The Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs have jointly controlled the AFC West for sixteen seasons. The Chiefs began the run in 2010, the Broncos won the division from 2011 to 2015 and again last season, and Kansas City captured nine straight titles from 2016 to 2024, with quarterback Patrick Mahomes leading most of them.
This season, the 5-1 Chiefs and 5-2 Broncos have separated themselves from the Las Vegas Raiders and the winless Los Angeles Chargers. They meet for a second regular-season game Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High. Kansas City won the first meeting 31-10 in a Week 1 rout. A Chiefs win would give them a 1½-game lead and the head-to-head tiebreaker, while a Broncos win would give Denver a half-game lead heading into the back half of the season.
Broncos tackle Mike McGlinchey called Kansas City the litmus test since he entered the league. ESPN's Nate Taylor and Jeff Legwold said the Chiefs want to show last season was a blip, and their schedule gets tougher after this game, with the Bills, Rams, Bengals, 49ers and Patriots ahead.
For Denver, tiebreakers will matter if it hopes to reach the playoffs, and a split with Kansas City would help. The Broncos' schedule eases after Sunday, with games against the Raiders (twice), Jets, Dolphins and Chargers. Kansas City is expected to lean on running back Kenneth Walker III, who was held to 36 rushing yards in a Week 7 loss to Seattle but has a knack for making defenders miss. Denver has struggled with tackling at times this season, which the Chiefs may try to exploit.
Source: ESPN NFL · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing