Breakdown of the AFC West

This is a look at the AFC West and the predictions and breakdown of this division.

AFC WEST

1. Denver Broncos. If this team won the divison title last year with Tim Tebow at the helm, then they should rule the roost once again now that they have acquired the services of one Peyton Manning. The big question surrounding this acquisition is whether or not Peyton still has it after sitting out a year after four neck surgeries. Manning is arguably one of the greatest regular season quarterbacks of all time, his record is amazing in the regular season. However, it's the postseason that leaves him out of the mix of all-time greats. If he is going to get all the credit for all those wins, then he has to take the lion's share of the blame for the failure of the postseasons. A 9-10 record in the postseason with the team that won more games than any other in the last decade is nothing short of an underwhelming accomplishment. But enough about Manning as a Colt, he is now a Bronco and will be expected to carry this team back to the heights they had under John Elway. Frankly, after the Tebow phenomenon of last year and the playoff run he made, anything less than a division title and at least a trip to the conference championship game has to be viewed as a failure. Manning does have two very good young receivers, who should only improve under Manning. Demaryous Thomas stepped up last season and became a big play threat. He has the combination of size and speed that Manning has never had in his career and I'm certain will look to put Thomas in position in the red zone to score touchdowns. Eric Decker is also a very solid receiver. He will find the hole in any zone and is not afraid too run over the middle. What he lacks in size and speed, he makes up for with his precise route running making him very hard to cover for a long period of time. Willis McGahee found his career again last season. He had the biggest benefit from Tebow last season, because he had to pound the ball and benefited from the option game. He will still be a big factor this year; Manning will trust him and let him have the opportunity to move the sticks to open up the vertical game. The offensive line will be stronger with Manning calling the offense and keeping defenses off guard. Ryan Clady is the strongest part of the unit and he will have the task of keeping Manning from taking big hits from the blind side. The defense is a solid unit and didn't get the credit they deserved for last season for keeping the score down. This defense goes as their two pass rushers go. Elvis Dumervil on the weak side defense end has the complete package of speed and strength to make life miserable for most left tackles in the league. Dumervil should be in the mid-teens in sacks this year. On the other side, SLB Von Miller is a superstar waiting to happen and when the Broncos decide to unleash Hell with him and Dumervil it is almost impossible to stop them from getting to the quarterback. The Broncos can afford to send pressure because of their strong cornerback play. Champ Bailey is getting up their in age, but he is still an elite cornerback, because of his training and film study. He studies receivers route running and uses that to help his coverage skills. Tracy Porter on the other side will help solidify the other side of the field. Porter was huge in the Saints Super Bowl run and is a solid cover corner, who will easily be able to handle most #2 receivers and also gives a physical prescence on the outside. Normally, I don't talk about the kickers, but Matt Prater is a huge weapon with his strong leg and I predict that he will break the field goal distance record this season, especially in the thin air of Denver. The Broncos will finish with a 10-6 record, which will be good enough for them to win consecutive division crowns.

2. Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs had a rough season last year due to injuries that depleted their roster. The biggest loss was Jamaal Charles, who tore his ACL on a freak accident last season sliding on the sideline first down red marker. Charles, if he returns to form, is an elite running back. He has world class speed and can hit a home run every time he touches the ball. Quarterback Matt Cassell has to get back to his Pro Bowl form; he earned some toughness points for playing through some significant injuries. He has to stay healthy, although he should take less hits with Charles back and the addition of Peyton Hillis to get the Chiefs back to their strength and that is their running game. Cassell does have weapons at receiver though, but they are all better by having that strong running game. Dwayne Bowe can be an elite receiver but for now he is a strong red zone target and he needs to be Cassell's primary target. Jonathon Baldwin can spread the field but he does have lapses in concentration and had many dropped balls his rookie season, however, he does have a big upside because of his deep threat ability. Dexter McCluster is a very versatile player. He can carry the ball in the running game as well as being a threat in the return game, but he is used mostly as a slot receiver and is quickly becoming a quality receiver. The offensive line is a solid unit, but is somewhat inexperienced playing together. The key will be if LT Branden Albert will finally live up to all the hype and his potential after being selected in the first round five years ago. He will have to protect Cassell and not play as inconsistent as he has over the start of his career. The defensive side of the ball is loaded with first round picks, some of them very high picks at that. The potential starting defensive line for this 3-4 defense is in fact all 1st rounders (if Dontari Poe starts, he's not currently listed as starter in depth chart, but he may be by the time Sunday rolls around). Poe was the Chiefs first round pick this year and got up the charts by having an amazing combine, but he never showed that level on the playing field at the University of Memphis. If he's a top 15 pick in the NFL draft, shouldn't he have been a more dominant player in college. Poe is a big risk, if he lives up to the hype of the combine then he could be great, but I feel he will be another player who got picked high because he worked hard at the combine, but once he gets a paycheck won't put forth that same effort. Both defensive ends, Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson were high first round picks and are looked as somewhat of a bust, because their numbers don't reflect the money that was spent on them, but they do their job. They aren't asked to make a lot of sacks, their job is to stop the run and eat up blocks to free up the linebackers. The linebacking unit is led by Derrick Johnson. Johnson is a tackling machine, but he did suffer an ankle injury late in the preseason which may linger with him all season. The corners of Brandon Flowers and Stanford Routt have to be playmakers. They both do struggle against elite wide receivers and need help over the top if covering elite receivers. Safety Eric Berry, returning from knee surgery, is a force in the secondary he has the speed for coverage, the ability to get interceptions and he has the willingness to put on a hit. Berry needs to stay on the field for this defense to have any kind of success. The Chiefs will struggle early in the season with their difficult part of the schedule, but will end up with a 9-7 record and just missing the playoffs.

3. San Diego Chargers. The window has not only been shut but it's been nailed down and boarded up. The one-time contender is now in the stage of rebuilding, however, they are too arrogant or dumb to know it. Quarterback Philip Rivers is the centerpiece of this offense. He is one of the best quarterbacks in the league, however, he does make to many mistakes. He forces a lot of passes and that leads to his high number of turnovers. Rivers is a fighter though and you can live with his mistakes, because you know he is going all out (like playing in an AFC Championship game with a torn ACL). The running game is led by Ryan Mathews. Mathews was a first round pick set to take the place of future HoF'er LaDainian Tomlinson and has not even come close to filling those shoes. Mathews cant stay healthy. He's had injuries his first two seasons and is starting this one off recovering from a broken collarbone that he got on the first handoff of the pre-season. Bold prediction, Mathews backup Ronnie Brown will get more carries this season than Mathews. The receiving corp lost a big weapon with Vincent Jackson taking his talents to the Tampa beach. The Chargers are going to hope that Robert Meachem, who came over from the Saints, will fill that void. Meachem was the deep threat in the Saints offense, but now he's going to have to play both roles as he is going to be looked at as a #1 receiver. Malcolm Floyd has had some moments in his NFL career and has had some big games, but he has to be more consistent for the Chargers to have any chance of having a winning record this season. TE Antonio Gates will be Rivers primary target this year. Gates will catch a lot of balls this season, because he is going to be Rivers's security blanket. The Chargers will have the same problem this year as last year and that will be the offensive line. Last year it was a makeshift unit because of injuries, this year it is coming into the season as a makeshift unit and will struggle in both the running and passing game. The defensive unit will not be as good as it once was and may struggle mightily this season. The linebacker unit is going to have to carry the load on defense this year. They got a big improvement when they signed OLB Jarret Johnson away from Baltimore, Johnson is an all-around player who never really got the attention he deserved in Baltimore. He will also serve as a mentor for the Chargers 1st round pick Melvin Ingram, Ingram  right now is best suited being a pass rusher and will probably take Johnson's spot on third downs. The ILB'ers for the Chargers are a mix of old and new. Veteran Takeo Spikes still has the skills and the play recognition to make plays and help be a good run stopper and opposite of him is Donald Butler, who can be a tackling machine as well and also has the ability to drop into coverage. Shaun Phillips on the LOLB is still a quality player, but his best days are behind him. The corners are a solid unit led by Quinten Jammer and Antoine Cason. Both can play man, but are much better suited being in a zone defense. Jammer likes to press, but he doesn't have the speed to compete with fast wide receivers and the Chargers may have to start looking for a replacement at his spot. Safety Eric Weddle may be the best safety in the league right now (no offense to Polamalu and Reed, but they aren't the players they once were and both are entering the twilight of their legendary careers), he makes plays in the back of the field, plus he comes up and puts a hit on as well. The Chargers are on that brink of falling back into mediocrity that had plagued their franchise for many years. They will fall below .500 this year finishing 6-10 and will have to look to the future sooner than they anticipated.

4. Oakland Raiders. This will be the first full season without legendary owner Al Davis and the Raiders will have to adjust to their new style. The Raiders offense goes because of Run-DMC. When Darren McFadden is healthy and on, this is a very dangerous offense. The problem is McFadden has never played a full season, so no one has seen his full potential. Worse news for the Raiders is they do not have a proven back-up fro McFadden after Michael Bush went to Chicago. The Raiders crippled themselves last season when they traded away 2 first round picks to acquire Carson Palmer off the couch and away from potential retirement. Palmer still has a strong arm and can get then ball down the field, but he consistently makes mistakes that end up always costing his team's games. The wide receivers are speedy, yet inconsistent. Darrius Heyward-Bey has gotten better at catching the ball and is a legitimate deep threat. Denarius Moore surprised a lot last year, but this year he will not be sneaking up on anyone and will have to step up his game. The offensive line is average and will have a hard time in pass protection and opening up holes for McFadden. The defense will be scored on a lot. They will be tough up the middle with DT's Tommy Kelly and Richard Seymour and MLB Rolando McClain and the safeties Michael Huff and Tyvon Branch. These five will provide good run stopping up the middle, but sadly that's about all the defense will be good at. Huff and Branch may be able to get some turnovers, but they are going to be busy helping out the corners all season long. There really isn't much to look forward to in the Black Hole this year. Sadly, the Raiders are going to bad for a little while longer. Look for the Raiders to be in top contention for the right to draft Matt Barkley next April, because that's all they'll be playing for as they finish this season 2-14. Although 1-15 isn't out of the realm of possibilities either.

That's it for the AFC West. Stick around and the NFC West will be right around the corner.