AFC West are the Broncos, the defending Super Bowl champions. The Broncos (7-4) have been able to overcome the loss of Peyton Manning<\/strong> <\/a>by running the ball and playing great defense. This week they travel East to play the Jacksonville Jaguars<\/strong> who shouldn’t give Denver\u00a0much of a problem.<\/p>\n

But\u00a0the Broncos\u00a0away schedule gets tougher from there with games at Tennessee\u00a0in Week 14 and a rematch with the\u00a0Chiefs at\u00a0Kansas City\u00a0in Week 16. Their home schedule may be even more difficult with the Patriots sandwiched in between the above mentioned games in Week 15 and then another matchup with the Raiders in Week 17, to finish the regular season.<\/p>\n

San Diego Chargers<\/h3>\n

The Chargers (5-6)\u00a0have, so far, been unable to\u00a0overcome their slow start to the 2016 season, or with the\u00a0injuries to many of their offensive playmakers.\u00a0But the Chargers could still have a real\u00a0impact the\u00a0divisional race.\u00a0Mike McCoy<\/strong>‘s team has\u00a0already played the Broncos twice, but they have remaining home games against the Raiders in Week 15 and the Chiefs in Week 17. Those games could have very real implications in the race for the division crown.<\/p>\n

Another team that has a chance to make a major impact\u00a0in the AFC West down the stretch\u00a0is the Titans. Mike Mularkey<\/strong>‘s team\u00a0will play\u00a0the Broncos at home in Week 14 and at the Chiefs in Week 15. The Titans are currently\u00a0battling the Houston Texans<\/strong>\u00a0to try to win the\u00a0AFC South and will no doubt be ready to go for these games.<\/p>\n

It is great to see football games with meaning late in the season. With the Raiders, Chiefs, and Broncos all vying for a divisional title and a playoff spot, these next few week weeks will be very interesting In the AFC West. It may all come down to Week 17 with the Raiders at the Broncos and the Chiefs at the Chargers. These games will likely determine not only the divisional champion, but which of these teams receive wild card bids.<\/p>\n

Main Photo<\/p>\n

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Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n