NFL 2010 Season Preview: AFC West

The 2010 NFL season is set to get underway on Thursday night as the Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints get set to begin their title defense against Brett Farve, Adrian Peterson, and the rest of the Minnesota Vikings.  As we get set for another season of football, it’s time to take a look around the league and evaluate how your favorite team will fare in 2010:

Denver Broncos

The Good: A strong but aging secondary highlighted by CB Champ Bailey and FS Brian Dawkins.  Knowshown Moreno and Correll Buckhalter provided solid RB depth as long as they remain healthy.  While some look at head coach Josh McDaniels as arrogant, he is one of the top young coaches in all of football.

The Bad: The Broncos lost a ton of talent in the offseason including WR Brandon Marshall and TE Tony Scheffler.  Denver has also been absolutely decimated by injuries losing star LB Elvis Dumervil for the season.

Bold Prediction: QB Tim Tebow will be starting for the Broncos by the end of the season.

The Verdict: Some may call it a sophomore slump but regardless it will be a rough year for Josh McDaniels and company.  Denver has lost far too much talent to injury, trade, and free agency to remain competitive throughout the year.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Good: New England Lite as the Chiefs brought in former Patriot coaches Charlie Weis and Romeo Crenell as their new offensive and defensive coordinators.  A strong running attack with Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones leading the way. Dwayne Bowe should have a strong year after rededicating himself in the offseason.  Kansas City has a very young and promising secondary including CB Brandon Flowers and first rounder S Eric Berry.

The Bad: QB Matt Cassell is still a question mark.  He received a huge contract after a short amount of success in New England and did not prove last year that he is capable of being an elite QB in the NFL.  The offensive line still has a lot of question marks.  Defensively, the front seven needs a lot of work as former first rounders Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson have done very little in their young careers.

Bold Prediction: Rookie RB/WR Dexter McCluster will be a jack of all trades type player on offense that has a major impact by the end of the season.

The Verdict: Kansas City will improve upon their 4-12 record from 2009 but they are not ready to be truly competitive.

Oakland Raiders

The Good: QB JaMarcus Russell is no longer with the Raiders.  There is reason to hope for Oakland fans.  Jason Campbell may never be a star but he provides a significant upgrade for the Oakland offense.  Defensively, the Raiders have a solid front seven highlighted by DE Richard Seymour and the additions of LB Rolando McClain and LB Kamerion Wimbley in the offseason.  In the secondary, CB Nnamdi Asomugha is one of the best in the game.  K Sebastian Janikowski and P Shane Lechler make up a strong kicking duo.

The Bad: Although Campbell represents an upgrade at QB there are not a lot of weapons around him.  Michael Bush is banged up and Darren McFadden has been a colossal disappointment throughout his career.  Darius Heyward-Bey leads a poor group of wide receivers and the offensive line does not any standout stars.

Bold Prediction: QB Jason Campbell will have the best season of his career now that he has left the revolving door of offensive coordinators in Washington.

The Verdict: The Raiders will improve significantly upon their 5-11 season last year.  While they might not record their first winning season since 2002, they will be a team that puts up a fight each week and might even play in important games towards the end of the season.

San Diego Chargers

The Good: QB Phillip Rivers is an extremely talented player who can thrive in Norv Turner’s system.  Antonio Gates is one of the best tight ends in football and is a major weapon in the passing game.  1st round pick Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles should be a strong combination at running back.  With OT Marcus McNeill back in the fold, the offensive line is a very strong unit.  Defensively, there is a lot of talent highlighted by Shawne Merriman and Shaun Phillips.

The Bad: WR Vincent Jackson will miss at least the first six games of the season and may have played his last game with the Chargers.  That is a huge loss for San Diego’s receiving corps.  Malcom Floyd and Legedu Naanee are major question marks at receiver.  OT Marcus McNeill is still holding out which hurts the offensive line.  Losing Antonio Cromartie’s playmaking skills to the Jets hurts the secondary’s depth.  NT Jamal Williams signed with the Denver Broncos.  Additionally, there are injuries concerns with Merriman and DE Luis Castillo.

Bold Prediction: 6’4” WR Malcom Floyd will have a breakout season as Vincent Jackson serves his suspension and continues to hold out due to contract issues.

The Verdict: 2010 will represent more of the same for San Diego Chargers fans.  The team will have a lot of regular season success and Rivers should put up great numbers.  But even with the holdouts of Jackson and McNeill and the turnover on the roster, the more things change, the more they stay the same.  The Chargers will make the playoffs but Turner and Rivers will come up short when it counts the most once again.

Photo Courtesy NFL.com