AFC WEST MIDSEASON REVISITED

DENVER BRONCOS

The Denver Broncos finished the first half of the season with a 3-6 record. Here's a look at how they have fared and what's ahead:

First-half rewind: The Broncos' decisions during free agency haven't panned out. Injured defensive end Clinton McDonald was released in training camp, safety Su'a Cravens spent the first half of the year on injured reserve before playing in Week 9 against the Houston Texans, punter Marquette King is on injured reserve and the Broncos are expected to release him as soon as he's healthy, cornerbacks Tramaine Brock and Adam Jones have missed time with injuries. The biggest addition, quarterback Case Keenum, hasn't played like he did with the Vikings in 2017. 

Grade: C

Here's how I see the rest of the Denver Broncos season playing out.

DATE	OPP.	W-L
Nov. 18	at Chargers	L
Nov. 25	vs. Steelers	L
Dec. 2	at Bengals	W
Dec. 9	at 49ers	W
Dec. 15	vs. Browns	W
Dec. 24	at Raiders	W
Dec. 30	vs. Chargers	L

Final Season Record 7-9

What needs the most improvement? The Broncos' biggest problem is getting out of their own way. They consistently play out of three-wide receiver sets on offense when they can't protect the passer and their penalties routinely stymie their efforts and negate their biggest plays. The Broncos need to fix the mistakes and stop the self-inflicted wounds.

MVP: Linebacker Von Miller has had plenty of moments when he has looked every bit the perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate he is -- he had nine sacks after nine games and center Matt Paradis had consistently played at a high level until he fractured his right fibula against the Texans. But running back Phillip Lindsay is the pick to this point given he has done so much of the heavy lifting in the season's first half and has been one of the bright spots for a team that hasn't played close to even its own preseason expectations. After nine games Lindsay leads the team in rushing, is tied for fifth in catches and has been used as a punt and kickoff returner.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

The Kansas City Chiefs finished the first half of the season with an 8-1 record. Here's a look at how they have fared and what's ahead:

First-half rewind: The Chiefs are about as close to undefeated as they could be without actually being there. The one loss was on the road against the two-time defending AFC champion New England Patriots by a walk-off field goal. Otherwise, in their eight victories, the Chiefs have had leads of 19, 21, 28, 7, 23, 35, 16 and 19 points, though their inability to always finish efficiently has forced them to sweat out the end of some of those games. The schedule hasn't been particularly easy. Four of their games have been played against teams in playoff contention. 

Grade: A

Here's how I see the rest of the Kansas City Chiefs reporter season playing out.

DATE	OPP.	W-L
Nov. 11	vs. Cardinals	W
Nov. 18	vs. Rams	L
Dec. 2	at Raiders	W
Dec. 9	vs. Ravens	W
Dec. 13	vs. Chargers	W
Dec. 23	at Seahawks	L
Dec. 30	vs. Raiders	W

Final Season Record 13-3

What's the biggest factor in the Chiefs making a deep playoff run? Other than the continued health of quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the other skill players, the Chiefs need their defense to hold its own. Judging more by how the defense has played than its statistics, it has done that. The defense has some timely stops and several big plays to its credit. The Chiefs don't need to be dominant defensively -- merely average would be good enough with the Chiefs playing as well as they are on offense and special teams.

MVP: Mahomes might not continue at his current pace in the season's second half, but there's no reason to expect a dramatic drop-off. He has faced a number of defenses designed to confuse him and force him into mistakes, but he hasn't had a prolonged slump. Mahomes is set to break all sorts of team records for passing touchdowns and could even threaten the NFL's single-season record for TDs (55).

Biggest surprise: The Chiefs have been confident in Mahomes from the moment they drafted him in the first round in 2017. They thought he would eventually become one of the NFL's top quarterbacks. But nobody envisioned Mahomes playing as well as he has or as the front-runner for NFL MVP honors so early in his career. That's a testament not only to the way Andy Reid has handled Mahomes from the start, but also to Mahomes for the work he has put in and the way he's taken that coaching.

Hurdle to overcome: If the Chiefs don't improve on defense, they'll have to continue to score at a rapid pace. The Chiefs have allowed an average of more than 25 points per game. So far, they've been able to overcome that in all but one game. Will that continue in the season's second half?

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

The Los Angeles Chargers finished the first half of the season with a 6-2 record. Here's a look at how they have fared and what's ahead:

First-half rewind: The Chargers are on a five-game winning streak. The key to the team's success during this stretch has been creating explosive plays on offense and figuring out how to generate pressure without the services of their best pass-rusher, Joey Bosa. The Chargers are No. 3 in the league in explosive plays (plays of 15-plus yards on the ground and 20-plus yards through the air) on offense with 58, and recorded 15 sacks on defense during the team's five-game winning streak, tied for 11th in the NFL. "We want to be an explosive offense, whether we're throwing it over your head or even running it on the ground," Chargers offensive lineman and co-captain Russell Okung said. "We want to get the ball into our playmakers' hands and allow them to do what they do best." Grade: Above average

Here's how I see the rest of the L.A. Chargers season playing out.

DATE	OPP.	W-L
Nov. 11	at Raiders	W
Nov. 18	vs. Broncos	W
Nov. 25	vs. Cardinals	W
Dec. 2	at Steelers	L
Dec. 9	vs. Bengals	W
Dec. 13	at Chiefs	L
Dec. 23	vs. Ravens	W
Dec. 30 at Broncos                              L

Final Season Record 11-5

What's the biggest factor in the Chargers making a deep playoff run? Health. If the Chargers can get back Bosa -- out since Week 1 with a bruised left foot -- keep running back Melvin Gordon on the field and continue to ride a durable Philip Rivers, they have a good chance of reaching the postseason for the first time since 2013.

MVP: Rivers. He is having one of his best seasons as a pro and should be in the league MVP conversation. The 36-year-old signal-caller has done a good job of playing within himself and making the plays that are available to him. Rivers has thrown for 2,236 passing yards, with 19 touchdowns and just three interceptions. He's been sacked just nine times this season, posting a 116.5 passer rating.

Biggest surprise: After an uneven performance last year, Tyrell Williams has once again emerged as a big-play threat for the Chargers. The undrafted rookie signed out of Western Oregon after the 2015 draft is in a contract year, and has 22 catches for 451 receiving yards and five touchdowns in 2018, averaging a robust 20.5 yards per reception.

Hurdle to overcome: The schedule. The Chargers finish the season with five of their last eight games on the road, facing playoff teams in the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs, along with tough road contests against AFC West rivals in the Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos.

OAKLAND RAIDERS

The Oakland Raiders finished the first half of the season with a 1-7 record. Here’s a look at how they have fared and what’s ahead:

First-half rewind: The Raiders are in deconstruction mode after attempting to put together a competitive roster of older veterans and untested newbies in the offseason. Trading away Khalil Mack on Sept. 1 showed returning coach Jon Gruden was tired of waiting for the All-Pro edge rusher to end his holdout and was the first sign that the Raiders were not in it to win a Super Bowl this season. Not with the two first-round picks acquired from the Bears not showing up until the next two years. The trade of Pro Bowl receiver Amari Cooper, as inconsistent as he has been, was the tell-tale sign. Oakland led at halftime in each of its first three games and won its fourth game, but consecutive blowout losses to the Chargers and Seahawks and an embarrassing defeat at the regional rival 49ers changed the focus to next season. Grade: Bring on 2019

Here's how I see the rest of the Oakland Raiders season playing out.

DATE	OPP.	W-L
Nov. 11	vs. Chargers	L
Nov. 18	at Cardinals	L
Nov. 25	at Ravens	L
Dec. 2	vs. Chiefs	L
Dec. 9	vs. Steelers	L
Dec. 16	at Bengals	L
Dec. 24	vs. Broncos	L
Dec. 30          at Chiefs                      L

Final Season Record 1-15

What is the biggest hole to fill? Hey, Gruden said it himself -- elite pass-rushers are hard to find. Yes, he said it after Mack was traded but he wasn’t lying. Through Week 9, the Raiders have an NFL-low seven sacks. Or, 24 fewer than the league-leading Minnesota Vikings. In fact, 10 individual players had more than seven sacks. Paging Nick Bosa, Montez Sweat, Jalen Jelks and Co.

MVP: The most important position in team sports is quarterback, especially when it comes to a Gruden-coached team. Wait, what? Isn't Derek Carr foundering in Gruden’s offense, his fourth different system in five years? Yes and no. Because while he has looked uncomfortable in his own skin and exhibited happy feet and become a type of Captain Checkdown this season, he was completing a career-high 72.1 percent of his passes through Week 9 and was on pace to pass for a career-best 4,400 passing yards for the first time in his career. The longer he is in Gruden’s system, the better he will become in it and with the trade deadline having come and gone, and knowing he will remain in Oakland -- for at least this year -- will also provide comfort. So long as the beat-up offensive line holds up.

Biggest surprise: Yeah, they remade the defense in totality, drafting two pass-rushing tackles and an edge rusher, starting from scratch with the linebacker corps and re-imagining the secondary. But did anyone see the defense being this bad? "I'm not used to giving up 42 points," defensive coordinator Paul Guenther said after the Raiders fell to the Indianapolis Colts, 42-28, three weeks after Oakland beat the Cleveland Browns, 45-42, in overtime. "This is new to me." The Raiders were last against the run through Week 9, allowing teams to gain 144.5 yards per game on the ground and the 31.5 points they were giving up per game was the second-highest average in the league. The topper? The Day of the Dead Debacle at the 49ers, when the defense made UDFA QB Nick Mullens look like Joe Montana.

Hurdle to overcome: Avoiding going winless the rest of the way while trying to find the balance between needing to be entertaining and competitive and, well, still getting something like a top-five pick. Sure, the Raiders also have two other first-rounders, those belonging to the Bears and Cowboys, and would have enough capital to control the first round, if not the entire draft. But they need to hit on all those picks. Because remember, as Gruden himself said, the Raiders are not “tanking” this season, even if cynics say that might be the smart play for the future.