Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season is in the books. Per usual, the opening slate of games offered some shocking moments, some tight finishes, and a few comeback victories.
The Kansas City Chiefs got a win that could give them a key tiebreaker over an AFC contender. Meanwhile, the rest of the AFC West started about as varying as you may have expected. The Broncos got more points via their kicking game and their defense creating safeties than they did from the offensive unit. Additionally, each of the Raiders and the Chargers started slow in a division matchup before L.A. pulled away in the second half.
How do the teams in the AFC West division stack up entering Week 2? Plus, what is each team possibly looking to improve following the first contest of the season? Here is how we view the current AFC West power rankings.
1. Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs did something on banner night that they did not do the year before. Kansas City successfully defended their home turf in an early test against the Baltimore Ravens. It was not all perfect for the defending champs. Though, you can see how the Chiefs can potentially be more explosive on offense this season. Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy shined among pass catchers. A Patrick Mahomes interception and a few drops were the only offensive killers.
Kansas City is still sitting comfortably atop the AFC West, and the AFC, in general. Other teams that are considered top options to take the Chiefs down either lost in Week 1 or needed a late comeback.
Outside of drops, this Chiefs team may look to improve their play in the spine of the defense. Lamar Jackson taking off and running was not a major surprise. However, K.C. failed to read and react to that quickly out of the gate. Additionally, passes in the middle of the field were very easy completions, especially against linebackers.
2. Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers rode a dominant second half to an early win in the division. After giving up a receiving touchdown to Alexander Mattison, the Bolts forced four punts and three turnovers against the Raiders offense. For a defense that is facing some depth questions, that had to be encouraging to see for the new regime in Los Angeles. Having that ability to change momentum defensively will be crucial for the Chargers in the early stages of the Jim Harbaugh era.
As for where this team could be looking to improve, more rhythm and consistency on offense will be worth monitoring. LA was just four out of 15 on offensive third-down attempts. And even in the red zone, Justin Herbert's unit provided a mixed bag and left some points on the board. Getting more efficient through the air will be an area of development.
3. Las Vegas Raiders
A pitiful second half was clouded by a skirmish late in the game. This moment displayed that the Raiders are still stuck in their own ways that have hurt them for multiple decades.
Another image that proved that point further was erratic quarterback play. Gardner Minshew did not have the worst quarterback performance of the weekend. However, he failed to give Las Vegas a fighting chance when needing to come through in a major spot. Outside of the turnovers and ball security, Minshew recognized and reacted quickly enough against pressure.
There are many areas to improve if you look at the Raiders. But most of all, game management is going to be fascinating to watch for in the coming weeks. Vegas made some questionable decisions on when to give the ball back to the Chargers. With an opponent like Baltimore coming up next week, those choices will have to be better executed and tighter against a team that rarely makes mistakes in that area.
4. Denver Broncos
Bo Nix had a tough showing in his NFL debut in Seattle. There were still some throws that Nix fit into tight windows and kept some drives alive. However, he stared down his target far too often, an easy hiccup for incoming rookie quarterbacks. Some throws also got away from him and completely missed the target.
An area of improvement for Denver may include balancing the offense and taking some pressure off of Nix with the run game. Not doing that off the bat was a little shocking, given Sean Payton's experience.
Defensively, it was actually more solid than bad for the Broncos. Denver got early pressure on Geno Smith. The battle between Pat Surtain II and DK Metcalf certainly got to the Seattle wide receiver's head from time to time. If they can continue to create frustration as a pass defense, the Broncos could give themselves a fighting chance with perhaps closer contests.