Awesomely Awesome NFL Predictions: AFC West
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by MegECass110
The AFC West has two teams that could potentially go to the Super Bowl in Denver and San Diego, a playoff contender in Kansas City, and a team rebuilding in Oakland with a new head coach and new QB Daunte Culpepper.
Denver Broncos
After missing the playoffs on the final game of the season and the tragic death of up-and-coming corner Darrent Williams, the Denver Broncos ended 2006 on a low note. But it can be argued that, the death of Williams aside, the Broncos had the second best offseason of any team in the league. They signed Colorado grad TE Daniel Graham away from New England, slot-receiver-extraordinnaire Brandon Stokely away from Indy, and RB Travis Henry after he was released by Tennessee. Rookie QB Jay Cutler showed flashes of brilliance in 2006, after coach Mike Shanahan benched veteran starter Jake Plummer. The Broncos could be one of the elite teams in the conference, if Cutler performs well in his first full year as a starter.
San Diego
The San Diego Chargers' 2006 season ended with a heartbreaking divisional round playoff loss to the New England Patriots. After compiling a 14-2 regular season record, many expected them to be a lock to head to Miami, but it was not to be. Head coach Marty Schottenheimer was fired and replaced by Norv Turner. LaDainian Tomlinson had one of the greatest seasons in NFL history, scoring 32 touchdowns and amassing 2,318 total yards. LB Shawne Merriman, despite being suspended for four games for testing positive for steroids, had 17 sacks. QB Phillip Rivers made the Pro Bowl in his first full year as a starter. The Chargers are primed for another run at the Super Bowl, but many doubt the head coaching ability of Turner after his failure in Oakland.
Kansas City
The Kansas City Chiefs backed their way into the 2006 playoffs, but were eliminated convincingly by the Colts in the Wild Card round. The Chiefs stayed afloat, after QB Trent Green went down with a concussion, with rock-solid play from backup Damon Huard. RB and world-class-whiner Larry Johnson had another great season, gaining 1,789 yards on the ground and setting an NFL record with 412 carries. This season, coach Herman Edwards is determining who will start the season at QB, last year's third round choice Brody Croyle or Huard. Johnson is currently holding out of training camp, unhappy with his current contract, but reports are Johnson and the Chiefs are close to settling the dispute. Rookie WR Dwayne Bowe will look to add some depth a receiving corps devoid of a great receiver, with the exception of TE Tony Gonzalez.
Oakland Raiders
After reaching the Super Bowl in 2002, the Raiders have fallen off the NFL landscape. They have won 15 games in 4 years. They are in rebuilding mode, as they have hired the youngest head coach in the league, 32-year-old Lane Kiffin, and drafted QB JaMarcus Russell with the first overall pick in the 2007 draft. Russell remains unsigned, however, so the Raiders signed former Minnesota and MIami QB Daunte Culpepper to a one-year contract. The Raiders had the best pass defense in the league in 2006, but could not score with unsteady QB play from Andrew Walter and Aaron Brooks. The Raiders look to improve upon their 2 wins from 2006.
Now, on to my ridiculous predictions...
1) The Chargers will beat the Patriots on the road in Week 2.
2) The Raiders made one of their few good decisions in the past few years by signing Daunte Culpepper. If only they had kept Randy...
3) Larry Johnson will not have the season he had last year or the year before.
4) Jay Cutler will emerge as the fourth or fifth best quarterback in the AFC (Brady, Manning, and Palmer ahead of him).
5) LaDainian Tomlinson will score 25+ total touchdowns.
6) Shawne Merriman or Champ Bailey will be the NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
7) Brody Croyle will start at QB for the majority of the games for KC.
8) The Raiders will win more than 4 games this year.
9) Denver will get the second Wild Card spot in the AFC.
10) San Diego will win the division and go to the AFC Championship game.
