PatsWin2002
08-22-2005, 10:11 AM
Turnovers could be key in explosive AFC West
By Pat Kirwan
NFL.com Senior Analyst
Aug. 22, 2005) -- The AFC West always has had a reputation as the Wild West all the way back to the AFL days, and not much has really changed. It might be the most difficult division in football to predict which team will win the title.
Last year, San Diego jumped from last to first in one season. But that is not uncommon in this division. In the past three years, a different team has come in first (Kansas City in 2003; Oakland in 2002). The only consistency seems to be the Denver Broncos, who have come in second place all three years.
Ask four people which team will win the AFC West this season, and you are likely to get four different answers. Can Randy Moss and LaMont Jordan flip the Raiders from worst to first? Is Drew Brees a one-year wonder? Can the high-powered Chiefs offense get any support from their defense now that they have added a number of free agents? Will Denver get Jake Plummer to do what no one since Elway has done?
There are some interesting issues about how this division is built. For example, none of the starting quarterbacks was a home-grown first-round selection. Brees was the first pick of Round 2 in 2001, and Plummer, Trent Green and Kerry Collins come from other places. Compare that to the AFC South, where all four starting quarterbacks still play for the teams who chose them in Round 1.
The AFC West generated more passing yards from their four starting signal-callers than any other division with 15,334 yards, yet the division had only one wide receiver finish in the top 20 in the league in receptions -- Denver's Rod Smith. Moss should change that in one year's time.
This division is the home of the best tight ends in football. Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates combined for 183 receptions and 20 touchdowns. Every team in the AFC West better have excellent strong safeties who can cover, or these two men are going to put up big numbers again in 2005.
When you think about defense in the AFC West, it really comes down to San Diego and Denver playing excellent run defense and adequate pass defense. San Diego went 5-1 in the division last year and held division opponents under 20 points in four of those six games.
The whole article:
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/8755729
By Pat Kirwan
NFL.com Senior Analyst
Aug. 22, 2005) -- The AFC West always has had a reputation as the Wild West all the way back to the AFL days, and not much has really changed. It might be the most difficult division in football to predict which team will win the title.
Last year, San Diego jumped from last to first in one season. But that is not uncommon in this division. In the past three years, a different team has come in first (Kansas City in 2003; Oakland in 2002). The only consistency seems to be the Denver Broncos, who have come in second place all three years.
Ask four people which team will win the AFC West this season, and you are likely to get four different answers. Can Randy Moss and LaMont Jordan flip the Raiders from worst to first? Is Drew Brees a one-year wonder? Can the high-powered Chiefs offense get any support from their defense now that they have added a number of free agents? Will Denver get Jake Plummer to do what no one since Elway has done?
There are some interesting issues about how this division is built. For example, none of the starting quarterbacks was a home-grown first-round selection. Brees was the first pick of Round 2 in 2001, and Plummer, Trent Green and Kerry Collins come from other places. Compare that to the AFC South, where all four starting quarterbacks still play for the teams who chose them in Round 1.
The AFC West generated more passing yards from their four starting signal-callers than any other division with 15,334 yards, yet the division had only one wide receiver finish in the top 20 in the league in receptions -- Denver's Rod Smith. Moss should change that in one year's time.
This division is the home of the best tight ends in football. Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates combined for 183 receptions and 20 touchdowns. Every team in the AFC West better have excellent strong safeties who can cover, or these two men are going to put up big numbers again in 2005.
When you think about defense in the AFC West, it really comes down to San Diego and Denver playing excellent run defense and adequate pass defense. San Diego went 5-1 in the division last year and held division opponents under 20 points in four of those six games.
The whole article:
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/8755729