2010 AFC West Preview

Divisional Previews

AFC: AFC East | AFC North | AFC South | AFC West
NFC: NFC East | NFC North | NFC South | NFC West

San Diego Chargers

Head Coach: Norv Turner (4th Season)
2009 Record: 13-3, Division Champs

Offense

Scoring: 4th (28.4 PPG)

Passing: 5th (271.1 YPG)

Rushing: 31st (88.9 YPG)

The Chargers offense is going to have a new look in 2010. The offseason was a hard one with losing cornerstone LaDainian Tomlinson and having two contract holdouts with Pro Bowl left tackle Marcus McNeill and number one wideout Vincent Jackson. Philip Rivers is still a top five quarterback in the league and will attempt to show it with a lower quality receiving core and an inexperienced running game. Malcom Floyd and newly acquired Patrick Crayton look to be the starters for Rivers, but do not expect them to be a top passing team with those two. Rivers will need pinpoint accuracy to find these two receivers, so look for him to find Gates and Sproles a bit more this season when there are no other openings. First round draft pick Ryan Mathews is receiving a lot of hype going into this season, and he is very eager to show he can handle the spotlight right away. At 6’0” 218 lbs, Mathews is a downhill type of runner that looks to hit the defense harder than they can hit him. He is expected to play a significant role in the offense, especially near the goal line since Vincent Jackson is still out of the lineup. Expect the offense to take less shots down field due to lack of talent at wideout, as well as Rivers receiving more pressure from his blind side until McNeill comes back. It should still be a solid season for the offense, but do expect a step down from last year.

Defense

Scoring: 11th (20.0 PPG)

Passing: 11th (209.2 YPG)

Rushing: 20th (117.8 YPG)

San Diego’s D took a few hits this offseason in losing talented cornerback Antonio Cromartie and big Jamal Williams in the middle of the defensive line. The defense is still looking to stand strong but losing key players like that and not replacing them will really hurt in the long run. The defensive line is thin in the middle, but will sustain a decent pass rush on the outside lead by Luis Castillo. In the linebacking core, Shawn Merriman and Shaun Phillips lead the way on the outside with their excellent pass rushing ability, but the run defense will be weak in the middle of the defensive line as well as the linebackers supporting them. Veterans Quentin Jammer and Eric Weddle are still in the secondary, but having Antoine Cason and Steve Gregory alongside them could hurt them in the passing game. The Chargers are hoping linebacker Donald Butler, defensive tackle Cam Thomas, and free safety Darrell Stuckey can all step up in their rookie seasons and provide some help at their weakest positions. Expect the defense to rank in the middle of the pack in the NFL, which should be just enough to help the team win the division.

Fantasy sleeper: Darren Sproles
Sproles is not going to be a 1,000 yard rusher or be a top five running back in the league, but he can excel for teams looking for a solid backup to start on bye weeks.He could also be a decent flex option in PPR leagues.

Biggest Question for the 2010 Chargers: Can the wide receivers consistently make plays and keep the offense moving?

Season Prediction: 9-7, 1st AFC West

Oakland Raiders

Head Coach: Tom Cable (2nd Full Season)
2009 Record: 5-11

Offense

Scoring: 31st (12.3 PPG)

Passing: 29th (159.8 YPG)

Rushing: 21st (106.3 YPG)

The Raiders have finally made a move at quarterback and brought in Jason Campbell to run this offense. Campbell is going to show Oakland that this offense can run quite well without JaMarcus Russell. Expect the wide receivers to improve with a better passer at the helm, and eventually we could see three or four receivers emerge from the group and become solid football players. Johnnie Lee Higgins, Louis Murphy, and Darrius Heyward-Bey could all become valuable options to Campbell as the season progresses. TE Zach Miller will receive a lot of attention with the more accurate quarterback and could finally be a top five tight end, which is well-deserved. The starting running back spot at this point goes to Michael Bush, but McFadden will share time and get a decent work load as well. Both backs put together could benefit from Campbell being the quarterback, but they will still ultimately be one of the lower tier tandems in the league. They offense will evolve with Campbell now at the helm and things should flow much smoother and more consistently throughout the offense.

Defense

Scoring: 23rd (23.7 PPG)

Passing: 7th (206.4 YPG)

Rushing: 29th (155.5 YPG)

The Raiders defense has been the stronger unit of the team the past few years, but it has been unable to push the team to the playoffs due to the lack of scoring. The Raiders defense is still very good, and could continue to be for years to come. They drafted well with linebacker Rolando McClain and defensive tackle Lamarr Houston. Both should contribute right away to the defense. The defensive line by far looks to be the strongest unit with newly acquired John Henderson and Lamarr Houston. Tommy Kelly and Richard Seymour return as well, which should rank them as one of the top defensive lines in the NFL. The linebackers could be the weak point of the defense with McClain, Thomas Howard, and Sam Williams. McClain should be solid from game one, but Howard and Williams have not been known for being the best at their position. Having the solid defensive line in front of them should make their jobs a little easier, but they will have to make some plays throughout the year in order to improve their run defense from 29th last year. The secondary is still a strong unit with Asomugha shutting down half the field. The safeties are a weak but when all the coverage is focused on one side, they should be able to stop just about anything deep. This is the year the defense finally helps the offense in a playoff push towards the end of the season.

Fantasy sleeper: Darrius Heyward-Bey
Heyward-Bey caused the Raiders to miss out on sensation Michael Crabtree and has yet to show Oakland a good reason not to regret it. This year, expect him to possibly breakout with Campbell throwing his way. He could possibly even take over the number one spot at WR and put up some solid numbers now that the ball will actually be near his hands when thrown to him.

Biggest Question for the 2010 Raiders: Can the receivers actually play well with a decent quarterback throwing to them?

Season Prediction: 8-8, 2nd AFC West

Denver Broncos

Head Coach: Josh McDaniels (2nd Season)
2009 Record: 8-8

Offense

Scoring: 20th (20.4 PPG)

Passing: 13th (226.7 PPG)

Rushing: 18th (114.8 YPG)

The Broncos offense took a huge hit when they traded away top flight WR Brandon Marshall this offseason. Starting at WR this year will be Jabar Gaffney and Eddie Royal; both are pretty good #2 receivers, but they will lack big play ability in the air this season. It looks like Kyle Orton will be the starter through Week 1 although it does not make too much of a difference considering the quarterbacks they have from which to choose. Orton is the best option at this time and could help the team win some games with his leadership qualities. The running game could be a bright spot if Knowshon Moreno and Correll Buckhalter are healthy along with the offensive line. Denver has always been known for running the ball effectively, but after last year’s 18th ranked run offense, they will have to step up and show they can play much better than that. Overall, the offense looks like its going to be one of the weaker ones in the league, but if they can play together as one unit and the wideouts can show Marshall was not the only guy who could make plays, than they could step up and be middle of the pack by season’s end.

Defense

Scoring: 12th (20.2 PPG)

Passing: 3rd (186.3 YPG)

Rushing: 26th (128.7 YPG)

The Broncos defense has already been hit with a key injury to Elvis Dumervil and his loss will significantly affect the pass rush. Jarvis Moss and LeKevin Smith are going to have to get some good pressure off the edges in order to provide any type of pass rush. They did acquire Jamal Williams this offseason which should provide big help to a run defense tgat was ranked 26th last season. The linebackers are still solid considering Dumervil will not be there all season. D.J. Williams, Robert Ayers, and Mario Haggan provide a strong, speedy group that is able to provide outstanding pass coverage. The main thing to look for this season will be if Jamal Williams will be enough for the run defense which in turn will allow the linebackers to drop in coverage and make plays. The secondary is still a strong group led by Champ Bailey and Brian Dawkins. Although they are up there in age, they are still playing at a very high level. The secondary is essentially the same from last year and should be ranked in the top 5 again this year. Expect them to continue to shut down the pass, especially since they play in a division where the majority of wide receivers are not at an elite level now that Marshall and Jackson are gone. The defense is still known as one of the better units in the league, but watch out for fatigue to become a factor for some of the older players on the team, a factor which could hurt them in the long run.

Fantasy sleeper: Jabar Gaffney
There are not too many bright spots fantasy wise-on this team, but a great risk/reward type player is Jabar Gaffney. Gaffney had over 700 yards receiving last year, and with Brandon Marshall gone, he could hit the 1,000 yard mark and get more opportunities near the endzone.

Biggest question for the 2010 Broncos: How will the offense manage without Brandon Marshall?

Season Prediction: 7-9, 3rd AFC West

Kansas City Chiefs

Head Coach: Todd Haley (2nd Season)
2009 Record: 4-12

Offense

Scoring: 23rd (18.4 PPG)

Passing: 25th (182.6 YPG)

Rushing: 11th (120.6 YPG)

The Chiefs offense is making the effort to contend in the division and possibly make a playoff push. Expecting that to happen this year would be foolish, but they are making strides to become better in the future. With Charlie Weis calling the plays, look for more of a pass-first offense. Cassel will have to show he can handle the offense to give some sign of a future with the team. Dwayne Bowe and Chris Chambers should be an effective one-two punch for the offense and will hopefully help in the development of Cassel. The run game looks to improve with the addition of Thomas Jones and the growing potential of Jamaal Charles. The offensive line is continuing to get better so the run game in general will get better throughout the year and eventually get this team where they want to be in the future. The offense will show flashes of greatness, but the team as a whole will be inconsistent through the season and therefore lack the ability to win ball games.

Defense

Scoring: 29th (26.5 PPG)

Passing: 22nd (231.7 YPG)

Rushing: 31st (156.5 YPG)

The Chiefs defense has been getting younger every year through the draft but have failed to show they can make a significant difference. Starting on the defensive line, Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson were supposed to make a significant impact on the defense but have yet to come through as expected. This year, a lot is expected from them and they should deliver now that they have a few years under their belt. The linebacking core has a good amount of experience as well with Mike Vrabel bringing his winning mentality from New England in hopes to show the defense how to manage themselves in a championship fashion. Derrick Johnson and Tamba Hali have progressed into good defensive players, but their desire to be great will start to show this season. The secondary is the youngest of the group with rookies Eric Berry and Javier Arenas looking to start right away. Brandon Flowers has stepped into the number one cornerback role and is doing quite well. Expect him to continue with his great play this season and will test his true skills against top receivers like Reggie Wayne, Andre Johnson, and Larry Fitzgerald. Have fun with that Brandon, good luck to you. The defense will continue to grow but is nowhere near ready to compete at a championship level. One or two more first round draft picks on defense should set them up well for the future.

Fantasy sleeper: Chris Chambers
Chambers has the ability to be a fantasy star given the right opportunity. He fell off a bit the last few years, but if he can return to his Miami form, he could give some solid numbers for a WR3.

Biggest question for the 2010 Chiefs: Can the defensive rookies start to play to their potential?

Season Prediction: 4-12, 4th AFC West