Other Division Projections:

AFC North

NFC South

AFC South

The West is by far the weakest division in the AFC, but nonetheless here’s the projected order of finish and rankings of the players in the division. I believe the two weakest divisions in football this year will be the AFC and NFC West. Ironically, they all play each other this year, meaning someone will have more wins than they should.

Division order finish and projected record:

1.San Diego Chargers (12-4)- The Chargers have an easy schedule playing the Chiefs and Raiders twice, along with the entire NFC West. There record will probably appear better than they actually are.

2.Denver Broncos (7-9)- The Broncos have a brutal first half schedule playing: at Jacksonville, Indianapolis, at Tennessee, at Baltimore, New York Jets, and at San Francisco. They will likely finish around .500 due to the difficulty of their 2010 slate. Don’t be surprised to hear Tim Tebow chants early on if Denver staggers out of the gate.

3.Oakland Raiders (6-10)- Somebody has to win some games in the Division, right? Jason Campbell will be an upgrade at QB, but are there any recent high draft picks on offense that aren’t busts?

4.Kansas City Chiefs (5-11)- Things won’t be quite as bad in KC this year, but they are still a couple years from once again contending in the AFC West.

Best Coach: Norv Turner

1. Norv Turner, Chargers- His teams have yet to find consistent success in the Playoffs. Turner has 90 career wins, while the rest of the coaches in the division combine for 21.

2. Josh McDaniels, Broncos- Energetic coach had his team firing on all cylinders early last season, but did it wear them out as the season progressed?

3. Todd Haley, Chiefs- Young offensive mind doesn’t have a lot of weapons in that department yet.

4. Tom Cable, Raiders- Punching out your assistant coach can either add or subtract points, dependng on how you score it.

"Hey youuuuu guyyys!'

Best Quarterback: Philip Rivers

1. Phillp Rivers, Chargers- Rivers is head and shoulders above every other QB in this division and one of the best in the league. He will determine how successful the Chargers are this year. A legitimate MVP candidate.

2. Kyle Orton, Broncos- Orton might not even be the #2 QB on his team by the end of the season. He is a solid player, who is always trying to be ousted (Bears) before given an adequate chance. Clearly the best option at the position in Denver.

3. Matt Cassel, Chiefs- The former Tom Brady back-up had high hopes when he was acquired by GM Scott Pioli, but 2009 was a disappointment for Cassel. New offensive coordinator Charlie Weiss will try and bring his quarterback magic to the Chiefs in what could be Cassel’s last chance at proving himself as a reliable starter.

4. Jason Campbell, Raiders- The Redskins never let Campbell loose with his strong arm, but in Oakland they will give him a chance to prove himself as a deep passer.

Best Running Backs: Not exactly a stellar group in the AFC West.

1. Jamaal Charles, Chiefs- Hey the Chiefs won something! Charles might have had the second best running back in during the last eight weeks of the season (968 yards), but you didn’t hear much because he played for the Chiefs. He averaged 5.9 yards per carry last season, but we need to see this over the long haul before being sold.

2. Thomas Jones, Chiefs- If I were the Chiefs, I would hand the ball off to Jones and Charles as much as possible. While LT’s ability went down with age, TJ’s ability has increased with age. Jones rushed for 1,400 yards last season and will be a nice compliment in Kansas City.

3. Knowshon Moreno, Broncos- The former Georgia star only averaged 3.8 yards per carry during his rookie year, but he is still young and in a weak running back division. The 12th pick in the 2009 Draft is ranked here based on upside.

4. Ryan Mathews, Chargers- Pretty sad when a player who has never rushed for an NFL carry ranks fourth in the division. The LT heir will be given every opportunity to succeed as the Chargers feature back.

5. Darren McFadden, Raiders- Spectacular in college, and below average in the pros thus far. This is a make or break year before we start putting “bust” and “McFadden” in the same sentence.

Best Wide Receiver: Now that Brandon Marshall is no longer in the division, Vincent Jackson might be the new talented trouble-maker at the position. Like a lot of positions in the division, the receiver position is slim pickings.

1. Vincent Jackson, Chargers- Jackson will be suspended the first three games of the season and there are concerns he may not be getting along in San Diego. However, he is the best receiver and has the best quarterback in the division. Not a bad combination.

2. Dwayne Bowe, Chiefs- Many predicted a breakout season in 2009 for the former LSU receiver, but it was his most inconsistent to date. Bowe has all the tools to be an elite player, but his concentration and passion lack. Let’s give him one more chance under Peoli, Haley, and Weiss to prove himself.

3. Malcolm Floyd, Chargers- Will get a lot of balls with Jackson out early. One of my picks for breakout receiver in 2010.

4. Demaryius Thomas, Broncos- The Broncos first round pick should step in and start right away. Thomas was the first WR off the board in the Draft, so he must produce early in Denver.

5. Chaz Schillens, Raiders- We had to put a Raider somewhere on this list! Reliable hands, but lacks speed. If Cable allows Campbell to show off his arm, Louis Murphy and Darrius Heyward-Bey might turn into Oakland’s deep threat.

Best Tight End: Two very good tight ends are all this division has to offer at the versatile position.

1. Antonio Gates, Chargers- The Chargers once again have the best player at a position. The former basketball player is one of Rivers’ favorite targets. If Gates stays healthy, he should easily eclipse 1,000 yards and 8 TDs.

2. Zach Miller, Raiders- Miller had 66 catches last season, which is impressive considering the mess at quarterback. He will be Campbell’s favorite target early on and should have his best season to date with a reliable QB.

3.  Daniel Graham, Broncos- A solid blocking tight end, but don’t expect him to get more than 25 catches on the season.

4.  Picky any Chief, Chiefs- Whoever starts couldn’t hold Tony Gonzalez jock strap.


Best Offensive Lineman:

1. Ryan Clady, Broncos- Hopefully this stud recovers from his off-season injury because he’s one of the best lineman in the NFL when healthy.

2. Kris Dielman, Chargers- One of only two healthy lineman in San Diego all last season.

3. Marcus McNeill, Chargers- See Dielman.

4. Robert Gallery, Raiders- Don’t laugh. This is his year.

5. Brian Waters, Chiefs- The four-time Pro Bowler is getting up there in years, but the 2009 Walter Payton Man of the Year winner can still play.

Hungry Hungry Hippo!

Best Defensive Lineman: Not too many dominant forces in the AFC West.

1. Luis Castillo, Chargers- This is a weak position, let me tell you.

2. Glenn Dorsey, Chiefs- Well, he was good in college.

3. Richard Seymour, Raiders- The Patriots know when it is time to cut a guy loose.

4. Jarvis Green, Broncos- Same as Seymour.

5. Tyson Jackson, Chiefs- Weren’t you drafted third overall in 2009?


Best Linebackers:

1. Elvis Dumervil, Broncos- Dumervil led the NFL with 17 sacks last season and is the best defensive playmaker in the division.

2. Shawne Merriman, Chargers- Will probably be his last season in San Diego. Merriman will need to stay healthy and have a good year if he wants to get decent contract offers next season. Can he do it without the roids or are his lights out?

3. Shaun Phillips, Chargers- Had seven sacks and headbutted a Jets player in the Playoffs last year.

4. Rolando McClain, Raiders- A stud at Alabama, should start from day one for the Raiders.

5. Derrick Johnson, Chiefs- Inconsistent. This might be his last season to prove he was worthy of a first round selection.

Best Defensive Backs:

1. Nnamdi Asomugha, Raiders- As good as Revis, but without all the hype. Teams tend to avoid his side of the field.

2. Champ Bailey, Broncos- Probably the best cornerback of the last decade, but he is 32 years old now. Bailey should still have two or three more high-caliber seaons left.

3. Michael Huff, Raiders- Proved last season that he is capable of making big players in the NFL. Huff has high expectations this year.

4. Eric Berry, Chiefs- One of the most prized defensive backs to come out in recent memory, Berry will be tested early and often.

5. Brandon Flowers, Chiefs- Continues to improve at corner. Could be a breakout corner in the AFC in 2010.


Best Kickers:

1. Nate Kaeding, Chargers- Great regular season kicker that chokes in the Playoffs, kind of like his team.

2. Sebastian Janikowski, Raiders- Somehow this crazy Polish guy fits right in on the Raiders.

3. Matt Prater, Broncos- Strong leg and accurate, but then again who doesn’t in Denver?

4. Ryan Succup, Chiefs- Pretty solid kicker hit 25/29 field goals last year.


Best Punters: Sadly, the AFC West’s best position is punting.

1. Shane Lechler, Raiders- Consistently the best punter in the league, which is good when you punt for a shitty offense.

2. Mike Scifres, Chargers- Might have beat the Colts by himself two years ago in the Playoffs.

3. Dustin Colquitt, Chiefs- Reliable punter that averaged over 45 yards a punt in 2009.

4. Britton Colquitt, Broncos- When the Broncos and Chiefs play, will the Colquitt matchup be as anticipated as the Eli/Peyton?

Best Rookies:

1. Ryan Mathews, Chargers- Immediate impact puts him at the top of the list for now.

2. Eric Berry, Chiefs- Prized prospect should start right away.

3. Demaryius Thomas, Broncos- The Broncos better pray he is better than Dez Bryant.

4. Rolando McClain, Raiders- What went through his mind when he heard the Raiders call his name on Draft night?

5. Not Tim Tebow, Broncos- Sorry we don’t rank 3rd stringers.

Best Rivalry:

1. Chargers vs. Broncos

2. Broncos vs. Chiefs

3. Raiders vs. Chiefs

4. Broncos vs. Raiders

5. Chargers vs. Chiefs



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