2009 NFL Preview Part 6: AFC West

This may be ugly...

1. San Diego Chargers (12-4) - Easily the class of this ugly division.... Philip Rivers is an elite QB, LDT is primed to keep it going (and Darren Sproles is the best change-up back in the league)...and that's before you even get to newly elite WR Vincent Jackson and all-world TE Antonio Gates...insane the talent on this side of the ball....and the defense should make a pretty strong return from last year's down year....Shawne Merriman is healthy to open the field up for Shaun Philips, rookie Larry English, and the like...Jamal Williams is a monster...and even Antonio Cromartie should rebound a bit...Quentin Jammer and Eric Weddle also may form the best pass defending safety tandem in the entire league....A Super Bowl contender pending the sight of what Tomlinson has left....
2. Kansas City Chiefs (6-10) - Starting the ugliness... First the positives...I'm a Matt Cassel fan....Dwayne Bowe has elite talent and Bobby Engram is the pro's pro...and I also like guys like Jamaal Charles, Derrick Johnson, and Monty Beisel...but this team's front office is baffling me at the moment....they say they want to compete and sign Cassel...then flip Tony Gonzalez (their best player by a wide margin) for picks??? ehh...the defense has huge holes as well...Best of the worst....
3. Denver Broncos (5-11) - Let's say I'm not sold on the Kyle Orton era... Brandon Marshall is unhealthy, I wasn't sold on Knowshon Moreno before the injury....so let's leave it there....the defense was bad a year ago and could be slightly better, but Champ Bailey is on the downside, their biggest acquisition was Brian Dawkins who is in the twilight as well... it was an dreadful offseason with the relegation of Jay Cutler, and Josh McDaniels showing his colors in a negative way...I'm gonna say the season follows suit....
4. Oakland Raiders (3-13) - The circus is still in town.... Positives first... Darren McFadden could (and I think will) break out this year, they have an underrated TE in Zach Miller, and by far, the best corner in the league in Nnamdi Asomugha....add in the best kicking/punting game in the league with Lechler and Janikowski.... okay that's the list of positives...Jamarcus Russell continues to be a trainwreck as we all knew he would (Add 3 wins if Jeff Garcia is playing btw), the coaching/ownership situation is obviously a certified joke, and the offensive and defensive lines will continuously be overmatched (especially since they just jettisoned Derrick Burgess to NE)....Futility.....