Preseason Pickin': AFC West

The AFC West was a strange division last year. The Chiefs and Raiders each had top 10 picks in the draft and the Chargers and Broncos each went 8-8, only for the Chargers to win their last 4 games and the Broncos to lose their last 3 games. The Chargers were suppose to have a great season last year, but started off the season 4-8. They won 5 straight at the end of the season (including a win against the Colts who had won 9 straight prior to the game) but lost to the eventual champion Steelers. The Broncos ended the season horribly, traded Jay Cutler and now have a problem with Brandon Marshall. The Chiefs picked up Matt Cassel in the off season from the Patriots which definitely helps them at QB. The Raiders, well, they drafted Darrius Heyward-Bey at 7, which I think is a good pick, but a little high. Then they had the incident with Tom Cable and the jaw-fracturing of defensive assistant Randy Hanson. Then---ok, let's not get off track. Anyway, the AFC West has teams going up and down, and here's what I think.

Team on the Rise: Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City had one of their worst seasons in franchise history last year. At 2-14, it is very difficult to go down. But I think Matt Cassel is a big help for the team, and Dwayne Bowe, the third year wide receiver out of LSU, finally has a good quarterback. Bowe has put up great numbers in his first two seasons, racking up 2,017 yards and 12 touchdowns in his career. Also, if Larry Johnson can stay healthy, he will be a big addition to the offense. But they do have Jamaal Charles who can fill in for Johnson if needed, who had a decent rookie season as a backup running back.

Team on the Decline: Denver Broncos
I do not like what Denver is doing. They got a great leader on defense in Brian Dawkins, but trading away Jay Cutler was not a bright move by the first-year coach Josh McDaniels. Now they have a disgruntled Brandon Marshall, and Kyle Orton has played worse in Denver so far than Rex Grossman did when Orton was the 2nd string quarterback to Grossman in Chicago, as Orton already has 4 interceptions in the preseason. Eddie Royal is good, but if Brandon Marshall is like this the whole year and doesn't play well, they might need rookie Knowshon Moreno to have a big rookie year.

Biggest Impact Players: LaDainian Tomlinson and Dwayne Bowe
LT simply wasn't LT last year, although he still had 1,110 yards and 11 touchdowns last year. LT has such high expectations that for him, and 1,100 yard and 11 TD season is bad! The one year LT is "off his game", the Chargers go 8-8 and barely slide into the playoffs. If Tomlinson can have a strong year like '06 or '07, the Chargers should have a tremendous year. For Kansas City, as I said earlier, Dwayne Bowe needs to step up and he is the X-Factor on the team. Now that they brought in a quarterback who can lead the team, it is up to Bowe to bring his A game. I think that Bowe could have a breakout, Pro Bowl-like season ahead of him.

Best Offense: San Diego Chargers
Philip Rivers is one of the most underrated player in the NFL. He had over 4,000 yards, 34 touchdowns and a 105.5 QB rating, and he didn't make the Pro Bowl!! They even sent Kerry Collins to Hawaii over Rivers when Favre said he wasn't going to play. I think Rivers is going to come back with another great year, wanting to prove to those who doubted him that he can play well consistently. Nothing against LT, but this was Rivers' team last year, and probably will be this year again. I think LT will come back with a strong season, wanting to prove critics wrong as well.

Best Defense: San Diego Chargers
San Diego is in a division that does not have great defenses, so this one was a no-brainer for me. Denver added a great piece in Brian Dawkins, but Shawne Merriman returning is an even better addition for San Diego. The Chargers have a lot of strong young talent on D, including Merriman, Luis Castillo, Eric Weddle and Shaun Phillips. Also, Jamal Williams provides the experience they need at the defensive tackle position.

Best Division Game: Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos
I think the Chargers will win all of the division games, so this game is going to be intriguing for me. On January 3rd, in week 17, the Chiefs travel to Denver to play the Broncos. The final game of the season for these two teams is what I think will decide which team gets 2nd in the AFC South. I think this game will come down to the offense, and I like Matt Cassel and Dwayne Bowe, so I'm going to pick the Chiefs in this game.

Division Winner: San Diego Chargers
The Chargers are the clear-cut favorite in my mind. They have the best offense and defense in the division, and I think LT is going to have a better year than last year. Again, Shawne Merriman will have a huge impact on their defense as well.