How every AFC West team could win the division in 2020

Kansas City Chiefs

Overview

At this point, it seems obvious that Kansas City has the clearest path to winning the AFC West. After winning the Super Bowl, there is very little doubt about who is in control of the division. With the Raiders and Broncos bulking up on offensive weapons in the draft, it appears that the goal is not to slow the Chiefs down, but to keep up with them in a track meet. Adding Clyde Edwards-Helaire to the roster gives Patrick Mahomes an even more talented cast to work with.

Steve Spagnuolo and the Kansas City defense made steady improvement throughout last season. Tyrann Mathieu became the heart of the defense and emerged as one of the NFL’s top safeties. Frank Clark and Chris Jones are a talent pass-rushing duo and younger players such as Charvarius Ward emerging to be playmakers in the backfield. While it is unclear how much the defense will improve next season, it was talented enough to dominate the AFC West and ultimately win the Super Bowl.

No one loses a step

The Chiefs have been very vocal in their commitment to “run it back.” In order to do so, they will need everyone’s best. Among these players that must be at their best, Travis Kelce recently re-signed but is not as young as he once was and Patrick Mahomes has increasingly high expectations. The Chiefs have opponents that have been getting younger and more talented. The Chiefs must have an answer.

Youngsters like Mecole Hardman and Clyde Edwards-Helaire must keep the offense moving forward while players like Travis Kelce and Mitchell Schwartz begin to finish the better parts of their career. The Chiefs must continue to develop players to stay on top of the heap on the offensive side of the ball.

Patrick Mahomes remains on top

Patrick Mahomes has won an MVP and Super Bowl MVP in his first two years as a starter. Many analysts believe that Mahomes is the best quarterback in football, and with a resumé like his, it is easy to see why. Expectations are incredibly high for the young superstar, but if the Chiefs hope to stay on top, he must stay at the top of his game.

While the Raiders are the laughing stock of the AFC West at the quarterback position, Drew Lock and Justin Herbert have tremendous potential. While it seems unlikely that Lock or Herbert overtake Mahomes as the “top gun in the West,” it is possible that one of these young quarterbacks evens the playing field in the future. Mahomes must continue to be electric and at the top of his game to remain atop the AFC West and the NFL.

Defensive step forward

While the Chiefs had a rough start to the season last year on the defensive side of the ball, they came together and made a great push to the Super Bowl. Spagnuolo loved to use guys as chess pieces in the defensive backfield. With great versatility, the Chiefs prospered. Now, they must be even better.

As mentioned already, the AFC West has decided that the only way to compete with Kansas City is to join the track meet and engage in shootouts as much as possible. All three of their opponents added offensive players with their top picks in the hope that they could put up more points. The Chiefs retained many of their defenders and added some talent in the draft. With the fresh talent in the AFC West, the Chiefs must put together a better start than last season and push themselves for another championship run.