AFC West Preview

Things are starting to feel awfully AFC East-y in the AFC West.

Fresh off their third Super Bowl, the Chiefs’ dynasty that already was but became official in February is greeted at the door of the 2024-25 season by the worst division in football…again.

The talks of anyone in the division overtaking the kingdom are long gone. No brave soul is out there talking about the Chargers on upset alert. The Broncos just reset after one of the more prominent failed experiments in league history. And the Raiders are, well, the Raiders.

This was the only division in the league last year to have three teams under .500. What’s to say that won’t happen again.

Denver Broncos

If there’s a surprise team in this division this is it. No no don’t exit out of the page hear me out. I know they don’t have a QB, but they didn’t have one last year and almost snuck into the playoffs. If they had one the year before that could put up 18 points a game they would’ve made the playoffs then, too. So the team isn’t shit.

The question is do you believe in Sean Payton or not. The first year was disastrous, publicly shaming his “star” QB on national TV and passive aggressively to sometimes aggressively doing so on the podium. I understand there’s reason to be skeptical. But I still believe.

I think he believes in Bo Nix. I think he knows that his reputation in some ways rides on Bo. I don’t think he’d throw him out there if he didn’t think he was ready, and I think he’s excited to have his guy in the building that he can envision and create an offense around.

The fact they cut Samaje Perine has me believing Javonte Williams is primed for a breakout year. You will not convince me Jerry Jeudy is a big loss so don’t even try. There’s a lot of young bucks on this team, and with that comes possibilities. It’s not often I bet on a team based off their coach, but I think Sean reminds the world of the genius he’s been proclaimed to be.

My boldest take of the season: The Denver Broncos claim the 7th seed in the AFC. Record: 9-8

Kansas City Chiefs

What can I tell you that you don’t already know. That Pat Mahomes is the best QB in the league? That they should cake walk their way to another division title? That the offense arguably isn’t the strength of their team but has the best QB and TE in the league, and added two speed demons on the outside to go along with an overachieved/possibly terrible person Rashee Rice?

No shit.

Like I mentioned before, this team has New England Patriots circa 2010s written all over it. Best QB in football. Arguably the best coach in football. Experience, and now a touch of inevitability and psychological edge over their opponents. And a crap division. There’s no weakness. There’s no reason they shouldn’t win the division. They actually got better this year.

Put some ink on them in the playoffs and move on. Like the 2010s Patriots, their season starts in January. Record: 12-5

Las Vegas Raiders

I don’t think this team is complete garbage. They have one of the best front fours in the league, one of the best WRs in the league, and…um…okay that’s it. That sounds like the Giants minus the receiver part. So maybe they are garbage.

The jock strap king is an improvement behind center, but the magic he sustained last year doesn’t feel like it’ll carry to his second tour. We’ve seen in Jacksonville what happens when the substitute teacher is permanently put in charge.

Zamir White is one of the most intriguing players in the league to me. Brock Bowers was a sure-fire hit in the draft, and Jakobi Meyers would still be the best receiver in New England. It’s possible this team has weapons. But it’s all for not if your QB isn’t one himself.

I love that Antonio Pierce got the coaching gig. I think the Raiders continue to take the identity of their coach (and QB to be fair, I do like the fit), and be one of the scrappiest, tough to beat teams that most teams beat in the league. But they will get beat. Record: 7-10

Los Angeles Chargers

I hate to continue to be this guy. But no one else appears to be so I’ll repeat myself.

Justin Herbert is not Him.

I know he throws a great ball. I know he does things on the field that drop your jaw. He looks the part. Etc, etc, etc. But at what point is a so called top five QB by an all-time top 5 QB going to play like a top 5 QB for an entire season?

Take out the injury last year. Week one, ball in his hands, in a shootout game where a field goal wins it…four and out.

Week two, ball first in OT…three and out…lose the game.

The Chargers were 5-7 before Herby sat out last year, so they weren’t going anywhere with or without him. Six of those twelve games Herbster threw for under 230 yards. Not top 5 stuff if you ask me.

And that’s when he had Keenan Allen, sometimes Mike Williams, Gerald Everett and Austin Ekelar. Now what?

His number one option is Josh Palmer. A rookie is option two, and option three is on his fourth team in four seasons.

The coaching debacle is presumed to be fixed. And with it are the days where we blame the coach for the QB’s underachievement’s.

I’m interested how much money the RB room of crippled Ravens has on who will last longer before injury. Not that I’m rooting for it, but resume is resume. I’m interested if Harbaugh can immediately change the course of a habitually underachieving team. I’m interested if JHerb can live up the potential every else thinks he’s already doing but he clearly isn’t.

In a few years this team will be a problem. But we’re talking about this year. Record: 7-10