The Kansas City Chiefs secured their 11th win of the season on Sunday and clinched an AFC West title, marking their seventh-straight season winning the division. The Denver Broncos, meanwhile, suffered an ugly loss that was a big blow to the team’s playoff hopes.
Denver still has a chance — albeit a slim chance — to finish in second place in the AFC West this season. Here’s a look at the current division standings going into Week 17.
| Team | Record | Div. | Conf. |
| Kansas City Chiefs* | 11-4 | 4-1 | 6-4 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 8-7 | 2-2 | 5-5 |
| Las Vegas Raiders | 8-7 | 2-3 | 6-4 |
| Denver Broncos | 7-8 | 1-3 | 3-7 |
The Broncos will play the Chargers on the road this week before hosting the Chiefs in their season finale in Week 18. If Denver wins out, the team could finish in second place in the division if the Raiders lose out.
If the Broncos aren’t going to make the playoffs anyway, though, finishing the season in the bottom of the division would give the team an easier schedule in 2022 and a bad record would give the team a high draft pick.
Denver still has a chance (a very slim chance) to make the postseason, so the team will keep fighting, but it’s been another disappointing year overall for the Broncos.
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