KC Chiefs: What we learned about the AFC West after Week 9

The KC Chiefs were one of two teams to win in the AFC West this week.

Well, it wasn’t easy, but the Kansas City Chiefs moved to 8-1 and continued to sit atop the AFC West – something they’ve become very comfortable with these past four years. The Las Vegas Raiders also won and it wasn’t an easy victory for them either.

Time to discuss what we learned about the AFC West after Week 9.

What did we learn about the Denver Broncos?

The Broncos have proven that they’re not a first half team in any capacity. They were down 20-3 to the Falcons at the half and the offense was doing next to nothing during those first two quarters. While the offense mounted a comeback in the fourth quarter (and against who else but the Falcons), it was too little, too late for the Broncos, who now drop to 3-5.

Denver was trailing by as much as 27-6 at one point in the game, but did make a game of it late. This has been a theme for the Broncos this season and while it worked for them last week against the Chargers, it didn’t pan out in Atlanta.

Drew Lock wasn’t good in the first half and was holding back his team, but did end the day with over 300 yards passing, two touchdowns, and an interception. The run game was led by Lock, who had 47 yards on the ground. Receiving wise, Jerry Jeudy went for 125 yards and a touchdown on seven catches and is showing why he was a first round pick.

What we learned about the Broncos is that they’re taking steps in the right direction, but aren’t quite ready to contend yet. With this loss, they’re going to have a steep climb toward being playoff contenders and without a strong first half by either side of the ball, getting to that point is going to be even tougher.

Next up: The Broncos hit the road once again, this time heading to Las Vegas for a date with the Raiders in the late window of games.