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Football Insiders’ AFC West Predictions
Find out who our Football Insiders’ experts believes will win the ultra-competitive AFC West.
The experts at Football Insiders give our preseason predictions on how the AFC West will finish.
Mark Gunnels-
1. Denver Broncos
2. Kansas City Chiefs
3. San Diego Chargers
4. Oakland Raiders
Many people love to discuss the decline of Peyton Manning, however, the Broncos still managed to average 30.1 points per game a season ago. Kansas City and San Diego will both pose huge challenges to Denver, but the thing people fail to realize is the talent on Denver’s defense. Von Miller is a beast and Aqib Talib and Chris Harris Jr. make up one of the best cornerback duos in the league. Oakland will show inprovement with their young core, but they’re still a year or two away from making serious noise.
Bo Marchionte-
1. Kansas City Chiefs
2. Denver Broncos
3. San Diego Chargers
4. Oakland Raiders
Statistics may be for nerds, but they also serve as a valuable commodity in researching past production and results. The AFC West is better today than it was when Peyton Manning arrived in Denver to play for the Broncos in 2013. The Broncos have a new coach, an aging Hall of Fame quarterback and an offensive line that is minus a couple of key pieces due to injuries. The defense that was supposed to rein fire and terror on opponents with newly signed pieces over the last few years never materialized, even under former head coach and defensive guru John Fox. Kansas City poses the biggest threat to dethrone Denver from the top of the AFC West. While San Diego extended Philip Rivers contract, the issues of where the team will be playing (in the future) should play as some sort of distraction. Oakland is turning it around, but not close enough to make a run at the division title. The Chiefs are another year into Andy Reid’s system and they have sack artist Justin Houston happy with his freshly signed contract. The time is right in the AFC West for another team to win the division that is not based in the state of Colorado.
Devon Jeffreys-
2. Kansas City Chiefs
3. San Diego Chargers
4. Oakland RaidersThe Denver Broncos aren’t as strong as they have been in recent years, but it should still be enough to win the AFC West. They have a stacked defense that should be able to make up for any decline in productivity from the offense. The Kansas City Chiefs have a very good roster with a ton of talent of defense, led by the NFL’s leading sack-master, Justin Houston. Their defense gives them the slight edge over the Chargers. The Chargers have the best quarterback in the division, but the rest of their roster is devoid of game-changing talent. The Oakland Raiders should be improved, but they are still a far ways away from contending in the division.
2. San Diego Chargers
3. Kansas City Chiefs
4. Oakland RaidersEveryone wants to talk about Peyton Manning’s inevitable decline, but the Broncos can win with a strong defense and running game; Then Peyton Manning can fire off dimes to Demaryius Thomas and company. The Broncos are going to be just fine….The Chargers now have the best quarterback in the division and a pretty good stable of running backs. They can compete in the secondary and they should earn a Wildcard….The Chiefs are very solid everywhere, but how much do you trust Alex Smith? Is he even better than Chase Daniel?….The Oakland Raiders are headed in the right direction, and maybe they can beat out one of the three teams ahead of them but I need to see it with my own eyes first.
2. San Diego Chargers
3. Denver Broncos
4. Oakland RaidersQuestion: How do the Chiefs win the AFC West with the worst quarterback in the division? Answer: By riding an elite running back and dominant defense. In a division full of finesse teams, the Chiefs are more physical than everyone else. The Chargers and Broncos will jockey for a Wild Card berth, but I give the edge to San Diego based on the fact that Philip Rivers tends to finish strong while Peyton Manning typically fades late. The Raiders are putting together a nice core but are still a year or two away.Pat Donovan-
1. Denver Broncos
2. San Diego Chargers
3. Kansas City Chiefs
4. Oakland Raiders
This division is interesting, because while it’s likely that the Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers will be atop the division and the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders will likely finish on the bottom, each pair could fall either way. The Denver Broncos should be able to win the division with a strong running game. While new head coach Gary Kubiak will want to rely on the running game, the decline of Peyton Manning has been greatly exaggerated. Don’t be surprised if the Chargers sneak up on Denver however. Philip Rivers has a new contract and new weapons in San Diego, and the Chargers could be ready to take the next step. Kansas City should be able to stay out of the cellar, but the Raiders could be one of the most improved teams in football.
Jeff Carlson-
1. Denver Broncos
2. Kansas City Chiefs
3. San Diego Chargers
4. Oakland Raiders
Gary Kubiak and Peyton Manning will put their heads together and come up with a winning plan in a very winnable division. Andy Reid has improved the Chiefs to the point of vying for the division title, but will fall just short. Philip Rivers will make $37.5 million this year and will doom the Chargers into slightly better than mediocre this year and into the future. The Oakland Raiders are an improving club, but not better than any others in the division this year.
Source: Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk
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Source: Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk
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Source: Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk
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