The AFC West is probably the messiest and most confusing division to predict this year. None of the teams are dominant and all have major question marks clouding around them. Here are my thoughts on each of the AFC West teams going into the season.
Denver Broncos: Denver is coming off a division victory last year and they had a wild offseason that saw a lot of changes coming to the Mile High City. Clearly the most notable was the signing of Peyton Manning which also resulted in the end of Tebow Mania in Denver. Manning's signing is the definition of high risk/high reward. On the plus side, It is Peyton Manning. He is a guaranteed first-ballot Hall of Famer and the type of special talent that can turn your franchise around. The downside is that he is 36 and is coming off a major neck injury that sidelined him for all of last season. This fact alone makes Denver's season a complete crapshoot. It could work out great for them or it could be an absolute nightmare. Manning wasn't the notable signing Denver made this year, They also brought in cornerback Tracy Porter from New Orleans (who ironically got a game-changing pick-six on Manning in the Super Bowl two years ago). The combination of Porter with the old, but still great Champ Bailey gives Denver an elite cornerback pair. Denver is pretty squared away on defense as a whole, but their offense is where problems may arise. Willis McGahee had a great year last year, but he has had durability issues throughout his career and those could rear their ugly head again this year. The bigger problem for Denver though lies in their mediocre and unproven receiving core. Even if Manning is on his game, guys like Eric Decker and Demaryius Thomas are not particularly dangerous receivers. The bottom line is that the key to their season lies on how well Peyton Manning plays. Definitely going to be one of the most interesting teams to watch the progress of this season.
Kansas City Chiefs: The Chiefs are a team that I feel is getting no love in 2012 and it's not really justified. There was no team in the league that suffered from more injuries than the Chiefs last year and all things considering they didn't do too bad last year (they finished 7-9). I honestly think they are the strongest team in the division this year if all their players come back at full strength. I mean welcoming back key players like Jammal Charles, Tony Moeaki, Eric Berry, and Matt Cassel certainly isn't going to hurt. They won the division two years ago and I can't see why they couldn't do it again if they play at their full potential. Dwayne Bowe is probably the most underrated receiver in the league and if Peyton Hillis steps up after his horrible year with the Browns last year, that gives you a potent power back for 3rd down and goal line situations. They also have a pretty decent and underrated defense that could help that much more in their quest to win the division. Jammal Charles is the X-factor on this team though. If he is back to the level of explosiveness he was at two years ago prior to his injury, he will be back at elite status and will cause a tough matchup for opposing defenses. Again though their success boils down to how well their players coming off injury can play. The Chiefs are a risky, but underrated team that I feel can win this division this year.
Oakland Raiders: The forever subpar Raiders made another stupid choice in firing their coach of one season in Hue Jackson after an 8-8 year last year. That makes two unjustifed coach firings in two years and they will probably make it three after this year if they don't get a winning record. On the bright side, this is their first full year with Carson Palmer. Palmer definitely isn't a franchise quarterback, but he is solid enough to win you games and lead you in the right direction as a team. Darren McFadden is also a great running back (when healthy). He has looked great in training camp so far and this could end up being his breakout year in the league. The Raiders, like their divisional foes the Chiefs, also have a solid, underrated, young defense that can keep them in games even when their offense isn't playing well. That being said, The Raiders are still kind of a mess. The aforementioned injury problems with McFadden are a big issue (He hasn't played a whole season in his career so far) and now with Michael Bush in Chicago they have no proven number 2 back which could be costly. Then you have the inconsistent play of the rest of the offense. You never know to know what to expect from Carson Palmer and the receivers are also wildly inconsistent (though Denarius Moore was decent last year and Darius Hayward-Bay is starting to come around). Oakland seems like they are smack dab in the middle of another average season and I can't see them breaking out of that mold anytime soon.
San Diego Chargers: The Chargers are probably the biggest question mark in a division full of question marks. It's kind of bad that I think the Raiders might be more dangerous than them. Phillip Rivers can still play well, but he has kind of an Island of Misfits toys group of receivers at the moment and he is coming off the worst year of his career. The departure of Vincent Jackson is going to sting hard and I don't think free agent pickups Eddie Royal or Robert Meachem or longtime Charger Malcolm Floyd have the talent to be a number 1 wideout. It also doesn't help that tight end Antonio Gates's numbers have been in decline for the past few years. Then comes the good, but not great play of Ryan Matthews. He has proven to be pretty productive, but he's not the game changer the Chargers had hoped for. He's also frequently hurt which is a big obstacle that is preventing him from reaching that next level (He is already hurt this year and looking to miss the first few weeks of the season). The Chargers defense is looking pretty good though. They got a steal in the first round with Melvin Ingram, who has impressed the hell of scouts early on and should be a dual threat in the run-stop and pass-rush. Second-round pickup Kendall Reyes looks to have bolstered the Chargers veteran d-line as well. The Chargers do have some signs of life, but I think they are a team in the decline after last season. Their glory years of 4-5 years ago appear to be over and they could be in store for a last-place finish in the division.
My Predictions for the AFC West Standings:
1.Kansas City Chiefs (9-7)
2.Denver Broncos (8-8)
3.Oakland Raiders (7-9)
4.San Diego Chargers (7-9)
No comments:
Post a Comment