A look around the AFC West at the quarter mark of the season

Oct 06, 2026 at 02:20 PM

Digital Team Reporter

The Las Vegas Raiders find themselves ranked second in the AFC West division with a 3-1 record at the quarter mark of the season.

They've split their two divisional games so far, with a commanding win against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2 and a three-point loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last Sunday.

Heading into the second quarter of the 2026 NFL season, here's a look where the four teams in the AFC West stand.

Kansas City Chiefs (4-0)

The Chiefs hold the top spot in the division after narrowly handing the Las Vegas Raiders their first loss of the season and moving to 4-0.

It seems Kansas City is back on the right track after their 6-11 record in 2025 – their worst mark in over a decade. Key offseason additions included Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker III, who's leading the league in rushing yards with 537. He rushed for a career-high 177 yards and two touchdowns in Week 4 against the Raiders, averaging a whopping eight yards a carry.

Offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy also returned to the fold after being away from the team for three seasons. The Chiefs were a top five ranked scoring offense in four out of five seasons of Bieniemy's first tenure with the team. Through four games in 2026, the Chiefs are third in total yardage (1,648) and sixth in points per game (29.5). Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, coming off a torn ACL, has thrown for 1,037 yards and nine touchdowns.

The defense is also holding up its end of the bargain, ranking in the top 10 in fewest points allowed (77), fewest penalty yards committed (176) and takeaways (seven).

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Las Vegas Raiders (3-1)

It took three weeks for the Raiders to match their win total from last season.

With a new head coach, new quarterback and new identity, things are panning out well early for the Silver and Black. Klint Kubiak brought a winning culture with him from the Seahawks, coming off a Super Bowl title as their offensive coordinator. Bringing Andrew Janocko and Rick Dennison with him, the Raiders offense has transformed into one of the best in the league. They're averaging 28.8 points per game, and eight different players having scored a scrimmage touchdown.

Quarterback Kirk Cousins has found renewed energy with Kubiak. The 15-year veteran is tied for the league lead in passing touchdowns (11) and ranks ninth in passer success rate (48.3%).

The defense has also played up to high standard. Through four games, the Raiders defense is first in takeaways with nine and leads the league in quarterback knockdown percentage (15.9%). Additionally, they rank second in quarterback pressure percentage (35.6%) and are tied for fifth in quarterback sacks (12) as seven different players have recorded at least 1.0 sack. Free agent signing Nakobe Dean is tied for the league lead in forced fumbles (three) and ranks second in solo tackles (25).

Denver Broncos (2-2)

The defending AFC West champions have gone through a gauntlet to start their season. The combined record of their first four opponents is currently 13-3.

Regardless, they've pulled out two quality wins against the reigning AFC South Champion Jacksonville Jaguars and a Los Angeles Rams team led by 2025 NFL MVP Matthew Stafford. Denver's dominant defense has taken a hit due to injuries and losing several core players in free agency. They've allowed the fifth-most yards to opposing offenses (1,500) and are 17th in points allowed per game (23.5).

The offense has struggled at times as well, still becoming acclimated to new offensive coordinator and play-caller Davis Webb. Quarterback Bo Nix has completed 60% of his passes with a 5:3 touchdown to interception ratio. And despite only being pressured on 32.2% of his dropbacks, he has a -0.09 EPA per dropback. The Broncos have also rushed for the fourth-fewest yards (325) in the league to start the season.

Los Angeles Chargers (0-4)

The Chargers are one of five winless teams remaining in the NFL.

Not much has gone well for Los Angeles after coming into the 2026 season with a new offensive and defensive coordinator. The Chargers offense has scored the fourth-fewest amount of points in the league (67) and their 10 committed turnovers are tied for the most in the league. The Raiders forced three of those turnovers in their 26-14 Week 3 victory inside SoFi Stadium.

Two-time Pro Bowler Justin Herbert has been sacked 12 times. His 59.7% completion percentage is his lowest mark to date in his seven-year career. This could also be related to the Chargers allowing a 10.6% quarterback pressure rate, the third-highest in the league, per Next Gen Stats. The Chargers receivers' 34 dropped passes are tied for fourth-most in the league.

With Chris O'Leary taking over the defense, things haven't been much better on that side of the ball. The Bolts are allowing the eighth-most points per game (26.5). While their seven takeaways ranks in the top 10 of the league, it hasn't been enough to supplement their offensive woes.

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Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Nakobe Dean (17) defends during the regular season home game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium.