The AFC West was arguably the toughest division in football in 2016, and in 2017, plenty of exciting matchups are ahead.
The 2016 AFC West was quite fun to watch, as three of the four teams were in the race for a playoff spot into the final weeks of the season. The Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs battled it out for the division title up until Week 17, with the Raiders locking it up with a win at Denver. The division will play against the AFC East and NFC East, and also will take on teams from the AFC South and North based on finish.
The 2017 season is a long ways away, but lets take a look at the schedules for the four AFC West teams.
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos failed to repeat as Super Bowl champions in 2016, and in fact, they failed to even reach the playoffs. The team inserted a first-year starter in Trevor Siemian as their quarterback, after he beat out rookie Paxton Lynch and veteran Mark Sanchez in the preseason. Denver’s defense proved to be elite once again in 2016, but it was not enough for a return trip to the playoffs. In 2017, the Broncos will take on their three divisional foes at home, as well as the New England Patriots, New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, and Cincinnati Bengals.
On the road, the Broncos will head east outside of their conference schedule, including stops in Washington and Philadelphia. In addition, Denver will travel to take on the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins for games against the two AFC East teams, and will take on either the Tennessee Titans or Indianapolis Colts from the AFC South. The Broncos should once again be loaded on defense, and it will be up to either Siemian or Lynch to lead the way offensively in 2017.
Kansas City Chiefs
One of the more well-balanced teams in the NFL in 2016, the Kansas City Chiefs battled it out with the Oakland Raiders for the division title into Week 17. The Chiefs defense was one of the best in the league, and rookie Tyreek Hill became a superstar once Jeremy Maclin went down with an injury. As they head into the postseason, all eyes are on the prize, but the 2017 season is also in the distant view. Kansas City will play host to their three divisional foes at Arrowhead Stadium, as well as Buffalo, Miami, Philadelphia, and either the Baltimore Ravens or Pittsburgh Steelers from the AFC North.
The Chiefs are almost impossible to beat at home, but they are also pretty solid on the road. They have a style of play that fits no matter the venue, and in 2017, they will travel east to take on some of the best in the business. In addition to playing their division rivals, the Chiefs will take on New England, both New York teams, Dallas, and either Houston, Tennessee, or Indy on the road. Kansas City will be playing plenty of divisional winners from 2016 next season, as they look to continue their winning ways.
Oakland Raiders
What a season it has been for the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders will enter the playoffs for the first time since 2002, though they will have to do it without Derek Carr, who broke his leg in the team’s Week 16 win against the Indianapolis Colts. Still, it has been an incredible return to prominence for the once-proud franchise, who will look to make a run this January. In 2017, the Raiders will host their AFC West mates, as well as New England, both New York teams, Dallas, and either Pittsburgh or Baltimore. That is a pretty rough home schedule for the Silver and Black.
The road schedule will also include some tough matchups, including a trip to Arrowhead Stadium to take on the hated Chiefs. Oakland will also play San Diego and Denver away from the Oakland Coliseum, in addition to Buffalo, Miami, Philadelphia, Washington, and either Houston, Tennessee, or Indianapolis. If they hope to return to a second straight postseason, they will have to navigate quite a tough schedule in 2017.
San Diego Chargers
Of all the teams in the AFC West, the San Diego Chargers were the only ones to not battle it out late for a shot at the playoffs. Still, this Chargers team battled some devastating injuries this season, and were able to be competitive in nearly every game. They have some nice pieces in place heading into next season, and they do get games against the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns. At home, the Bolts will take on their divisional foes as well as Buffalo, Miami, Philadelphia, Washington, and the Browns. The only question is, where is home?
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On the road, San Diego will have some tough trips, as they will have to take on three division champs away from home. Outside of their AFC West games, San Diego will travel to New England, to New York to take on both the Jets and Giants, Dallas, and Jacksonville. They have won games they should definitely win their schedule, but the real issue is going to be how they play against some of the best teams in the league in 2017.