AFC West Preview

The AFC West hasn't really been any different in recent memory. With the exception of the 2005 season, when the Denver Broncos won the division with a 13-3 record, the San Diego Chargers have dominated the division. The Oakland Raiders have been completely irrelevant since their appearance in the Super Bowl after the 2002 season. The Kansas City Chiefs have been mediocre at best after winning the AFC West title during the 2003 season. It doesn't appear to be much different this year.

The Oakland Raiders don't have much reason to be optimistic, but they did acquire QB Jason Campbell and released awful QB JaMarcus Russell. Campbell was okay at best with the Washington Redskins, always lacking a good offensive line. He doesn't have a strong offensive line with the Raiders either, so it'll be interesting to see how they perform. Nonetheless, I expect the Raiders to improve upon their 5-11 record from last season. It won't be as difficult because they play the NFC West division. They will finish at 6-10.

The Kansas City Chiefs were 4-12 last year, and there is no reason to think they'll be better this season. They hired Charlie Weis as their offensive coordinator, a move that many liked. Weis helped QB Tom Brady win three Super Bowls as the offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots. They also picked up RB Thomas Jones, who had a solid season with the New York Jets last year. However, they have QB Matt Cassel and a bad offensive line. Cassel was severely overrated after his successful 2008 season with the Patriots. He will never have the same kind of success again in his career. The Chiefs will be 4-12, just like last year.

The Denver Broncos were surprising a lot of folks after starting the season 5-0, but they quickly faded, finishing at a disappointing 8-8. QB Kyle Orton was solid, not making many mistakes. Their defense were also solid at the beginning, but they faded over the course of the season, just like Orton. They got rid of WR Brandon Marshall and TE Tony Scheffler, their biggest offensive weapons. Drafting QB Tim Tebow does nothing for their success. Their schedule toward the end isn't that tough, but they'll still finish at 9-7, short of making the playoffs again.

The San Diego Chargers return the most important player -- QB Philip Rivers. WR Vincent Jackson has refused to sign a tender, and OL Marcus McNeill has refused to do so also. However, Rivers' success is the only thing that matters, and he can get the job done with WR Malcolm Floyd and TE Antonio Gates. The Chargers were 13-3 last year, and with their easy schedule, they should be 13-3 again. They will finish first or second again, with the Indianapolis Colts the only other team in the AFC that will matter. However, the Chargers will look to get past their postseason failures, as they lost to the New York Jets in their first playoff game last year.