LogFAQs > #903825919

AFC West

1. Denver Broncos
2. Oakland Raiders
3. Washington Hawks
4. Kansas City Chiefs

The Broncos are your reigning Super Bowl champs. They had what I deemed to be the second-greatest season last season. They return all but three of their starters. One was retired OLB Robert McCune and he will be replaced by OLB Lawrence Timmons who has nearly the same rating as McCune did. Another was QB Ryan Perrilloux who was healthy for the first time and actually had a decent passing season for a scrambling QB (I mistakenly said that he was terrible throwing the ball previously). He will be replaced by the most dynamic QB in B8NFLL in Michael Vick. Finally, gone is DE Zach Latimer who was traded to the Titans for one of the best WRs in B8NFLL in Keary Colbert. They spent their first two picks in the draft on replacements for Latimer. Sometimes life isn't fair, and the rest of the AFC West has to already be feeling that way. It would be a monumental upset for the Broncos to not win the division as they have to be the favorites to repeat as SB champs and become the first team to win it all in back-to-back seasons.

I flip-flopped on these next two. I believe in the Raiders just a tad more as they have fielded a Top 10 defense for two straight seasons. I don't really have have much to say about that defense. It is solid from top-to-bottom with a nice mixture of veterans and youth. They will need their offense to do better than it did last season. QB Andy Dalton started 7 games while departed QB Tavaris Jackson started 9 games last season. Dalton had a winning record while Jackson had a losing record, and the offense was surprisingly more dynamic with Dalton. Of course, two of those games were against the Chiefs where Dalton tore that defense a new one. He will begin the season as the starter, but rookie QB Blake Bortles must have had an excellent preseason as his overall rating shot up since being signed. There are a few new faces along the OL, but other than that, this is basically the same offense that returns. The ceiling for this team isn't high, but with a decent schedule, a Wild Card spot isn't out of the question.

On paper, the Hawks are a playoff team. While they have dealt with their fair share of injuries over the years, the reason for their lack of success is really just under-performance and poor luck, and they are running out of time with nine starters 32 or older. They fielded a Top 10 offense and Top 15 defense last season and managed to finish 7-9. QB Philip Rivers has had a strong first two years in Washington, HB DeMarco Murray may or may not start Week 1, but he was a rookie of the year finalist last season. WR Roddy White is one of the best in the AFC, and that OL has performed like one of the league's best. I have complete faith in this offense, but its the defense that I think will allow the Raiders to overtake them in the division. They have a higher ceiling than the Raiders, but their front seven needs to return to form after everyone but OLB Koa Misi had down years individually.

The Chiefs finished last season dead last in total offense and defense. Their changes were to move on from their best offensive player (HB Domanick Davis), sign TE Owen Daniels in RFA, draft SS Andrew Sendejo, and trade one RG Brandon Moore for RG Eric Heitmann. This is going to be a long season in KC.
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KCF can't actually be a real person but he is - greengravy
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