KC Chiefs on the brink of an AFC West record-breaking season

The Kansas City Chiefs‘ overtime win over the Los Angeles Chargers last Thursday tipped the scales in favor of the Chiefs to win the AFC West title in this tumultuous season.

With the win, Kansas City moved to 10-4. The Chiefs currently stand at two games ahead of the Chargers (8-6) in the division race, with just three games left in the regular season.

Andy Reid‘s squad has won the division in each of the last five seasons, and that’s been done twice before in this division. The 2011-2015 Broncos and the 1972-1976 Raiders each won five consecutive AFC West crowns.

By winning the division again in 2021, the Chiefs can also accomplish something that no AFC West team has ever done.

But no team has ever won six.

Kansas City’s current dominance of the division has reflected well in head-to-head matchups. The Chiefs are 30-5 in divisional games since their streak began (and one of those five losses was a meaningless Week 17 loss to the Chargers in which the Chiefs intentionally benched most of their starters).

Reid has brought an impressive level of consistency and greatness to this franchise, leading this team to 1st or 2nd-place finishes in the division in every season since his arrival in 2013.

The Chiefs’ magic number to win the division stands at 2. Any combination of two Chiefs wins or two Chargers losses will guarantee the division for the Chiefs.

There are circumstances in which the Broncos or the Raiders could win the division, but they are so minuscule that it’s not even worth your time. This year’s division crown is going to come down to the two teams with elite quarterbacks, and Kansas City’s win last week all but slammed the door on the Chargers.