The AFC West is the only AFC division that the Green Bay Packers will face in its entirety in the 2023 NFL season, and it’s a tough division for Jordan Love to go up against. Obviously with the Kansas City Chiefs coming off their Super Bowl win they are going to be tough, but what about the entire division?
Denver Broncos
Old friend Nathaniel Hackett was let go after one season as the head coach of the Denver Broncos, and his struggles certainly were not fully on his shoulders. Seeming to have landed on his feet as the new offensive coordinator for the New York Jets, Hackett likely won’t miss his time in the Mile High.
But for the Broncos, they ponied up this off-season and brought Sean Payton out of retirement to be their next head coach, pairing him with Russell Wilson. With their strong defensive attack and a solid core of weapons alongside Wilson, this team could be a sneaky squad fighting for a Wild Card berth. Denver hosts the Packers in Week 7, their first game back off their bye.
Kansas City Chiefs
Not much has changed for the Chiefs in what feels like forever, with both Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce to thank for that unrivaled consistency. Fresh off their Super Bowl victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, the Chiefs are poised to put together yet another postseason-bound season.
Former Green Bay receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling is still in KC but produced the most season receptions (42) in his career, while putting up just under 700 yards. With Andy Reid still at the helm, things look to be status quo for the Chiefs, who travel to Green Bay to kick off the month of December in Week 13.
Las Vegas Raiders
Davante Adams is still in the fold in Vegas, but his friend Derek Carr is no longer throwing him passes. Free-agent signee Jimmy Garoppolo was brought in on a big-money deal this off-season, but reports of a contract structured so the Raiders could even get out of it right now with his injury history certainly doesn’t bode well for his chances.
This team needs some work, but certainly is a threat in the Wild Card race – with Josh McDaniels still running the team, it remains to be seen just how good they can actually be. For their first Monday Night Football game of the year in Week 5, the Packers get to travel out west to face the Raiders.
Los Angeles Chargers
Our fourth and final team in this AFC West overview is the Los Angeles Chargers, who need to do better than blowing a big lead in the opening round of the playoffs. New OC Kellen Moore has entered the fold and will look to get even more out of Justin Herbert, who now has rookie Quentin Johnston to throw passes to.
A noon affair in Week 11 pits the Chargers against the Packers in Green Bay, which has the makings of a superb matchup. Hopefully by this time Jordan Love has gotten his feet underneath him and this game can turn into a fantastic matchup.
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Mike Johrendt has been an avid fan of the Packers ever since he can remember. He is now a writer at PackersTalk and you can follow him on Twitter at @MJohrendt23
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