Ever since the Chiefs drafted Patrick Mahomes, the AFC West division has been irrelevant, with the defending champions winning it for the past 8 seasons. While they are collecting Super Bowls for fun, the likes of the Chargers, Raiders, and Broncos are struggling to collect wins. However, with the appointment of National Champion Jim Harbaugh, many feel this could change but Nick Wright is not optimistic about it.
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Wright, famously a Chiefs fan, and the crew discussed the Charger’s odds of clinching the AFC West during the recent episode of First Things First. While the Chiefs remain in the driving seat with favorable -230 odds, the odds of the Chargers and the Raiders have increased considerably. When asked if the Chargers could win the division, Wright without any hesitation stated no.
The Chiefs with Andy Reid, and Mahomes, both in their prime are destined to win the division for a long time to come. Wright stated,
” No. If we did only two shows this week but if we had done a full five days’ worth of shows and it was Friday. I would have said, we could just replay the same segment we’ve done in the last four years around July. Is this the Charger year? Three years ago when they got rid of Anthony Lynn to bring in Staley, that was going to be the moment. Now, it’s not the moment. It’s no one’s moment.”
He argued that it would be the same story as the past four years when they fired Anthony Lynn and hired Staley. They drafted several great first-round picks, which allowed them to clinch a playoff spot, only to lose that. But last season, they regressed, winning only five games. This season, they are considerably weaker, having lost most of their receivers. The moment has now passed and even Harbaugh can’t change that.
The Chargers released Mike Williams and traded their star wideout Keenan Allen. But according to many experts, Harbaugh’s team nailed the draft, drafting nine players. They beefed up their O-Line, giving their star QB, Herbert better pass protection, and drafting the best Offensive Linemen, Joe Alt. He will be paired with Rashawn Slater.
Then, they took three receivers – highly athletic UGA wideout Ladd McConkey who has impressed this off-season. They also drafted Brenden Rice and Cornelius Johnson from Michigan. Harbaugh likes to run the ball. They have added depth to their RB room, adding Kimani Vidal, J.K Dobbins, and Gus Edwards. It’s shaping up to be a nice team.
But clinching the division is far from the reality. The Chargers and Harbaugh might be optimistic but they have to set some realistic goals for themselves, especially in a division the Chiefs have been consistently dominating.
Chiefs Vs Chargers Sept 29 Match Up
The Chargers should look at improving their head-to-head record and winning important divisional matches against Kansas City.
They will get the first shot at that when the Chiefs travel to Los Angeles on the 29th of September in week 4 of the upcoming season. It will be a tough game for the defending champions on the road. The Chiefs play the rejuvenated Falcons in the game week 3 for which they would have to travel to Atlanta. Their opening two games are against the Ravens and the Bengals.
Meanwhile, the Chargers open the season against the divisional rivals, the Raiders before traveling to Carolina and Pittsburgh. The Chiefs lead the overall series by 69 to the Bolt’s 58. They are on a 5-match winning streak and have won 8 out last 10.
LA side’s last victory came on 9/26/21. Kansas City pulled off a victory last season even when Blaine Gabbert started and they had already secured a victory. Jim Harbaugh can make an early statement with a win at So-Fi Stadium before they enter the bye week.
