.png)
2025 NFL Season Preview: AFC West
- Matt Talmage
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
Look at those coaches! Let's dive into what is shaping up to be a very entertaining division in the NFL this season.
Kansas City Chiefs
Highlight From Last Season
The Chiefs made a habit of living on the edge in 2024, pulling out an NFL-record 11 one-score wins during the regular season. They survived wild finishes like a doinked field goal to beat the Chargers, a blocked Broncos game-winner, and a Black Friday botched snap against the Raiders. Even in the playoffs, they edged Buffalo 32–29 in a tense AFC Championship decided by missed two-point attempts and clutch Mahomes heroics. They were basically like that Jesse Pinkman meme from Breaking Bad for 21 weeks in a row.
Lowlight From Last Season
Yeah, unfortunately the 22nd week did not go so well for the Chiefs. They got absolutely picked apart by the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, where they trailed 24-0 at halftime and put me into a coma of sadness on our friend Tom's couch. Why did I choose to watch this game with Eagles fans? Not sure. 0 out of 10 experience. Would not recommend.
Biggest Offseason Storyline
Lol, has their tight end been in the news at all?
QB Situation
Patrick Mahomes, Gardner Minshew
Oh hey, Gardner. What's up? Honestly, I'd be a little scared if I was a Chiefs fan. Minshew seems to start wayyy more games than he probably should. He might have some of that Taranis juju tucked away in his leather pants. Watch your back, Patrick! If you smell gas station cologne, Copenhagen dip, and diesel fuel emanating from a nearby Ford Econoline van, Minshew won't be far away!
2025 Prediction | Under 11.5 wins
Betting against Mahomes is not a profitable undertaking. I'm probably going to wind up with Andy Reid's fried eggs on my face, but the Chiefs went 15-2 last year with just a +59 point differential and a cartoonishly unsustainable 10-0 record in one-score games. That’s not dominance, that’s some Kirk-level 2AM blackjack voodoo magic. Now they’ve got the sixth-toughest schedule, Kelce’s planning the US-equivalent of a royal wedding, Rashee Rice is in suspended, and the O-line still looks patchy. Maybe the Mahomes factor will break math again, but if you’re ever going to fade them, this is the spot.
Las Vegas Raiders
Highlight From Last Season
Brock Bowers set the record for most receptions by a rookie in NFL history, with an insane 112 grabs. This was a nice one.
Lowlight From Last Season
It was all pretty bleak for Raiders fans. Watching Antonio Pierce rotate aimlessly between the aforementioned Gardner Minshew and guy-who-sold-you-a-printer Aidan O'Connell all season must have been pretty lousy. Even worse was this botched snap to blow the upset against their hated division rival. Pierce blamed a phantom whistle. He lasted a few more weeks and was canned after a 4-13 campaign.
Offseason Storyline
It has definitely been a positive offseason in Las Vegas. Aidan O'Connell and Antonio Pierce are out. Geno Smith and Pete Carroll are in. Brock Bowers will look to build on his historic rookie season, and standout freshman Ashton Jeanty enters the back field with a ton of hype. Maxx Crosby worked on his mobility by screaming “LET’S GOOOO” during hot yoga, intimidating the instructor, and staining all the mats with Monster energy drink.
QB Situation
Geno Smith, Kenny Pickett, Aidan O'Connell
Oh... I guess Aidan O'Connell is still here. Oops.
2025 Prediction | Over 6.5 wins
They had 4 wins last year with terrible coaching and a Staples employee at quarterback. Now there are adults in the room with Pete Carroll bringing actual accountability and Geno Smith bringing a veteran presence to the team. Listen, I don't like these guys to make a playoff run or anything. But I think they'll be kind of average.
Los Angeles Chargers
Highlight From Last Season
Beating the Patriots 40-7 at “Foxborough West,” otherwise known as SoFi Stadium when New England’s in town. The only people in Chargers jerseys were ushers and interns handing out free lightning bolt t-shirts, but that didn't stop Herbert and company from laying the smack down.
Lowlight From Last Season
Dropping another stinky fart in a Wild Card playoff game. After jumping out to a 6-0 lead, they thought it would be cool to give up 23 unanswered points to the Texans, who were playing with one healthy receiver. Analytics darling Justin Herbert sure put up some numbers in this one — 1 whole touchdown and 4 picks. Elite stuff.
Offseason Storyline
Najee Harris pulled a Jason Pierre-Paul and shot fireworks into his eye, causing him to miss almost all of training camp. That’s made room for North Carolina product Omarion Hampton at the top of the depth chart. And given how run heavy Harbaugh teams tend to be, this backfield could see more action than an overweight real estate charlatan on Epstein island.
QB Situation
Justin Herbert, Trey Lance
Media darling Justin Herbert is now an incredible 41-38 in his illustrious career, with two playoff starts in which he's thrown for a total of two touchdowns and four interceptions.
2025 Prediction | Under 9.5 wins
See above.
Denver Broncos
Highlight From Last Season
Punting Russell Wilson into the sun, drafting Bo Nix, and putting together a solid season that ended with a Wild Card berth. Not too shabby for a team that was just two years removed from playing in quite possibly the worst football game to ever air on national television.
Lowlight From Last Season
They played a super ugly game against the Jets in which Nix only managed 60 yards passing in torrential rain. But they ended up winning, so we can't count it here. They got drubbed by Buffalo in the Wild Card round, but nobody really expected them to make it that far anyway, so we can't really count that either. The heartbreaker really had to be this:
Offseason Storyline
The Broncos dumped Javonte Williams (who made the league’s best line look like bumper cars) and turned to rookie RJ Harvey, whose UCF tape looked like Madden on rookie mode. With Bo Nix a year older and Sean Payton suddenly telling anyone who will listen how much he loves this roster, Denver doesn’t feel like a rebuild anymore — they feel like a real AFC West problem.
QB Situation
Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham
As a rookie, Bo Nix faced NFL’s fourth-toughest slate of defenses and looked like he could hang. He went 10-5 over Denver’s final 15 games, cut down mistakes, and showed he could push the ball even under pressure. With a year of experience, a top-tier line in front of him, and a real run game behind him, Nix is set up to make the classic Year 2 leap in 2025.
2025 Prediction | Over 9.5 wins
The 2024 Broncos went 1-6 in one-score games, backing into a 10-7 record when they easily could’ve been 15-2. Clean that up, add a stronger roster, and it feels like a no-brainer over. So naturally, I’m calling it a lock — because if there’s one thing history shows, it’s that betting on close-game regression always works out perfectly for me and my FanDuel balance. But seriously, I like this team a lot.
