KC Chiefs: What we learned about the AFC West after Week 14

MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 13: Mecole Hardman #17 of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates his touchdown off of a punt against the Miami Dolphins during the second half in the game at Hard Rock Stadium on December 13, 2020 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 13: Mecole Hardman #17 of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates his touchdown off of a punt against the Miami Dolphins during the second half in the game at Hard Rock Stadium on December 13, 2020 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /
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KC Chiefs: What we learned about the AFC West after Week 14
Mike Davis #28 of the Carolina Panthers carries the ball for yardage during the fourth quarter of their game against the Denver Broncos (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /

The KC Chiefs won their fifth straight AFC West title. What did we learn about the division this week?

The AFC West once again belongs to the Kansas City Chiefs, who have now won it for the fifth straight year. The last time a team other than the Chiefs reigned supreme in the AFC West was in the 2015 season when the Denver Broncos won their fifth straight division title. How times have changed.

We were treated to four different games in the division this week with the Chiefs heading to Miami where they won the Super Bowl this year to face the Dolphins, the Broncos playing the Panthers in Carolina in a Super Bowl 50 rematch, the Chargers and Falcons refusing to win in LA, and the Raiders hosting the Colts. All four games were pretty intriguing honestly, which isn’t something we can always say.

So, what did we learn about the AFC West after Week 14?

What did we learn about the Denver Broncos?

We finally saw what a good Broncos offense could look like, as Denver beat Carolina by a score of 32-27. Oddly enough, the offense and defense switched this week, as the offense had been anemic throughout most of the season but played well on Sunday while the defense had looked pretty good this year but faltered against the Panthers.

Drew Lock had his best game of the season, throwing for 280 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions. This was his first game without an interception since Week 2 against the Steelers when he was injured early on. He did fumble twice, however, losing one of those fumbles. That’s been a big issue for Lock this year.

Rookie second-round pick KJ Hamler had a big game, grabbing two receptions for 86 yards and two scores. Yes, he had two catches and two touchdowns, so you do the math there. Broncos fans have to be thrilled that Hamler is starting to form a connection with Lock on the field because Denver obviously was hoping to match the Chiefs’ offense and that’s why their first two picks were spent on wide receivers.

https://twitter.com/Broncos/status/1338224388458467328?s=20

Even with the win, it’s going to take a miracle for Denver to make the playoffs this season, as they’re 5-8 and, at best, can finish with an 8-8 record. Lock playing well is a good sign for the organization though and if he finishes the year out on a high note, then the Broncos won’t have to look for another quarterback.

What we learned about the Broncos is that the offense is capable of playing well and once they put it all together (if they do, rather), they could pose a threat to the Chiefs in the division in the future.

Up next: The Broncos have a tough game on their plates when they welcome the Bills into Denver for a Saturday afternoon kickoff.