AFC West power rankings: Who has the best offense?
By Mike Luciano
The AFC West is chock full of explosive offenses. Who has the best of the bunch?
The AFC West might be the best and most competitive division in the league, even considering how the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs have separated from the rest of the pack.
The Denver Broncos have some promising pieces on both sides of the ball, the Los Angeles Chargers have one of the league’s best defenses, and the Las Vegas Raiders have an offense worth keeping an eye on.
Kansas City might be the prohibitive favorites, but the fight for the AFC West crown will once again be a tooth-and-nail grind to the finish given how all four teams in this division improved this offseason.
Considering how all four teams in this division have players that can take over a game on offense, expect a lot of shootouts in the late afternoon window as these teams jockey for position in their division.
Power ranking the best offenses in a loaded AFC West.
. AFC West. . Los Angeles Chargers. 4. team. 13
The Chargers have some uncertainty under center, but there is a lot to like elsewhere on this offense. Even with the loss of Melvin Gordon, Austin Ekeler remains one of the most underrated players at any position after almost totaling 1,000 yards receiving last year.
There are no complaints about the wide receiver room, as they have a good mix of proven studs like Mike Williams and the always entertaining Keenan Allen mixed in with promising youngsters like 2020 draftees Joe Reed and KJ Hill.
Hunter Henry back at tight end is a major bonus for the Chargers. Shane Steichen, who took over as offensive coordinator in 2019, seemed to mesh well with Anthony Lynn’s philosophy, as their between-the-tackles running style and vertical passing game should help the Chargers improve upon 2019.
Los Angeles’ faults on offense start with the quarterback position. Tyrod Taylor has a solid run in Buffalo, and his solid athletic ability will help Lynn run with the quarterback more than he did with the immobile Philip Rivers, but he hasn’t had a starting job since 2018, and he lost that gig after only three starts with the Cleveland Browns.
Justin Herbert has a bazooka for a right arm and the athletic ability necessary to make plays after the pocket collapses, but he is just a rookie that has some decision-making issues post-snap, and he might start the season on the bench. Having a disastrous offensive line that ranks among the league’s worst is the final nail in the coffin that relegates L.A. to No. 4.
The Chargers are a complete wild card that could finish in dead last or make the playoffs. It all depends on how either Taylor or Herbert performs at the quarterback position.