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AFC West round table: Can the Chiefs make it four division titles in a row?

By Matt Conner

DENVER, CO - OCTOBER 1: Head coach Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs looks on from the sideline during a game against the Denver Broncos at Broncos Stadium at Mile High on October 1, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - OCTOBER 1: Head coach Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs looks on from the sideline during a game against the Denver Broncos at Broncos Stadium at Mile High on October 1, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) /
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We polled the FanSided experts from our AFC West rivals to get an outside perspective on the Chiefs. Today’s subject: a 4th straight division title?

The idea of a four-peat sounds silly.

For fans who were raised watching the Kansas City Chiefs, the ability to win a division title still feels very exciting. It was a big deal to best the Denver Broncos, L.A. Chargers (well, San Diego, really), and Oakland Raiders for a chance to go to the playoffs. These days, under head coach Andy Reid, it’s become old hat and each year, the team is setting another high mark for the franchise.

These days, the Chiefs have won three straight AFC West titles, a run of supremacy never before seen since the team’s inception. Can they make it four in a row? With the reigning MVP at the helm, that’s certainly the hope. In fact, these days it’s expected.

We’ve been polling the experts at each of FanSided’s sites that cover the Chiefs rivals all week, and it felt right to end with a question about the division. Given the changes on defense, the questions around Tyreek Hill, the potential regression on offense and coaching changes, we wanted some perspective on expectations for the Chiefs outside of K.C.

The Chiefs have enjoyed an unprecedented run atop the AFC West (first threepeat in franchise history). Do you believe the division still runs through them in 2019?

Sayre Bedinger (Broncos): The division runs through the Chiefs until it doesn’t. There are other strong contenders, notably the Chargers, but the Chargers didn’t win the AFC West last year, and they certainly don’t have the best home-field advantage in the division. The rest of the teams are looking up.

Travis Wakeman (Chargers): I do, but not by much. The Chargers were able to defeat them at Arrowhead last year and have the kind of defense that might be able to slow that offense down. It will be a terrific neck-and-neck race between those two teams this coming season.

Brad Weiss (Raiders): To be the best you have to beat the best, right? The bottom line is, Mahomes is an absolute freak, and the Chiefs have done enough on both sides of the ball to be the favorite heading into 2019.

However, I think the whole division got better this offseason, including the Raiders, who will have a brand new look on both sides of the ball. Los Angeles won 12 games last year, and Denver has a new head coach, so we will see how that jumpstarts their franchise. Kansas City is the team to beat for sure, and we will get a good matchup early on between the Chiefs and Raiders in Week 2.

Next. The 10 best games of Derrick Thomas' career. dark

[Note: Our appreciation goes out to Sayre Bedinger of Predominantly Orange (Denver Broncos), Brad Weiss of Just Blog Baby (Oakland Raiders), and Travis Wakeman of Bolt Beat (L.A. Chargers) for taking the time to answer our inquiries.]

AFC West Round Table series

  1. Can Patrick Mahomes maintain this level of success?
  2. How have the Chiefs handled the Tyreek Hill saga?
  3. How successful was the Chiefs defensive makeover?
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