The Denver Broncos rode a dominant defense to a 12-win regular season and Super Bowl championship last season. Kansas City also earned a playoff bid after going undefeated over the final two months of the season and then shut out the Texans in the AFC Wild Card round before falling to the Patriots. The Broncos have won the division for the last five consecutive seasons.
Denver, Kansas City and Oakland all have a legitimate chance to win the AFC West in 2016. The Broncos and Chiefs lost some key players in free agency, but still have the personnel to field strong teams, while the Raiders supplemented their young roster through a skillful free agent spending spree.