NFL Power Rankings: Division Rankings After Week 16

6) AFC West

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. The AFC West once sat atop these rankings, and while I may be punishing them too much for a single week, the group isn’t exactly lighting the world on fire right now. Denver suffered a brutal loss to Cincinnati in Week 16, and Peyton Manning was at the center of the defeat. The “best regular season quarterback in history” has been perfectly ordinary over the past month, issuing more interceptions than touchdowns, and whispers are beginning to increase in volume about the lack of zip on his passes. I’m not “worried” about the Broncos, but it wasn’t encouraging to see Denver’s defense struggle mightily against a virtually one-dimensional Bengals team.

The middle of the division will be ironed out in Week 17, as the Chargers and Chiefs square off, but I’m not a fan of either team. There is something to be said for win-loss records, and both teams are over .500, but I don’t see a playoff-caliber roster in either locale, with Kansas City struggling at quarterback and San Diego simply battered by injuries across the board.

Lastly, I should give a hat-tip to the Oakland Raiders, who have been legitimately frisky in recent weeks. Frisky doesn’t mean good, but Derek Carr appears to be semi-competent as a rookie, and if given the choice between Oakland and the group that includes Tennessee, Jacksonville, etc., I’ll take the Raiders.

Next: NFC East