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Early 2020 Wins and Losses Projections: AFC West

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Brady Podloski, Dale Money, Ethan Hewett, Sam Schneider | May 10th, 2020

Is this the beginning of a new dynasty? With the Super Bowl winning Kansas City Chiefs, not losing any pieces, it will be difficult for the Broncos, Raiders, and Chargers to compete with them. However, the Broncos, Raiders, and Chargers, each made strides to improve their offenses. This division has the potential for some close and meaningful games to determine who makes the playoffs. With the 2020 schedule set, there are some significant games each AFC West team will play. With that said, this is an eight-part series where our Scorecrow NFL analysts do an early prediction of the wins and losses of each team. We projected all 256 games and have the winners and losers of each division!

Make sure to check out the rest of our record projections here.

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Denver Broncos

Week Home/Away Opponents Brady Dale Ethan Sam
Week 1 Home Titans Loss Loss Loss Win
Week 2 Away Steelers Loss Loss Win Loss
Week 3 Home Buccaneers Loss Loss Win Loss
Week 4 Away Jets Win Win Win Loss
Week 5 Away Patriots Win Win Win Loss
Week 6 Home Dolphins Win Win Win Win
Week 7 Home Cheifs Win Loss Loss Loss
Week 8 Bye Bye
Week 9 Away Falcons Win Win Win Win
Week 10 Away Raiders Loss Win Loss Win
Week 11 Home chargers Win Win Win Win
Week 12 Home Saints Loss Loss Loss Loss
Week 13 Away Cheifs Loss Loss Loss Loss
Week 14 Away Panthers Win Win Win Win
Week 15 Home Bills Win Win Win Loss
Week 16 Away chargers Win Loss Loss Loss
Week 17 Home Raiders Win Loss Win Win
Record 10-6 8-8 10-6 7-9

Kansas City Chiefs

Week Home/Away Opponents Brady Dale Ethan Sam
Week 1 Home Texans Win Win Win Win
Week 2 Away Chargers Loss Win Loss Loss
Week 3 Away Ravens Win Loss Win Win
Week 4 home Patriots Win Win Win Win
Week 5 home Raiders Win Win Win Win
Week 6 Away Bills loss Loss Win Loss
Week 7 Away Broncos loss Win Loss Win
Week 8 home Jets win Win Win Win
Week 9 Home Panthers win Win Win Win
Week 10 Bye Bye
Week 11 Away Raiders win Loss Win Win
Week 12 Away Buccanners loss Win Loss Loss
Week 13 Home Broncos win Win Win Win
Week 14 Away Dolphins loss Win Win Win
Week 15 Away Saints Win Loss Loss Loss
Week 16 home falcons win Win Win Win
Week 17 home chargers win Win Win Win
Record 11-5 12-4 12-4 12-4

Las Vegas Raiders

Week Home/Away Opponents Brady Dale Ethan Sam
Week 1 Away Panthers Loss Win Loss Win
Week 2 home Saints win Loss Win Loss
Week 3 away patriots loss Win Loss Loss
Week 4 home bills win Loss Loss Win
Week 5 away cheifs loss Loss Loss Loss
Week 6 bye bye
Week 7 home buccaners loss Loss Loss Loss
Week 8 away browns loss Win Loss Win
Week 9 Away chargers loss Win Loss Loss
Week 10 home broncos win Win Win Loss
Week 11 home cheifs loss Loss Loss Loss
Week 12 Away falcons loss Loss Win Win
Week 13 Away jets win Win Win Loss
Week 14 home colts win Loss Loss Loss
Week 15 home chargers win Loss Win Loss
Week 16 home dolphins win Win Win Win
Week 17 away broncos loss Loss Loss Loss
Record 7-9 8-8 6-10 5-11

Los Angeles Chargers

Week Home/Away Opponents Brady Dale Ethan Sam
Week 1 Away Bengals Win Win Win Win
Week 2 Home cheifs Win Loss Win Win
Week 3 Home Panthers Win Win Loss Win
Week 4 Away Buccaneers Loss Loss Win Loss
Week 5 Away Saints Loss Loss Loss Loss
Week 6 Home Jets Win Loss Win Win
Week 7 Away Dolphins Win Win Win Win
Week 8 Home Jaguars Win Win Win Win
Week 9 Home raiders WIn Loss Win Loss
Week 10 bye bye
Week 11 Away Broncos Loss Win Loss Loss
Week 12 Away Bills Win Loss Loss Win
Week 13 Home Patriots Win Win Win Win
Week 14 Home Falcons Loss Loss Win Loss
Week 15 Away raiders Loss Win Loss Loss
Week 16 Home Broncos Loss Loss Win Win
Week 17 Away cheifs Loss Loss Loss Loss
Record 9-7 7-9 10-6 9-7

Winner of the AFC West

Brady: Kansas City Chiefs (11-5) | Team MVP: Patrick Mahomes

The Chiefs have the offensive talent to win the Super Bowl again. If the offense can stay on pace to score as much as they did last year, then they will be successful for most games. The addition of running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire creates a new dimension in the offense, where simple screen passes and swings should be more successful. However, Edwards-Helaire is also a slot receiver, catching over 50 passes last year at LSU. With Edwards-Helaire as a starter, there isn’t a better supporting cast around a quarterback. The only holes on the team are on the defensive side of the ball which may be their undoing. 

Dale: Kansas City Chiefs (11-5) | Team MVP: Patrick Mahomes

It took them exactly four decades to do it, but the Kansas City Chiefs were finally able to get themselves over the hump. With a Super Bowl victory firmly under their belt and all their key offensive weapons still intact for at least this upcoming season. They are in a great spot as it right now, especially when you look at Mahomes quarterback competition in the AFC West division. Also with Tom Brady and the New England Patriot dynasty now finished, it removes one less obstacle for Andy Reid and the Chiefs in their quest for another Super Bowl run.

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Ethan: Kansas City Chiefs (12-4) | Team MVP: Clyde Edwards-Helaire

The defending Super Bowl champs will likely find themselves atop the AFC West for the fifth straight season. However, it won’t be quite as easy this year as both the Chargers and Broncos have shown a lot of improvement this offseason. Luckily, the Chiefs are returning nearly every single start from last season and have added some solid talent through the NFL draft. The Chiefs will be in a lot of shootouts, and Edwards-Helaire adds a whole new dimension to this offense and should get a lot of touches this season.

Sam: Kansas City Chiefs (12-4) | Team MVP: Patrick Mahomes

Mahomes will likely never duplicate the 50 touchdowns he hurled in 2018, although he can be counted on to best the 26 from 2019 after missing games due to injury. What is rarely mentioned about the gunslinger is that he holds an interception rate of 1.6%. In the last two seasons combined, he has connected on 76 touchdowns with just 17 interceptions, which is positively baffling given the style that he plays. While the more compelling storylines may happen below Kansas City in an extremely powerful division, the cream rises to the top for Mahomes and company (including new addition Edwards-Helaire alongside Damien Williams and possible breakout candidate Darwin Thompson) as they cruise back into the playoffs to defend their title.

Loser of the AFC West

Brady: Las Vegas Raiders (7-9) | Team MVP: Josh Jacobs

Derek Carr is arguably the biggest problem for this team. They selected wide receiver Henry Ruggs III with the 12th overall pick in hopes that it’ll force Carr to make more downfield throws. Really the pick doesn’t make a lot of sense as Carr is a check down machine and only sometimes is willing to work the intermediate part of the field. This is a big problem as Ruggs excels in deep catching and speed. As well, the defense still has significant holes at cornerback and defensive tackle. I don’t believe they can keep up with the other three teams. For the 2021 offseason, they may need to ask themselves if Carr is the future. 

Dale: Los Angeles Chargers (7-9) | Team MVP: Austin Ekeler

With Philip Rivers now finally out of the picture after 15 years, the Chargers have now handed over the reins to nine-year journeyman Tyrod Taylor, while they allow Justin Herbert to sit and observe for the foreseeable future. Taylor had some good seasons with the Buffalo Bills, however over the past two NFL seasons, he has started just three games. Those three games were in 2018 with the Cleveland Browns, which funnily enough was when Taylor began the season as the placeholder for Baker Mayfield

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Ethan: Las Vegas Raiders (6-10) | Team MVP: Josh Jacobs

Despite the addition of Ruggs through the draft and veteran Nelson Agholor, with Carr and Marcus Mariota as your two quarterbacks, this is going to be a run-first team. Jacobs was putting up a rookie of the year season until he started to deal with some injuries late in the season. The Raiders are victims of circumstance this season as the other teams in their division are the Chiefs, Broncos, and Chargers. The Broncos and Chargers look much better this season, and you can almost guarantee four or five losses in the division.

Sam: Las Vegas Raiders (5-11) | Team MVP: Josh Jacobs

The Raiders have building blocks in place, though they fall short of 2019’s 7-9 record, as the Chargers and Broncos both continue to improve immediately. Jon Gruden’s bunch is flush with talent (starting with the dynamic running back) but will have to wait another year before they challenge in a loaded AFC West. They will eventually try Mariota out at quarterback (a favorite of Mike Mayock as well as Gruden) but learn what Tennessee did: he is little more than a journeyman. Raiders pick near the top of the draft in 2021, poised to make noise next season. After all, with Gruden on a ten-year contract, what’s the rush? And oh, by the way, the stadium will look amazing.

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Main Image Credit:

[getty src=”1194337141″ width=”594″ height=”394″ tld=”com”]

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