After a 5-0 start to the 2026 season, the Kansas City Chiefs are now 5-2 and losers of two straight. That's a respectable record on the surface, but the loss to the Broncos makes things look much worse for Kansas City. Denver improved to 6-2 and moved ahead of the Chiefs in the AFC West, leaving Kansas City looking up at its division rival in the standings.
With that said, the division race is far from over. We're just eight weeks into the 2026 campaign, meaning we're approaching the halfway point of the regular season. That gives the Chiefs plenty of opportunities to catch Denver while also putting pressure on the Broncos to maintain their lead.
Before we dive into the upcoming schedules, let's take a look at the AFC West standings after the first eight weeks of action.
AFC West standings after Week 8
1. Denver Broncos (6-2)
2. Kansas City Chiefs (5-2)
3. Las Vegas Raiders (4-4)
4. Los Angeles Chargers (0-7)
As you can see, the Broncos hold a slight edge after their recent win, though they've also played one more game than Kansas City, since Denver has yet to have its bye week. While the Raiders are mathematically still alive in the AFC West title race, let's be real—this is a two-horse race between the Chiefs and the Broncos, so we'll just focus on them.
Comparing the Chiefs' and Broncos' remaining schedules
Chiefs' Remaining Schedule | Broncos' Remaining Schedule |
|---|---|
Week 9 vs. Jets (2-6) | Week 9 at Panthers (3-5) |
Week 10 at Falcons (3-5) | Week 10 Bye |
Week 11 vs. Cardinals (3-5) | Week 11 vs. Raiders (4-4) |
Week 12 at Bills (6-1) | Week 12 at Steelers (6-2) |
Week 13 at Rams (4-4) | Week 13 vs. Dolphins (1-6) |
Week 14 at Bengals (5-2) | Week 14 at Jets (2-6) |
Week 15 vs. Patriots (5-3) | Week 15 at Raiders (4-4) |
Week 16 vs. 49ers (5-1) | Week 16 vs. Bills (6-1) |
Week 17 at Chargers (0-7) | Week 17 at Patriots (5-3) |
Week 18 vs. Raiders (4-4) | Week 18 vs. Chargers (0-7) |
What makes the Chiefs' trek to the AFC West title tougher is that the Broncos are exiting the difficult portion of their schedule, and they're still 6-2. They already played the Rams, 49ers, and Seahawks and went 2-1 in those games.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs have only played one of those teams and lost to the Seahawks two weeks ago. They still have games against the Bills, Rams, and 49ers, while the Broncos only have one of those teams remaining on their schedule.
The Broncos do have a late-season matchup against the Bills, but unlike Kansas City, they'll get to play Buffalo in Denver. The schedule comparisons definitely favor the Broncos on paper.
That being said, there's a reason teams play the games every week. Sure, the Broncos have some "easier" games on their schedule down the stretch, such as the Dolphins and Jets, but anything can happen in those games. Miami played the Chiefs tough, and the Jets have been capable of making games close this season.
How can the Chiefs reclaim AFC West throne?
Obviously, the easy answer here is to just take it one game at a time and win each week. If the Chiefs take care of business each week, that's all they can do to help their case at this point.
The next three games for both sides will be really important. The Chiefs have a favorable slate of the Jets, Falcons, and Cardinals, with two of those games taking place at Arrowhead, while the Broncos will have the Panthers on the road, a bye week, and then host the Raiders. If the Chiefs sweep their next three games and the Broncos lose either of theirs, then K.C. is back in front.
Of course, from there, things get "easier" for Denver and more difficult for the Chiefs. Kansas City has three straight road games against tough opponents (Bills, Rams, and Bengals), while the Broncos play in Pittsburgh, host the Dolphins, and then travel to play the Jets. That will be a tough few weeks for the Chiefs, and it's entirely possible that this is when the division is won or lost for them. They cannot go winless against those three teams and hope to still win the AFC West.
Things don't necessarily get easier for the Chiefs from there, either. They return home to Arrowhead but host the Patriots and 49ers, two teams that made the playoffs a season ago. They finish their season against the Chargers and Raiders.
Meanwhile, the Broncos will play on the road against the Raiders, at home against the Bills, in New England against the Patriots, and then close out their season at home vs. the Chargers. I hate to say it, but the schedule definitely favors the Broncos.
But again, the Chiefs need to not look this far ahead and take it one game at a time. They've had more difficult schedules than this before and found ways to be the best team in the division at the end of the season. Hopefully, Bo Nix's struggles continue and cost the Broncos some games. Otherwise, it's going to be tough for the Chiefs to reclaim their AFC West crown.
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