Fox Sports AFC West Predictions

[dragondawg]

AFC West...

I don't think anybody made more moves than Mike Shanahan and the Broncos in the offseason. For a while, I thought Isiah Thomas was running the show. Travis Henry, Patrick Ramsey, Daniel Graham, Brandon Stokley, Dre Bly, and I think they're planning on claiming Michael Vick if Atlanta waives him. It's not enough.

San Diego is still going to win this division. Norv Turner may be a terrible head coach, but not even he can screw up LT and Antonio Gates, or their defense. If he does manage to mess it up, I can almost see Shawne Merriman helping turn his "lights out."

Denver will finish 2nd though, and earn a wild card spot. They've got enough talent, now they just have to get a solid year from QB Jay Cutler to bring it all together.

Kansas City comes in 3rd (by default). Not much about this team impresses me, except Larry Johnson. It would be nice if they didn't ride him quite so hard this year, and let Michael Bennett carry the ball about 80-90 times. Donnie Edwards is back at LB. The defense could be good, but not good enough to get this team to the playoffs.

Who's left? Oh, Oakland. Ummmm (As I sit here completely at a loss for something positive to say.....). I got it! They drafted Jamarcus Russell 1st overall in the dra....oops, he hasn't signed yet. Ok....how about...."With the #1 pick in the 2008 NFL draft, the Oakland Raiders select......"?

http://community.foxsports.com/blogs...art_II_The_AFC

[Paladin]

About what we have been saying, eh?

Except Faids will be third and mullets will be last.....

[Northman]

I still think Turner will fudge it up in SD. He is no better than ****tyheimer.

[Paladin]

Ya know, I don't think that will be the factor that scews the Sparlies this year. I think there will be an injury of three that really messes them up. I don't wish it, but it would not surprise me. Rivers is known to freeze when being blitzed, and he will be blitzed unmmercifully this year. handing off the LT does not surprise people much, now, and I just think there is the potential for a bad mishap there.

We shall see......

[Northman]

Yea, i have that feeling as well. LT has been lucky to dodge injuries but i have a feeling he may get a doozy this year. Just a feeling.

[JJJ]

Donks have been really unlucky so far regarding injuries. That is not good. I like playing teams at full strength. Here is hoping no more injuries for you guys this year.

You are right the Bolts have been very lucky in the injury department with their primary players last couple years actually. Better lucky than good sometimes.

But they are pretty deep at nearly every position. 4-0 with Merriman out last year. Quite a bit of lost time with Olshansky and Castillo also but the backs ups played well.

[SleepingTiger]

So if Jamarcus doesn't sign this year, does he goes back on the draft board next year?

I don't ever see that happening though, he definitely wouldn't a top 5 pick next year. So he has to sign this year to get the most money he can.

[Los Broncos]

KC should finish last

Its going to kill me to see SD win the AFCW again

[Orange_Beard]

I would bet that the Raiders will finish ahead of the Chefs.
The Chefs D will be better, but the O will take a BIG step back.

The Faid will be better then last year and the chefs will take a step back.

[Bob's your Information Minister]

Can someone give me one good reason why the Raiders will finish ahead of KC?

[400HZ]

The Chiefs suck.

There.

[400HZ]

Originally Posted by JJJ

Donks have been really unlucky so far regarding injuries. That is not good. I like playing teams at full strength. Here is hoping no more injuries for you guys this year.

You are right the Bolts have been very lucky in the injury department with their primary players last couple years actually. Better lucky than good sometimes.

But they are pretty deep at nearly every position. 4-0 with Merriman out last year. Quite a bit of lost time with Olshansky and Castillo also but the backs ups played well.

Nobody likes injuries, but they are a fact of the game today and you have to plan for them. Obviously there is luck involved with the injury factor, but there are still a lot of things that teams can do to minimize and overcome injuries. Teams that don't develop good depth and then bring in injury prone guys or have an old team don't have much right to b**** when the injuries start mounting and they start losing games.

[Broncos_OTM]

Raiders D

Better QB

Better Oline

Better wideouts.

[Orange_Beard]

Originally Posted by Broncos_OTM

Raiders D

Better QB

Better Oline

Better wideouts.

That about says it all. The D is proven. The O-line is improving.

[Florida_Bronco]

I wouldn't call the Chargers a lock for this division. They are far from a model of consistency and Norv Turner's track record as a coach can't be ignored. They are a talented team though.

Denver has a good shot, but our offense will have to come out firing and carry the load until the defense gets up to speed (which I have zero doubt that it will) and beyond that we should be fine.

The Chiefs are going to have a tough fight for 3rd place this year I think. Their QB situation is the worst in the division and maybe even the league, and outside of Johnson they don't have anyone on their offense that we need to be worried about. Their o-line is in shambles as well and even the two remaining key cogs, Waters and Wiegmann have looked bad according to Mediator. On defense, they are average and that won't be good enough.

The Raiders offense is simply a joke, but they have a very good defense and I think that will give them a couple extra wins. They seem to be on the upswing though, and if they don't overtake the Chiefs for 3rd place this year, I believe it will happen next year.

[Bob's your Information Minister]

Originally Posted by Florida_Bronco

Their QB situation is the worst in the division and maybe even the league,

98.2 QB rating. Yeah, awful.

and outside of Johnson they don't have anyone on their offense that we need to be worried about.

If you don't worry about Tony Gonzalez you're either ignorant or stupid.

Their o-line is in shambles

It's better than it was last year. And McIntosh practiced today.

On defense, they are average and that won't be good enough.

Last year the D was average. With significant upgrades in talent at linebacker and on the d-line, not to mention safety, we're headed for a Top 10 year.

[Orange_Beard]

I would gladly bet you on where the chefs will finish, however we alll know how you don't honor your bets.

[Florida_Bronco]

Bobo the stat monkey strikes again.

Huard had a 98 passer rating sure, but by your own admission he can't stretch the offense. Huard is a journeyman backup who is at best a game manager who's arm isn't strong enough to throw anything beyond mid-range routes.

Denver hasn't had to worry about Tony G for a long time now, we consistently handle him with relative ease.

How did your o-line improve? You lost Shields and McIntosh is one of the worst starting linemen in the league. Also as previously stated, Med, who's football analysis is actually trusted, respected and most importantly, right (none of which can be said for you) has remarked about how bad Waters and Wiegmann have looked.

Your defense simply is not going to be that good, much less top 10. Harris was a decent signing for your scheme, but your "significant upgrades" on the D-line are nothing but rookies with many question marks, and you have two 2nd year unproven players at safety.

Don't forget special teams. Your kicker has been a joke all preseason and you don't have a legit return man.

[Orange_Beard]

If the chefs are so happy with there "98.2 QB rating. Yeah, awful."
Why did the staff and organization do everything they could to give the job to Brod?
Sorry, but any line that loses Will Shields can't be better.

[Bob's your Information Minister]

Originally Posted by Florida_Bronco

Huard is a journeyman backup who is at best a game manager who's arm isn't strong enough to throw anything beyond mid-range routes.

Not true. Huard uncorked several throws over 40 yards last year.

Denver hasn't had to worry about Tony G for a long time now, we consistently handle him with relative ease.

Which still affects your defense. If you want to put a nickel corner on Dwayne Bowe this year, go right ahead. Without Sam Brandon you're at a huge disadvantage this year, too, in defending TG.

How did your o-line improve?

We've been over this before.

McIntosh > Black
Turley > Sampson

And the simple fact that we aren't scrambling to find a left tackle will make a huge difference. When Roaf retired it caught the Chiefs off guard. I might add that Turley isn't 265 pounds this year, either.

Your defense simply is not going to be that good, much less top 10. Harris was a decent signing for your scheme, but your "significant upgrades" on the D-line are nothing but rookies with many question marks, and you have two 2nd year unproven players at safety.

They are still upgrades. Tank Tyler is a better defensive tackle than anyone we had last year. The depth at DT is so much better than last year it isn't even funny.

Don't forget special teams. Your kicker has been a joke all preseason and you don't have a legit return man.

He's a rookie kicker, there's bound to be an adjustment period. He was up and down. We'll see how he does.

Our punter is Pro-Bowl caliber and our return man is plenty legit. Six career kick return TDs.

[Bob's your Information Minister]

Originally Posted by Orange_Beard

Sorry, but any line that loses Will Shields can't be better.

Will was a shell of his former self last year. He gave up six sacks as a GUARD.

[Florida_Bronco]

Originally Posted by Orange_Beard

If the chefs are so happy with there "98.2 QB rating. Yeah, awful."
Why did the staff and organization do everything they could to give the job to Brod?
Sorry, but any line that loses Will Shields can't be better.

They are not, and Bob knows it. Bob is a moronic homer who buys into whatever line the Chiefs feed him, nevermind the fact that it completely contradicts what he was saying just a few short months ago. The Huard/Croyle situation is just one example out of hundreds he has posted on this board.

[Bob's your Information Minister]

Originally Posted by Florida_Bronco

They are not, and Bob knows it. Bob is a moronic homer who buys into whatever line the Chiefs feed him, nevermind the fact that it completely contradicts what he was saying just a few short months ago. The Huard/Croyle situation is just one example out of hundreds he has posted on this board.

I did not say our QB situation is perfect. But it is far from "worst in the league." You simply cannot have the 32nd ranked QB when he was second in the league in passer rating last year. That was a simply ludicrous statement from you. And if anything, Huard knows the offense better this year and is more comfortable starting. He had to be eased in last year.

[Paladin]

Poor, poor mullets.....

Nothing but empty dreams
And pee poor schemes.
Thoughts of next year,
Tears in the beer.

Poor, poor mullets........

[Maximus]

Originally Posted by Bob's your Information Minister

Can someone give me one good reason why the Raiders will finish ahead of KC?

Finish ahead of KC... Hell if things go the way they are right now We could win a wild card... The truth is the cheaps suck!