2006 AFC West Predictions

AFC west - Denver Broncos PREDICTIONS

Denver Broncos

The Broncos are 15:1 to win the Super Bowl, 8:1 to win the AFC Championship, and 6:5 to win the AFC West.

Quarterback, Jake Plummer has his critics, but after leading Denver to a 13-3 record last year, the Broncos believe he can rise to the next level and produce the goods in the playoffs.

Plummer had 18 touchdowns and over 3,300 passing yards to his credit last season. He is moving into the elite category of quarterbacks, but won’t get there until he proves himself in the playoffs. Perhaps this is the season.

In an interesting move for the future, the Broncos made quarterback, Jay Cutler their first round draft pick to put the pressure on Plummer.

Plummer’s Broncos lost one of their main running backs with Mike Anderson signing a rich deal with Baltimore. Coach Mike Shanahan has the knack of coming up with successful runners and Tatum Bell is the latest off the production line. Bell fell just short of 1,000 yards last season, and will likely share the load with rookie Mike Bell.

High hopes are also held for two off-season additions to bolster the offense, wide receiver Javon Walker and rookie tight end Tony Scheffler.

Walker’s arrival from Green Bay is significant as many believe Plummer relied too heavily on wide receiver Rod Smith last year, making him easy for defenses to read. Walker does come with question marks though after missing much of last season with knee problems.

The Broncos have kept the nucleus of last year’s defense which performed above expectation. While they didn’t come up with many sacks (28 in all), the defense was effective stopping the run.

Linebackers Al Wilson, Ian Gold and D.J. Williams are the key to the defense and combine to form an effective unit.

Summing Up: The Broncos over-achieved last season and may struggle to match their 13 regular season wins. But with the best home record of any team in the NFL over the past decade, they have the ideal platform for another successful campaign.

AFC west - Kansas City Chiefs PREDICTIONS

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs are 25:1 to win the Super Bowl, 12:1 to win the AFC Championship, and 12:5 to win the AFC West.

The Chiefs are a hard team to read coming into the new season. Their offense looked superb at times last season with reliable quarterback Trent Green calling the shots, and Larry Johnson scoring touchdowns like they were going out of style.

Green was the only play-caller the Chiefs used throughout the season, and his 17 touchdowns and 4,014 passing yards were a useful haul. He should put up similar numbers this year under new coach, Herm Edwards.

Johnson had a great year in 2005, rushing for 1,750 yards and bagging 20 touchdowns. He should be really dangerous again in 2006.

One area of concern is the loss of reliable blocker Tony Richardson to the Vikings, with Ronnie Cruz earmarked to replace him. The offense will also be considerably weaker following the retirements of tackles Willie Roaf and of John Welbourn.

Defense has been the Chiefs’ downfall in recent seasons and there are doubts over whether it can handle the pressure situations this year. The Chiefs have put their faith in first round draft pick Tamba Hali, a 22-year-old from Penn State, as he is counted on to contribute right away.

If he can form a workable combination with Jared Allen, who came up with an impressive 11 sacks last season, the Chiefs’ defense could gain a more fearsome look.

Linebacker Derrick Johnson was a success in his debut season last year, and cornerbacks Patrick Surtain and Ty Law are two solid veterans leading the secondary.

A trump card for the Chiefs is Dante’ Hall, regarded by many as the best punt and kick-returner in the game. Hall has at least one special teams touchdown every year since 2002, showing just what a dangerous player he can be.

Summing Up: Losses in their first two preseason games, followed by two wins, shows the unpredictability of this outfit. Kansas City could improve on last year’s 10 wins, but more than likely will finish second in the division.

AFC west - San Diego Chargers PREDICTIONS

San Diego Chargers

The Chargers are 30:1 to win the Super Bowl, 12:1 to win the AFC Championship, and 11:4 to win the AFC West.

The critics have written off the Chargers before a ball has been kicked this season, following General Manager A.J. Smith’s shocking decision to release highly-ranked quarterback Drew Brees over the summer.

That leaves youngster Philip Rivers on the hot seat, and indications are he will struggle to fill Brees’ big shoes. Rivers may have the right stuff, but has only played sparingly in his two years in the league. He is likely to need at least half a season to settle in, a worrying sign.

The Chargers won two of their four pre-season games, and in running back LaDainian Tomlinson, have one of the most exciting ball carriers in the game. If the running threat of Tomlinson bides enough time for Rivers in the pocket, perhaps Brees’ departure won’t cause as much heartache as has been predicted.

In All-Pro tight end Antonio Gates, the Chargers have another effective offensive weapon, as his 10 touchdowns last year clearly shows.

Wide receiver, Keenan McCardell secured nearly 1,000 receiving yards in 2005, but it’s a tall order expecting a repeat this year given that he is heading towards his 37th birthday. Wide receiver, Eric Parker is a player that the Chargers hope can take away attention from McCardell.

The offensive line is solid without being spectacular, and will be looking to Auburn rookie tackle, Marcus McNeill to make an immediate impact.

On defense, the Chargers gave rival quarterbacks plenty of problems last season. With outside linebacker Shawne Merriman leading the way, the Chargers produced 46 sacks, pretty good stuff. However, they were still 13th in the AFC in pass defense, continuing a recent trend for Chargers’ teams to be highly vulnerable to aerial attacks.

In an effort to improve this vital part of their defense, the Chargers drafted rookie cornerback Antonio Cromartie and signed 29-year-old safety Marlon McCree. Both could be in for a busy fall.

Summing Up: If Rivers struggles early in the season, which seems likely, the Chargers are looking at third place in their division. If he finds his feet quickly, they should come close to matching last year’s tally of nine wins.

AFC west - Oakland Raiders PREDICTIONS

Oakland Raiders

The Raiders are 75:1 to win the Super Bowl, 50:1 to win the AFC Championship, and 15:1 to win the AFC West.

Oakland won four games in the preseason, as many as they won in the entire 2005 campaign. But sadly for Raiders’ supporters, there isn’t any likelihood of a return to their glory days this season, or next for that matter.

The Raiders are a mess, on and off the field, as their generous odds indicate. Owner, Al Davis has made some baffling decisions in recent years, and came up with another beauty over the summer.

After Coach Norv Turner left following two disastrous seasons, Davis hired Art Shell, who he sacked more than a decade ago. Shell has been out of mainstream coaching for five years and faces a daunting task getting the best out of a Raiders’ outfit notorious for lack of discipline and leadership.

The on-field problems start at quarterback, where Kerry Collins has moved on after being consistently booed by his own fans. That has left former Saint, Aaron Brooks in the playmaking hot seat, with second-year player Andrew Walter waiting in the wings. Brooks’ resume is hardly glittering, while Walter has zero NFL playing experience.

Just this week, the Raiders showed the chaotic situation in their ranks by having veteran quarterback Jeff George on the bench for their final preseason game, only to cut him the next day.

Positives? Not many. Randy Moss came to Oakland last year with high hopes, but the talented wide receiver was riddled with injuries and never managed to show his best. Add to that, rumors persist that Moss is a disruptive character who is certain to test the new coach’s patience.

Fellow wide receiver Jerry Porter also has plenty of ability, but has developed a reputation of being a problem child. Running back, LaMont Jordan broke 1,000 yards rushing last year and finished with 11 touchdowns, a fine effort behind a ‘soft’ offensive line.

The Raiders were poor on defense in 2005, and have lost a heap of experience following the departures of defensive tackle Ted Washington and cornerback Charles Woodson.

Rookie safety, Michael Huff will be expected to step straight into a starting role and do the job, not an easy task with little support. One man he will be able to count on is defensive end Derrick Burgess, who produced a credible 16 sacks last season.

Rookie linebacker, Thomas Howard is another youngster who could find himself in the firing line earlier than Shell would ideally like.

Summing Up: Because of their dismal showing last season, the Raiders have a favorable schedule, but they will need a lot more than that not to finish bottom of the division.

Click any of the following links for more NFL 2006 Division Predictions for the NFL 2006 Betting Season.

2006 AFC West Predictions
2006 AFC South Predictions
2006 AFC North Predictions
2006 AFC East Predictions
2006 NFC West Predictions
2006 NFC South Predictions
2006 NFC East Predictions
2006 NFC North Predictions

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