Spayer419
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While no team from the AFC West made it through the Wildcard Round in 2015, the division provided the best race to the playoffs in 2015. San Diego ultimately won out on the last weekend of the year, getting help from multiple teams to secure the #3 slot in the AFC West, edging out the Raiders for the divisional crown. While Oakland ultimately fell shy of the postseason, 2015 will likely be remembered as the year the Raiders turned their organization around. The Silver & Black rebounded from an 0-4 start to win 10 consecutive games, and looked poised at making a run to the Super Bowl before ultimately falling apart in their final two contests and missing the playoffs altogether. In Kansas City the Chiefs look to rebound from a disappointing 9-7 campaign, but it would be foolish to count a team out that at midseason was the favorite to win the division. And less we forget Denver, who turns the reigns from Peyton Manning to #1 selection Eric Hill. The AFC West might lack a clear top-dog, but it will not lack for entertainment.
Quarterback: The most important position in football is likely the weakest position in the division. Kansas City’s Alex Smith is the elder statesmen of the group, but was terrible down the stretch last season for the Chiefs. Oakland’s Derrick Carr has a cannon for an arm, but struggled with turnovers in his sophomore campaign and enters the season with a torn shoulder. The Broncos and Chargers boast first round picks from this past year’s draft, with Denver’s Eric Hill being the #1 overall selection. But San Diego might have got the better prospect in Aerion Hunter, who has already overtaken Phillip Rivers and seems to have every tool you could ask for in a quarterback. The production isn’t there, yet. But we like what Hunter has to offer.
Advantage: Chargers
Running Backs: As much as quarterback is a position of question in the AFC West, running back is a position of strength. Melvin Gordon took the league by storm in his rookie campaign, garnering rookie of the year recognition as on the league’s most potent rushers. Still, San Diego decided to invest in the backfield heavily over the spring, signing Lagarette Blunt and drafting Aundre Frazier to support Gordon in short-yardage situations. Still, the man on the mantle has to be Jamaal Charles, the do-it-all back out of Kanas City that is able to cover up most of the deficiencies in the Chiefs vertical throw game.
Advantage: Chiefs
Wide Receivers & Tight Ends: Every team in the division has skill position players out wide that constantly put pressure on opposing secondary’s. The West boasts talents such as Demaryious Thomas in Denver, Keenan Allen in San Diego, and the combination of Jeremy Maclin and Travis Kelce in Kansas City. But from a depth standpoint, the Raiders have an embarrassment of riches in their four-man receiver rotation of Amari Cooper, Michael Crabtree, Victor Cruz and Evonte Parker to pair with second-round tight end Denolious Hatcher. We’ll give a slight edge to the Raiders here, because every weapon provides something a little different, allowing Oakland to attack the opposition in a number of different ways.
Advantage: Raiders
Offensive Line: The 2016 class of free agents set up a league-wide arms race for talent in the trenches, and some of the most active suitors came from the West. The Chargers won big with the acquisition of Kevin Zeitler, pairing him with Orlando Franklin for a formidable pair of guards. We also have to give a tip of the hat to Kansas City, who added a vet like Evan Mathis to an already strong unit, and then hit strong with multiple selections in the draft. The depth of the Chiefs unit puts it on the cusp of the division’s best, and we think that’s where they’ll be once the rookies progress. But for now, the Chargers boast the best group of maulers in front of their multi-dimensional run game.
Advantage: Chargers
Defensive Line: In a division that places such as premium on running the football, being able to win battles in the trenches will likely decide who ultimately secures the title in 2016. That’s the Raiders theory, at least, and it showed with their activity over the offseason in signing Aldon Smith to a huge long-term deal, and then adding veteran Haloti Ngata on a one-year contract. With Smith, Ngata, Dan Williams and Khalil Mack – one of the bright young stars in the league, regardless of position – Oakland not only has the best unit in the division, but likely in all of football. There’s still a good amount of talent in Denver, Kansas City and San Diego, but none compare to Oakland’s “four rushmen.”
Advantage: Raiders
Linebackers: Even with stars like Von Miller in Denver, this is easily the weakest unit in the division, and is certainly a weakness for the Raiders, Chargers and Broncos. The Chiefs, however, have a good amount of talent in the second level, with Justin Houston leading the way. In their 3-4 scheme the Chiefs can bring pressure from multiple angles, and have the talent to do so in the line backing core. With that said, we anticipate all four clubs will spotlight this unit in future iterations of free agency and drafts.
Advantage: Chiefs
Secondary: Building an organization is very much a chess match in the NFL. If your division has particularly strong play along one unit, you should probably focus on ways to counter that advantage. It’s why we saw the Texans take Mario Williams over Reggie Bush years ago, with the thought that they needed to apply pressure on Peyton Manning twice a year. Conversely when a unit is consistently average in a division, you can probably get away with not having a strong counter. This is somewhat what we’re seeing in the AFC West, where quarterback play is shaky and talent in the secondary doesn’t jump off the board. No one stands out in Oakland, and in Kansas City it’s essentially a one-man show with Sean Smith. San Diego is halfway there with the likes of Brandon Flowers and Eric Weddle, but the class of the division clearly lies in Denver, who boasts the lock down duo of Chris Harris Jr. and Aquib Tailb.
Advantage: Denver
Special Teams: In a hotly contested football game a great punt, long field goal, or field position-turning return can prove the difference between a win and a loss. In a hotly contested division, those close ball games will be the difference between who’s playing football in January, and who’s sitting home watching. The Raiders lost Sebastian Janikowski to retirement, but replaced him in the draft in true Raiders fashion with Kurtis “big toe” Barnett. Paired with punter Marquette King and electric rookie return man Evonte Patrick, Oakland’s special teams is poised to be truly special in 2016.
Advantage: Oakland
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