AFC West Watch for Week 4

The AFC West has taken on a familiar form after three weeks at the top. The Kansas City Chiefs remain undefeated and lead the division. The Los Angeles Chargers took a step back after Week 3. The Las Vegas Raiders also suffered a surprising defeat.

The Broncos may be at the bottom of the division, but their trend arrow points up while the Raiders and Chargers’ arrows point down. Still, everyone is chasing the Chiefs.

The Broncos’ matchup with the Jets could tell us a lot about whether or not this trend arrow is accurate. Meanwhile, there’s a divisional game for the top two teams this week, with the Raiders hosting the Browns.

Browns (1-2) vs. Raiders (1-2)

The Cleveland Browns will arrive in Las Vegas with question marks, especially regarding their high-paid, underperforming QB. Deshaun Watson’s return to the NFL has been shaky, and he’ll be going up against a furious Raiders defense that was just humiliated by a Carolina Panthers team that traded its young QB Bryce Young for Andy Dalton.

The Browns are 1.5 point underdogs in this matchup, but the home team has a 3-point lead, so we’ll call it a pick ’em.

Both teams have injury problems. Both teams are struggling to get points. Both teams are bad. The Raiders have given up over 80 points this season, which could be exactly what a poor Brown offense needs to get going.

Chiefs (3:0) vs. Chargers (2:1)

The team to beat in the entire NFL sits comfortably at the top of the AFC West. The Chiefs just keep winning games. Meanwhile, the Chargers have had some bad luck with injuries. Justin Herbert’s severe ankle sprain will be a season-long issue.

Add to that the fact that Joe Alt (out, knee) and Rashawn Slater (DNP, chest) are both injured, and the Chargers’ offensive line becomes a big factor. The Chiefs are the favorites away from home with 7.5 points. Nobody expects the Chargers to do anything in this game.

The league lead could shift a bit if the Broncos can get a win against the Jest. However, one thing remains the same: This is currently the Chiefs’ division.