NFL standings, Week 8: Chiefs remain clear leaders of AFC West

A look at NFL standings shows the Kansas City Chiefs with a clear lead in the AFC West.

Midway through the season, the Kansas City Chiefs have solidified their position are the clear leader of the AFC West. They are second in the AFC to the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers.

This week, Miami Dolphins rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa made his debut as an NFL starter. The Dolphins defense stole the show, and Tagovailoa had a mediocre stat line, but the Dolphins certainly looked like an improved team. Tagovailoa ended the day with a mere 12 completions on 22 attempts for 93 yards and 1 touchdown, but still got his first NFL victory under his belt.

In the AFC West, the Kansas City Chiefs lived up to expectations against the winless New York Jets and blew them out of the water. For the second consecutive game, the Chiefs put in backup quarterback Chad Henne, but that’s not because quarterback Patrick Mahomes played poorly. Mahomes carved up the Jets, throwing for 416 yards and 5 touchdowns on 31/42 completions.

Chiefs running backs Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Le’Veon Bell combined for only 28 rushing yards on a combined 12 carries, but the Chiefs didn’t need a rushing game to take down the Jets. The Chiefs ultimately cruised to a 35-9 victory.

The Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos faced off in a thriller. Both offenses were lackluster in the first half, as they went into halftime with the Chargers leading 14-3. Rookie quarterback Justin Herbert had yet another solid game for the Chargers, completing 29/43 passes for 278 yards, 3 touchdowns, but he threw 2 interceptions which proved to be costly as the Chargers were unable to hold on to their lead.

Things looked dismal for the Broncos as they trailed 24-3 in the third quarter, but quarterback Drew Lock led them to a fourth quarter comeback victory. Lock completed 26 of 41 passes for 248 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception. He capped off a 21-point fourth quarter with the game-winning touchdown pass as the Broncos won the thrilling matchup 31-30.

Elsewhere, the Las Vegas Raiders had a boring game against the Cleveland Browns. Quarterback Derek Carr completed 15/24 passes for 112 yards and 1 touchdown, but running back Josh Jacobs literally carried the Raiders to victory. Jacobs rushed 31 times for 128 yards and led the Raiders en route to a 16-6 victory.

Here’s a look at the full NFL standings:

AFC East

1. Buffalo Bills 6-2-0
2. Miami Dolphins 4-3-0
3. New England Patriots 2-5-0
4. New York Jets 0-8-0

AFC West

1. Kansas City Chiefs 7-1-0
2. Las Vegas Raiders 4-3-0
3. Denver Broncos 3-4-0
4. Los Angeles Chargers 2-5-0

AFC North

1. Pittsburgh Steelers 7-0-0
2. Baltimore Ravens 5-2-0
3. Cleveland Browns 5-3-0
4. Cincinatti Bengals 2-5-1

AFC South

1. Tennessee Titans 5-2-0
2. Indianapolis Colts 5-2-0
3. Houston Texas 1-6-0
4. Jacksonville Jaguars 1-6-0

NFC East

1. Philadelphia Eagles 3-4-1
2. Washington Football team 2-5-0
3. Dallas Cowboys 2-6-0
4. New York Giants 1-7-0

NFC West

1. Seattle Seahawks 6-1-0
2. Arizona Cardinals 5-2-0
3. Los Angeles Rams 5-3-0
4. San Francisco 49ers 4-4-0

NFC North

1. Green Bay Packers 5-2-0
2. Chicago Bears 5-3-0
3. Detroit Lions 3-4-0
4. Minnesota Vikings 2-5-0

NFC South

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6-2-0
2. New Orleans Saints 5-2-0
3. Carolina Panthers 3-5-0
4. Atlanta Falcons 2-6-0