Kickoff to the regular season is just around the corner and it should be an interesting year for the AFC West teams. A lot of change in store for 2013 as the AFC West will have a new look to it.
The Denver Broncos are the clear favorite to win the division, and deservedly so. Last year the Broncos finished the regular season with an 11 game win streak. They won the division quite easily, but lost to the Ravens in the playoffs. They seem to have it all, star quarterback in Peyton Manning, fantastic receivers in Wes Welker, Demaryius Thomas, and Eric Decker, not to mention their top ranked defense. This year they will have one of the most dangerous passing attacks in the NFL. The Broncos are expected to win this division, yet again, and possibly be a Superbowl team this year.
The Kansas City Chiefs finished dead last in the AFC West last year and had the number one overall pick in the draft. The 2013 Chiefs are a brand new team under new head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Alex Smith. One of their biggest offensive threats is running back Jamaal Charles, but unfortunately for the Chiefs he suffered a foot injury early in camp and it’s unclear when he’ll be back and if he’ll be as effective. Smith should have a solid offensive line which will include number one overall draft pick Eric Fisher at right tackle. Defensively they should have better performances. Last year the Chiefs ranked 20th overall and had trouble with the pass rush. If they are able to regularly rush the passer, the defense will have a much better showing. The Chiefs will be determined by the coaching of Reid and the play of Smith. Both signings came with high expectations. If they both perform the way they are expected to, the Chiefs can get to a .500 record or even better.
Like the Chiefs, the San Diego Chargers also have a new head coach in Mike McCoy, but they don’t have as much promise for 2013. Quarterback Philip Rivers has had quite a few inconsistent seasons and he has a lot to prove this year. They drafted D.J. Fluker in the first round, but the offensive line is still weak and won’t provide Rivers with much time to make plays. Danario Alexander tore his ACL and Malcom Floyd suffered a knee injury that will keep him sidelined for a while, leaving guys including draft pick Keenan Allen to pick up the receiving slack. Rivers best offensive weapon will once again be tight end Antonio Gates. Running back Ryan Mathews will need a big season, but they also acquired Danny Woodhead this offseason, which will help their running game. Defensively, there hasn’t been much change, but they expect improvement through experience. They added Manti Te’o via draft this year as well. Overall, the Chargers are expected to have another down year and reaching .500 could be a serious struggle for this team as they could be fighting Oakland for last place.
Lastly, the Oakland Raiders, who also had a disappointing 2012 and are expected to have yet another losing season. The quarterback position has yet to be determined as Terrelle Pryor stepped up in week three of preseason and has made this a legitimate competition with Matt Flynn. The offensive line woes are quite concerning due to the loss of Jared Veldheer who will miss quite a bit of time due to surgery to repair a partially torn tricep. The receiving core in Oakland will consist of Denarius Moore and Rod Streater. There are many competitions within camp and head coach Dennis Allen will have quite a few decisions to make. The Raiders need a healthy season from running back Darren McFadden to help this offense that is expected to struggle. Defensively there have been many changes to this team, most notably in the secondary, which should be much improved. Charles Woodson is back in black to help steer the young players in the right direction as well as make plays defensively. Oakland also drafted D.J. Hayden this year with the 12th overall pick and he is expected to be a nice improvement at corner for the Raiders. Mike Jenkins and Tracy Porter were also signed and are nice additions to the secondary along with Tyvon Branch. The Raiders are expected to struggle this year and .500 record doesn’t look likely for the silver and black.
The AFC West isn’t considered a tough division at this point. These teams are going through some changes and rebuilding their rosters. The Broncos are clearly the best team and should have no problem winning this division.