Following the Kansas City Chiefs loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the divisional round of the playoffs, the AFC West has officially been knocked out of Super Bowl contention for the 2016 season. It was a wild year for all parties involved as the Oakland Raiders returned to the playoffs for the first time in 14 years, the Kansas City Chiefs clinched the division for the first time since 2010, the Denver Broncos failed to reach the postseason after winning last year's Super Bowl, and the now Los Angeles Chargers were on the receiving end of a barrage of injuries.
The offseason will grant the teams a chance to reevaluate the 2016 campaign and begin preparation for next season, and for the Broncos and Chargers, they've already started hiring members of their coaching staff for next year.
Let's take a look at what's occurred over the past week:
Denver Broncos
Following the hiring of Head Coach Vance Joseph, the team was quick to pull the trigger on its new offensive coordinator Mike McCoy. The former San Diego Chargers Head Coach went 27-37 during his four-year stint with the team, and only made one playoff appearance.
McCoy will be returning to the Orange Crush after serving as the team's offensive coordinator from 2009 to 2012. His coaching style has helped quarterbacks flourish in the past, and with young signal-callers like Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch, he should be able to help in their development.
The Broncos have also added former Raiders offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave as their quarterbacks coach, and Marcus Robertson as their defensive backs coach.
Kansas City Chiefs
In the brisk temperatures of Kansas City, Mo., the Pittsburgh Steelers put the Chiefs season on ice, as running back Le'Veon Bell and Co., defeated quarterback Alex Smith and crew 18-16. Bell trampled Kansas City's defense en route to a 170-yard performance on the ground, setting the Steelers up for field goal after field goal.
While the Chiefs defense didn't allow a touchdown all evening, Steelers kicker Chris Boswell booted a total of six field goals through the uprights, which accounted for all of the team's points. It was a disappointing outcome for a Chiefs team that performed at a high level throughout the regular season.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers are not only moving to a new city, but will have a new head coach at the helm to lead the way. Anthony Lynn will become one of the many former players to turn into a head coach, and will do so for the Bolts after serving most recently as the offensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins.
Lynn served as a running back in the league for six years and helped the Broncos secure back-to-back Super Bowl victories in 1997 and 1998. He will now find himself with a versatile running back on his team, and should be able to help maximize Melvin Gordon's potential going forward. It'll be interesting to see what he does with this Chargers group in the future.
