{"id":414182,"date":"2025-10-02T12:57:10","date_gmt":"2025-10-02T12:57:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/414182\/"},"modified":"2025-10-02T12:57:10","modified_gmt":"2025-10-02T12:57:10","slug":"chiefs-ramping-up-raiders-capsizing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/414182\/","title":{"rendered":"Chiefs Ramping Up, Raiders Capsizing"},"content":{"rendered":"

After another week of AFC West action, it is time to update our power rankings for the division. We had a couple of surprising results this week for the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers\u2026 and some very predictable ones for the Las Vegas Raiders<\/a> and Denver Broncos. Let\u2019s see if that created any movement in the rankings.<\/p>\n

4. Las Vegas Raiders<\/p>\n

Trending: Steady\u00a0<\/p>\n

There were some legitimately positive takeaways from the Raiders\u2019 Week 4 loss to the Bears. The offensive line showed marked improvement, creating running lanes that allowed rookie running back Ashton Jeanty to finally break out with his most productive performance of the season. The defensive front also turned in one of its best efforts, generating consistent pressure and controlling the line of scrimmage for much of the game.<\/p>\n

Las Vegas even appeared to be on the verge of victory, setting up a potential game-winning field goal in the closing moments. But Daniel Carlson\u2019s attempt was blocked, sealing a bitter defeat that left the Raiders still searching for answers.<\/p>\n

Geno Smith\u2019s three turnovers proved too costly to overcome, continuing a troubling trend that has characterized the Raiders\u2019 struggles early in the season. Unless the offense can significantly reduce mistakes, particularly at the quarterback position, the team\u2019s margin for error will remain exceedingly slim\u2014regardless of how well the rest of the roster performs.<\/p>\n

3. Kansas City Chiefs<\/p>\n

Trending: Up<\/p>\n

The Chiefs are beginning to resemble their former selves once again. The return of Xavier Worthy undoubtedly contributed to this<\/a>, as the offense found its rhythm and balance in a convincing 37-20 victory over the Ravens. Kansas City moved the ball effectively, distributing touches among its playmakers and keeping Baltimore\u2019s defense on its toes for much of the afternoon.<\/p>\n

Of course, the question remains whether this performance was more about the Chiefs rounding back into form or the Ravens showing signs of decline. Baltimore has looked uneven through the early part of the season, and it is possible this lopsided result says more about the opponent than it does about Kansas City.<\/p>\n

The defending champions undeniably appeared sharper and more complete than in their recent performances. If this truly represents a turning point, it could signal the start of the Chiefs\u2019 ascent back up the rankings and toward their typical position among the elite in the AFC.<\/p>\n

2. Denver Broncos<\/p>\n

Trending: Steady\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sorry, Broncos fans, you do not get any bonus points for stomping out a Jake Browning-led Bengals team. The Denver defense was impressive, aggressively pursuing the ball and taking advantage of a struggling Cincinnati offense. The offense also performed effectively, providing steady production that was enough to ensure the victory.<\/p>\n

However, this is the kind of game that Denver should easily win. The Bengals were missing Joe Burrow and lacked the offensive strength to seriously challenge the Broncos\u2019 performance. For a team aiming for the playoffs, handling these situations effectively is anticipated, not something to be celebrated.<\/p>\n

The victory still holds value. Wins are at a premium in the AFC, and Denver did what it needed to do. But the real test will come when the Broncos face playoff-caliber opponents, the kind of matchups that will ultimately define their season. Until then, defeating an undermanned Bengals squad feels less like a bold statement and more like routine operations<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1. Los Angeles Chargers<\/p>\n

Trending: Down\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Chargers came crashing back down to earth in their Week 4 loss to the New York Giants<\/a>. On paper, Los Angeles looked poised to cruise against a struggling New York team breaking in a rookie quarterback making his NFL debut. Instead, the Chargers stumbled.<\/p>\n

The Giants\u2019 young quarterback displayed impressive poise that belied his experience. He delivered key throws and avoided the costly mistakes that many anticipated. While this performance warrants recognition, it does not fully account for the underwhelming showing from Los Angeles. The Chargers\u2019 offense struggled throughout the game, unable to establish rhythm or consistency against a defense that has had its challenges this season.<\/p>\n

For a team with playoff aspirations, this performance raises significant questions. Was it merely a flat afternoon, or does it signal the onset of a more serious problem? LA has the talent to compete with the AFC\u2019s best, but they can\u2019t afford to make mistakes. Their failure to secure a victory against a Giants team that was clearly the underdog is the type of misstep that could haunt them as the season progresses.<\/p>\n

The Chargers should closely monitor this situation as they strive to regain momentum in the upcoming weeks.<\/p>\n

MORE: Catch Up On All Of Our AFC West Coverage!<\/a><\/p>\n

*Top Photo: Ramble Illustration\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Join The Ramble Email List<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"After another week of AFC West action, it is time to update our power rankings for the division.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":361288,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2065],"tags":[1991,7,110,1744,393,2455,2454,6,525],"class_list":{"0":"post-414182","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-las-vegas-raiders","8":"tag-afc-west","9":"tag-football","10":"tag-kansas-city-chiefs","11":"tag-las-vegas","12":"tag-las-vegas-raiders","13":"tag-lasvegas","14":"tag-lasvegasraiders","15":"tag-nfl","16":"tag-raiders"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/115304690617481175","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/414182","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=414182"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/414182\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/361288"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=414182"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=414182"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=414182"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}