NFL Power Rankings: Division rankings
By Brad Rowland
5) AFC West
The AFC West joins the NFC East (who happens to be ranked eighth on this list) as the only divisions to generate 1-3 marks in during week one. We’ll start with the positive, however, as the Denver Broncos are really, really good. Peyton Manning and company didn’t miss a beat without Wes Welker in generating 31 points in their opener, and defensively, the Broncos made several key additions (DeMarcus Ware, Aqib Talib, etc.) to bolster an already solid group.
That said, the rest of the division did not excel, and if not for Denver, they would certainly be ranked quite a bit lower. The San Diego Chargers blew a massive late lead in an ugly loss to the Arizona Cardinals, but they do remain the consensus number two team in the division, especially on the heels of a blowout loss sustained by the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs are a prime target for this season’s “team of regression” and the offensive firepower simply isn’t there outside of Jamaal Charles.
Lastly, the Oakland Raiders are the Oakland Raiders, and they drove their impotence home during a 19-14 loss to the New York Jets. Derek Carr might be a competent quarterback down the line, but for now, he is a bottom-tier option, and with virtually no star power anywhere on the roster, things could get ugly in a hurry.