2013 AFC West Predictions
The arrival of Peyton Manning in Denver all but consigned the other teams in the AFC West to fighting it out for second place in 2012/13, and the 2013/14 season looks to have a very similar script.
There has been a lot of change elsewhere in the division, and fans of the Chargers, Raiders and Chiefs will be hoping for a much better year.
DENVER BRONCOS – 2012: 13-3, WEST CHAMPIONS, LOST TO RAVENS IN DIVISIONAL ROUND
Let’s be honest, it is pretty likely that the Broncos will win the AFC West again this year, so the real questions surround their ability to win when it really matters, in the Playoffs. They have tried to add some big time pieces in the offseason, especially in the capture of Tom Brady’s favourite target Wes Welker, who will put up good numbers and allow Demayrius Thomas to put up even bigger ones over the top. The defense has also seen some additions, but has lost two huge pieces in Von Miller (6 game PED suspension) and Elvis Dumervil, and I can’t help but think that this could derail the Super Bowl dreams of John Elway; that kind of production is very difficult to replace, especially when the back end isn’t the strongest unit in the league. Denver, even with Manning’s class, look once again destined to come up that little bit short when it matters.
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS – 2012: 7-9
Always labelled as the talented team that fails to deliver, the Chargers had a really horrible season last year, and maybe it is time for everyone to realise that San Diego are nowhere near as ‘talented’ as people believe. Philip Rivers is a good QB, but not an elite triggerman, while the weapons around him are brittle and inconsistent; especially running back Ryan Mathews who needs to stay healthy for the first time in about 4 seasons. The defense is now younger and more athletic than it has been in a while, and it could be on this side of the ball that the Bolts show up in a better light this year. Even so, I can’t see a huge improvement from last year despite the coaching changes in San Diego, and the fans could well be preparing themselves for another disappointing year.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS – 2012: 4-12
Everything went wrong for the Chiefs last year, but this time around, the appointment of Andy Reid as head coach and the recruitment of Alex Smith to play QB should reignite an offense that became stagnant at times in 2012/13. Dwayne Bowe is a legitimate No.1 receiver, and Jamaal Charles, when healthy, is a stud at running back. There are a few concerns about the depth of the targets for Smith, but if they can find the spark the Niners saw in AJ Jenkins, those worries could disappear. Defensively, the Chiefs are prime candidates for a breakout season, with a cast including Tamba Hali, Eric Berry, Justin Houston, Dontari Poe, Dunta Robinson and Brandon Flowers. There is something potentially great sitting on that side of the ball in KC, and if Andy Reid can find the key, it isn’t beyond the realms of possibility that the Chiefs can play their way into the playoffs.
OAKLAND RAIDERS – 2012: 2-14
Where to start with the Raiders? Although GM Reggie McKenzie has tried to refloat a sinking ship with new methods and philosophies, that ship has still got holes that need plugging shut. LT Jared Veldheer is arguably the team’s best player, and is gone for the season; and this is the perfect illustration of the awful luck that has beset the Raiders in recent years. But it will need more than luck if either Matt Flynn or Terrelle Pryor can QB the raiders into a position where they can challenge, and by the looks of the pre-season, it could take divine intervention. The defense is, to be kind, a work in progress, and rookie 1st round pick CB DJ Hayden doesn’t look to be the safest of 1st rounders. As much as it would be great to see such an historic franchise return to the top level again, this season could be another dark one in the Black Hole.
ROUNDUP AND PREDICTION
Although you never know in the NFL, top spot and bottom spot in the AFC West look to be pretty much a shoe-in with Peyton Manning’s Broncos controlling the division and the hapless Raiders floundering at the bottom. The real intrigue comes with the Chiefs and Chargers fighting it out to reach the playoffs. Although in the end, neither may get there, I have a feeling that the Chiefs under Andy Reid will be a totally different proposition, and could pip their rivals to second place. The games between these two teams will decide the matter, and ultimately, the Bolts’ shaky offense against the huge potential of the KC defense is not a matchup that I like for San Diego.
