NFL Power Rankings: Division Rankings After Week 15

4) AFC West

The AFC West engaged in two divisional battles in Week 15, leaving it difficult for the division to change its overall perception. Still, the Denver Broncos are very good at football, and that is where we begin. Denver has won four straight to grab a tie for the AFC lead with the New England Patriots, and even amid issues with Peyton Manning (who has been both injured and ill), they haven’t missed a beat. The difference with this year’s Broncos squad has been the defense, and I would argue that they are borderline elite on that side of the ball, with a hat-tip to their pass rush.

Kansas City and San Diego are dead-locked at 8-6, but it was a good weekend for the Chiefs. Kansas City simply took care of business in pelting Oakland for 60 minutes, while the Chargers ran into the buzzsaw that is Denver. I’ve been on record, in this space and otherwise, as a non-believer in the Chiefs and that hasn’t changed, but it was nice to see Alex Smith and company show some signs of explosion offensively, albeit against a hapless Raiders team.

Speaking of the Raiders, there isn’t a lot to say. The Derek Carr experiment is still happening, the offensive skill players leave a lot to be desired and, well, the defense is a catastrophe from a personnel standpoint with the exception of a few (ahem, Khalil Mack) spots. The 2015 NFL Draft is just a few months away.

Next: AFC North