This week and next, leading up the kickoff of the 2018 NFL season, I’ll be looking around the grand landscape of the league. We’ll preview all 32 teams, division by division, starting with the AFC West.
Denver Broncos
Well, I don’t think the Broncos did much to inspire a lot of confidence in the quarterback position heading into 2018. I like Case Keenum quite a bit, but don’t believe he’s the long-term solution. The Paxton Lynch experiment hasn’t worked out, and now, the Broncos find themselves back to square one when it comes to the future of the position. That said, Keenum is a definite upgrade over Trevor Siemian. I love the drafting of Royce Freeman, a running back who should provide the offense with some electricity out of the backfield. Of course, Keenum has some good receivers in Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas to throw to as well.
But, we all know that if the Broncos are to succeed in 2018, it’s most likely going to come by the hands of their vaunted defense. No more Aqib Talib, but Bradley Roby is poised for a breakout season in the secondary. Not to mention, the defensive stalwart Von Miller and the drafting of defensive lineman Bradley Chubb – this defense is going to have some teeth. Though, I can’t help but wonder how Vance Joseph puts it all together…because it’s not like he did his best work last season. This is going to be a tough division, and when you look over the Broncos schedule, it’s hard to find too many teams on it that they’re clearly better than.
Kansas City Chiefs
Brutal start to the season for the super talented Chiefs – it’s entirely possible that they start the season 1-5 before a slate of winnable games sets in. But, despite losing Alex Smith to the Washington Redskins, the Chiefs are absolutely loaded with explosive talent on offense. That should ease sophomore quarterback Pat Mahomes into his starting role. The dude has an absolute rocket for an arm, and has plenty of people in Kansas City excited. A lot of pundits think he’s going to be one of the next great franchise quarterbacks in the league. There’s an awful lot of hype, but it’s still on him to execute. Andy Reid obviously has a ton of confidence in him – and like I alluded to earlier, having Tyreek Hill, Kareem Hunt, Travis Kelce, and now Sammy Watkins certainly makes this one of the most explosive offenses in the league.
The defense is the big question mark for the Chiefs – Bob Sutton hasn’t exactly fielded brick wall defenses in Kansas City, but he hasn’t really had to. Winning games 42-40 is still winning games, after all. But, I can’t help but be at least a little concerned by lockdown corner Marcus Peters leaving for the Los Angeles Rams. Eric Berry will be the heart of this defense, but it could be pretty bad. All in all, I think this Chiefs offense is going to murder AFC defenses, and as long as they can hold opponents under 50, they’ll be fine.
Los Angeles Chargers
My pick to win the AFC West, and also a dark horse Super Bowl contender if you ask me. There’s plenty to love about this Chargers team, but by going out and addressing weaknesses from 2017, they’ve built the most talented and complete roster in the division. If this team had made the playoffs in 2017, they could’ve done some damage.
They signed C Mike Pouncey, and they’ll get G Forrest Lamp back from injury, suddenly giving them a much more stout offensive line. Melvin Gordon is poised for a big season. Keenan Allen is one of the five best receivers in the NFL, and we should get our first prolonged look at 2017 first rounder Mike Williams opposite him. Travis Benjamin and Tyrell Williams provide valuable depth at the position. At the helm, you have the wily old gunslinger, Philip Rivers. People are showing the Chiefs an awful lot of love right now, but this Chargers offense could prove just as potent.
On defense, Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram make a compelling case as the best pass rushing tandem in the entire NFL. The Chargers boast an all-world secondary led by cornerback Casey Hayward. That’s a secondary that just added S Derwin James in the draft, mind you. There’s not a lot to dislike about this Chargers team. The folks in L.A. are enthralled by the Rams, but need to stop sleeping on the Bolts.
Oakland Raiders
Just win, baby – Jon Gruden is back as the head guy in charge for the Oakland Raiders. I don’t want to rain on anybody’s parade, but man – he has his work cut out for him. It’s Derek Carr on offense. It’s Khalil Mack on defense. But, outside of those two, there’s a whole lot of question marks on this roster. While I anticipate Amari Cooper will have a bounce-back season after a terrible 2017, the rest of the receiving corps leaves a little to be desired. Jordy Nelson has a lot of tread on the tires, and Martavis Bryant has been wildly inconsistent. Counting on the like of Marshawn Lynch and Doug Martin is risky. I just don’t see a lot of help for Carr.
On defense, Bruce Irvin was the only real aid to Mack in 2017. Outside of those two, can you even name a player on Oakland’s front seven? I’m interested to see how troubled rookie Arden Key performs, but don’t think he alone can provide much more juice to that unit. I’m a big fan of youngsters Karl Joseph and Gareon Conley in the secondary. If they take a major step forward, it would help take some of the burden off of Mack.
Overall, I don’t like that this team is relying so heavily on Mack on defense. They could’ve done more to invest in the defense. If this team succeeds, it’ll be because some of the old dudes on offense found the fountain of youth. I just don’t buy it – not too high on the 2018 Raiders.
Projected finish
- Los Angeles Chargers (10+ wins)
- Kansas City Chiefs (8-10 wins)
- Denver Broncos (6-8 wins)
- Oakland Raiders (5-7 wins)
2018 NFL Divisional Previews
Coming soon.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
Check out the SoBros Shop. Subscribe to our Patreon. Give us money for no reason. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @SoBrosNetwork. Listen on SoundCloud. Watch on YouTube.
