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2009 AFC West Preview
Published by JM Van Horn on August 26, 2009
Last year the AFC West was a mess, with all four teams finishing with a record of .500 or below. Will there be a team other than San Diego that can win the division and emerge as a legitimate playoff threat?
Can the San Diego Chargers still rely upon an aging LaDainian Tomlinson to run the ball effectively?
Will the Denver Broncos be able to move forward with Kyle Orton as their quarterback?
Can the Kansas City Chiefs actually become a legitimate playoff threat with Matt Cassel as their quarterback or will it be another disappointing year for fans?
Will the Oakland Raiders continue to be one of the more dismal teams in the NFL?
Here is the preview of the AFC West for the 2009 NFL season and where they will finish, from first to last.
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers managed to make the playoffs thanks to winning their last four games of the season and a complete collapse of the Denver Broncos. While the team may not have serious competition from the rest of the division in 2009, the Chargers still have something to prove in the playoffs.
Last year, quarterback Phillip Rivers came into his own and became one of the premier quarterbacks in the NFL. Rivers, who completed 65.3% of his passes for 4,009 yards with 34 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, should make a run at the MVP award in 2009.
He will continue to improve in the upcoming year with a solid receiver group of Chris Chambers, Vincent Jackson and Antonio Gates. Each of them was able to haul in at least 50 receptions and five touchdowns in 2008.
There are some NFL fans and media pundits who feel that an aging LaDainian Tomlinson is on the downside of his career because of the off year he had in 2008. Though he was off his career averages, L.T. still managed to run for 1,110 yards and score 11 touchdowns on 292 carries.
Despite what the critics think, expect to see a rejuvenated Tomlinson have a bounce back season in 2009. San Diego will use spark plug Darren Sproles to give him a break every now and then.
On the defensive side, the Chargers are welcoming back a player they sorely missed in 2008, linebacker Shawne Merriman. Merriman’s pressure on the quarterback will help improve the passing defense that was atrocious in 2008, which allowed 247.4 yards per game.
Keep an eye on rookie defensive end Larry English in 2009. English has the potential to be a game changer in the NFL and is another example of the Chargers finding talent in the NFL draft when they need it.
The time has come for the Chargers to deliver what many have been expecting out of this team. It will be a surprise if the Charger do not run away with the AFC West title in 2009 and make a deep run in the playoffs.
Oakland Raiders
In 2008, the Oakland Raiders had a roller coaster season again and when it was all said and done, they ended up with their sixth consecutive losing season.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Raiders are filled with talent but have not been able to put the pieces together yet.
To help improve an offense that was ranked 29th in the NFL with 16.4 points per game, the Raiders brought in quarterback Jeff Garcia. The presence of Garcia should push quarterback JaMarcus Russell into stepping up his game.
To help the passing game and stretch the field, the Raiders drafted Darrius Heyward-Bey. The only problem is the rest of the wide receivers on the roster have never caught more than 22 passes in a season.
When it comes to running the ball, the Raiders have a potential game breaker in Darren McFadden, if he can remain healthy for the entire season. In 2008, he ran for 499 yards with 4 touchdowns on 113 carries.
Oakland’s defense is a mixed bag of success and failure. They have one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL in Nnamdi Asmugha, who leads a secondary that only allowed 201.3 passing yards per game, which was 10th in the league last season.
The problem the Raiders have is stopping the run. In 2008, the unit allowed the opposition to rush for 159.7 yards per game.
If they are going to improve the defense, the Raiders will need to have more production from the front seven, especially players like Greg Ellis and Kalimba Edwards, who have the potential to be game changers.
Though the Raiders will surprise some by earning the second spot in the AFC West, they will not be within striking distance of the Chargers for a chance at the division title.
Denver Broncos
The 2008 NFL season ended in disappointment for the Denver Broncos as they collapsed down the stretch run. As a result, the Broncos released long time head coach Mike Shanahan and replaced him with Josh McDaniels, who served as the offensive coordinator for New England.
The offseason brought about a major change at the quarterback position when Jay Cutler was sent to Chicago in exchange for Kyle Orton.
Though the Broncos traded away a top ten quarterback, they did receive a serviceable quarterback in Orton, who should be able to follow up his productive 2008 campaign.
For Orton to succeed, he will need help from one of the best wide receiver tandems in the game, Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal. In 2008, Marshall and Royal hauled in 195 receptions for 2,245 yards and 11 touchdowns.
While Marshall’s production may dip in 2009 thanks to his off the field issues, Royal is primed to take over the lead spot.
If this offense is going to find any continuity during 2009, they will need to have a healthy backfield and a decent running game. Look for the Broncos to rely upon rookie Knowshon Moreno who has the potential to be the offensive rookie of the year.
Denver’s defense gave up an average of 28 points per game last season, good for 30th in the NFL. When it came to forcing turnovers, the Broncos were equally inept. During the regular season, their defense was only able to force 6 interceptions.
To help turn things around on defense, the team drafted defensive end Robert Ayers while bringing in safety Brian Dawkins and cornerback Andre Goodman to shore up a weak secondary.
The Broncos success in 2009 will largely rely upon a defensive unit and how well they can stop their opposition. Though they will not reach the .500 mark, the Broncos will prove to be a thorn in the side of AFC West foes, especially the Raiders.
Kansas City Chiefs
2008 proved to be another dismal season for the Kansas City Chiefs, who struggled on both sides of the ball. After finishing with a 2–14 record, major changes were needed.
The first step in that process was hiring Scott Pioli as the new general manager and head coach Todd Haley.
To help a Chiefs offense that was ranked 26th in the NFL, they traded for quarterback Matt Cassel. Cassel was solid when he replaced an injured Tom Brady in New England by completing 63.4 % of his passes for 3,693 yards with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, but he’s already behind the eight ball in Kansas City.
The Chiefs do not have the same quality of receivers Cassel was throwing to last year with the Patriots. Especially after the Chiefs traded tight end Tony Gonzalez, who was the leading receiver for the team in 2008.
When it comes to the Chiefs running game, featured back Larry Johnson was plagued by injuries, carrying the ball only 193 times for 874 yards and five touchdowns. If Johnson is unable to rebound in 2009, it will be a long season for the Chiefs.
If you thought the offense was bad in 2008, the Chiefs defense was even worse. They gave up 27.5 points and 393 total yards per game last season, ranking among the worst in the NFL.
The biggest area of concern on the Chiefs defense was their inability to get any pressure on the opposing quarterback. During the 2008 season, the Chiefs totaled 10 sacks, which ranked dead last in the NFL.
If this defense is going to find success, they will need to put pressure on the quarterback from the defensive end position. If you want to see one of the most promising linebackers in the game, take the time to watch Derrick Johnson.
In the end, the success of the Chiefs resides upon how well the guys in the trenches produce on both sides of the ball. At this point, the best the Chiefs can hope for is four wins and another top five pick in the 2010 NFL draft.
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