LogFAQs > #946525991

AFC West Prediction

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

After reaching the Super Bowl in S10, the Broncos have still managed to go 27-21 since then but no playoff appearances. Make no mistake about it though, they have still performed like one of the conference's best teams the past three seasons. They've just been unlucky in the win/loss column. In this division, the Broncos have the most talented team, the best defense, and the most potent rushing attack. Those three areas make them a highly formidable team capable of winning any game. By virtue of placing second last season and getting the AFC North and NFC West this season this season, they have quite the favorable schedule also avoiding the Dolphins and last year's SB rep in the Pioneers. Having left the preseason with just a minor injury to one starter, I just feel like there's no way they miss out on the playoffs for a fourth straight season.

The retooling job by the Express is quite impressive on paper. After losing so many long-time starters, including a hall of famer, they appeared to be heading into a rebuilding phase (on offense mainly). After trades with the Bears, Dolphins, Pats, and the draft, they are quickly back in the playoff conversation. Now, not all of these new players will work out immediately, and they get the Dolphins and Pioneers for winning the division last season, but they have a good defense, a great offensive line, and one of the league's best HBs in DeMarco Murray. I think that they have a good chance of making it three straight trips to the postseason.

The Raiders are a curious case. Despite them getting rid of one of the best two-way DTs in the league (Babtunde Oshinowo) for no reason, they should still have a high floor on defense. I'm worried about the offense though. The OL is not what it used to be. They lost three starters including a hall of fame, one of the league's most underrated Cs, and a pretty good G coming off of a down season. They replaced them with a rookie, a mostly untested player, and a disappointing player already on his third team. Their strong OL in recent seasons (which included two hall of famers and another finalist), helped an offense with middling talent soar to some great heights. Now that the OL is one of the weaker ones in the league, the offense and its lack of depth could potentially be an alarming liability if HB R.J. Jackson goes down. What is to their benefit is the schedule of a third place team (Jets and Titans) and the postseason saw them lose nobody of importance. I just don't know if it will be enough to see them in the postseason this season.

The Chiefs were only two games back from the division last season (which was still a 4th place finish), but statistically, they were the worst team by a considerable margin. The talent gap is an issue, but it's the defense that has really sunk their hope of reaching .500 for the past few seasons. I still expect them to finish last again, and they probably won't be two games back in the division, but I do think the team will make some gains by being more well-rounded and all-around competitive. Having loads of cash in free agency, they used it to get proven vets that will account for 6/11 starters on defense. These proven vets don't quite match up to what their divisional foes have, but the point is that the Chiefs are a lot better on paper than they have been in quite some time, and it is important that they invested in their DL to help stop the likes of HBs that I routinely rank among my Top 5-7 six times a season. I have no faith in the wildly inconsistent QB Jimmy Garoppolo, and HB LeGarrette Blount is one of the weaker starting HBs in the league, so I wouldn't be surprised if by the end of the season the Chiefs' D has outperformed the O.
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KCF can't actually be a real person but he is - greengravy
If you smell what the rock is cooking he's cooking crap - ertyu