A one-game margin separated the eventual Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos from the Chiefs the last time Kansas City failed to finish a season first in the AFC West.

That Peyton Manning-led outfit ruled the roost with 12 wins in the regular season, and then Kansas City began its current nine-year run as the best in the AFC West.

Having Andy Reid on the sideline and Patrick Mahomes at the controls of the offense might be a decided edge. But neither one of those things are expected to change any time soon.

Is there a team capable of shifting the pecking order in the division?

"They've been the bully on the block for a long time," Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said ahead of Friday's season opener against Kansas City in Brazil.

The Broncos were a surprise team in 2024, crashing the playoff

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