NFL standings: Kansas City Chiefs maintain one-game lead in AFC West

In case you’re curious just how tight the AFC West race was coming into Week 13, the Denver Broncos (who came into the week in last place), were playing the Kansas City Chiefs for the chance to call themselves a first-place team in the division. Fortunately for Chiefs Kingdom, things didn’t work out that way and the Chiefs were able to gain a bit more breathing room against half of the division.

The Los Angeles Chargers came into the week needing to win to keep the pressure on the Chiefs and they did just that against perhaps the toughest team remaining on their schedule: the Cincinnati Bengals. Joe Burrow and the Bengals have playoff hopes of their own as an ascending young team in the conference and a potential new power in the tough AFC North. However, they also showed they’re not quite ready to be the consistent winner by laying an egg in an important game against L.A. The Chargers staved off a Cincy comeback with 17 unanswered points in the fourth.

The Chiefs and Chargers have a single game left and it could be the very one that decides the division. Watch out for that contest in just two weeks on Thursday Night Football.

The Chiefs gained some ground on their AFC West rivals in Week 13.

After losing three games in a row, it looked as if the wheels were falling off the season for the Las Vegas Raiders just over a week ago, but they put up an impressive victory over the Dallas Cowboys to rebound in Week 12. It looked as if they might have enough fight left in them for the stretch run, but the Washington Football Team took the wind out of their sails. They’re now 6-6 and two games behind the Chiefs in the division.

The same can be said for the Broncos as a bit of distance begins to open up. Anything is still possible with so little separation and a handful of games left to play, but each game is growing in importance with each passing week.

Here’s a full rundown of the AFC West standings after Week 13:

1. Kansas City Chiefs – 8-4
2. Los Angeles Chargers – 7-5
3. Las Vegas Raiders – 6-6
4. Denver Broncos – 6-6