With six out of the eight divisions now previewed, it’s time to prepare ourselves for the final stretch of our off-season division preview project.
I hope you all have enjoyed the little previews I’ve cooked up for each division so far. If you have, I hope you enjoy these last two and even gain some knowledge about a division you might’ve not known too much about. Two divisions remain on the agenda and both call the western areas of the United States home.
More importantly, the pure football outlook for both of these divisions is as close to flawless as it can get.
So without further ado, let’s jump right into the testy, yet thrilling waters of the AFC and NFC West divisions. Today, we’ll start with the AFC portion, a division that’s been controlled by the Kansas City Chiefs for the last five years or so.
2020 Standings
1. Kansas City Chiefs (14-2)
2. Las Vegas Raiders (8-8)
3. Los Angeles Chargers (7-9)
4. Denver Broncos (5-11)
Overview of 2020 for the AFC West
The AFC West didn’t possess much in terms of intrigue and wire to wire competition in 2020.
The Kansas City Chiefs were the clear favorites in the division and they played like it too. Patrick Mahomes added another stellar season on top of the already dream start to his young career, throwing for just over 4,700 yards and 38 touchdowns. He played like the same ole’ Mahomes we’ve come to expect each and every season, running Andy Reid’s offense with extreme precision and aiding in achieving the efficiency Reid’s offense generally demands.
Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce played their part as well, which is something we’ve also come to expect from two of the game’s most dangerous offensive weapons. The one thing that was surprising, but not in a sense was the emergence of then rookie running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Edwards-Helaire isn’t built like a 240 pound tank that can run guys over and instill fear into a defense each time he carries the rock. Instead, he’s a smaller statured back that brings a lot in terms of elusiveness and even some prowess as a pass catcher out of the backfield.
Edwards-Helaire brought a certain amount of balance to this Chiefs offense, something the unit as a whole hasn’t had in a long while. It was a welcome sight though, as it seemingly allowed this offense to add another layer on top of the thick one the passing game brought itself. The talented back ended up getting hurt during a week 15 showdown with the New Orleans Saints, so we technically didn’t get to see a full season of play from him. But if he can avoid injuries and play like he did pre-injury, then he’s going to be a hot name among the top young running backs in football.
As for the team, the season didn’t end the way they wanted it to courtesy of a Super Bowl drubbing done by the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But they’re favorited to return to the big game this season, so all hope isn’t lost.
As we journey further west, we’ll continue our AFC West review with the Las Vegas Raiders.
To put it simply, the Raiders were an average football team in 2020. The offense sputtered as many times as it did impress and the defense was nothing short of a disaster. Derek Carr was good despite the weird pieces around him failing to make a consistent impact week to week, Josh Jacobs wasn’t efficient at all in the running game, Henry Ruggs wasn’t much of a factor even before he suffered a knee injury, I mean it was just a weird year offensively for the black and silver.
I don’t think I’ll go into too much detail regarding the defense since we all know how bad of a year that unit had in 2020.
I honestly don’t know what to make of the Raiders right now. The roster was gutted in the off-season due to cap concerns and now it looks painfully average. The defense doesn’t look a whole lot better on paper compared to last season, it’s just a mess right now. I want to believe in the Jon Gruden/Mike Mayock partnership, but it’s extremely difficult to do so at this time. This team is a virtual unknown at this point. They don’t look good enough to push for a playoff spot in the loaded AFC, but they don’t look bad enough to secure a top flight draft pick.
What a pain.
Moving a little east to the great state of Colorado, it was a miserable 2020 season for the Denver Broncos. They couldn’t find any sort of consistency when it came to winning games, and it was all thanks to the disgusting quarterback play they had to suffer through. Drew Lock was a disaster in 2020. He couldn’t stop turning the ball over, he was late on a number of important throws, and he just didn’t seem comfortable in this offense for whatever reason.
In limited 2019 action, he looked great. He brought a spark, some form of juice to an offense that lacked it at the time, and he certainly looked like a quarterback the team could depend on in 2020. But things simply fell apart, for reasons that are still unknown to me.
This roster is filled with young and experienced talent on both sides of the ball, along with a head coach that knows how to put a defensive unit in the best positions to succeed. But all of that means absolutely nothing when the surrounding quarterback play is at the level of a stinky smell tied to a dumpster fire of a landfill. I seriously can’t explain it any better than that.
This team would be one of the best in football if the had some form of decent quarterback play, I truly believe that. But until they offload the likes of Drew Lock and refuse to rely on Teddy Bridgewater to move the needle offensively, then they’re going to be stuck in the shadow realm and be known as an average football team.
That isn’t the case for the Los Angeles Chargers however.
Los Angeles’ forgotten football team surprised everyone last season, specifically due to the play of Justin Herbert. The ex-Oregon Duck came onto the scene in 2020 after a Tyrod Taylor’s bizarre early season medical situation and boy did he impress. He broke the rookie record for passing touchdowns, completions, most 300 yard passing games, most games with at least three touchdowns passes, and a number of other rookie records. He gave this franchise a ray of light for the future, a leader this team can now depend on for the future, and a building block that can be the nucleus of the Chargers’ ongoing rebuild.
No one expected this out of Herbert, I mean absolutely no one did, that’s what made it all the more impressive.
Defensively in 2020, the Chargers weren’t exactly world beaters, but they weren’t bad either. Kenneth Murray was the young bright spot everyone expected to jump off the screen last season, but I’m not too sure if that ended up being the case.
With Brandon Staley now leading the defense, I think Murray and this unit as a whole could develop into a formidable one. Talent exists there, across all three phases as well. All that’s left is to watch the maturation process potentially unfold with some of the unit’s best young talent being at the forefront of it all.
Best Offense for 2021
Kansas City Chiefs- This isn’t up for discussion.
Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid, Eric Bieniemy, Travis Kelce, and Tyreek Hill still exist. As along as those five men are still on the same team, no other offense will be able to compare. However, this unit still has some questions. Will this offensive line improve after the changes made in the off-season? I personally think it will, but the concern will always be a thing due to the beating Mahomes took in Super Bowl 55.
The other question I have is can the wide receiver group pick up the slack after the departure of Sammy Watkins? Behind Tyreek Hill, there isn’t a lot to be desired regarding the Chiefs’ receivers. Demarcus Robinson is an okay depth option, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable with him being the team’s WR2. I could say the same for Byron Pringle and Mecole Hardman as well. For the Chiefs’ sake, it’ll be wise to explore adding another receiver option before the season start, just so they won’t be caught relying on the current depth.
Best Defense for 2021
Denver Broncos- This one also shouldn’t be up for discussion.
This defense was the only reason the team was even able to stay competitive in 2020. Time after time, Vic Fangio’s group was thrown onto the field in unfavorable situations due to the offense not being able to do their jobs. Due to that, this defense was on the field way more than it should’ve been. Despite that though, this unit showed up more times than not and was able to steady an often times rocky Broncos team ship.
I fully expect this unit to at least come near the level of play it consistently showcased last season, with some room to grow after the addition of Patrick Surtain and Von Miller returning after a leg injury ended his 2020 season before it could really begin.
If only the offense was able to function like a proper one….
Best Head Coach for 2021
Andy Reid- The established Chiefs head coach is the best head coach in this division by far.
We know what he’s done ever since he arrived in Kansas City eight years ago. He’s brought a winning culture back to a tradition rich organization, he’s been instrumental in the development of Patrick Mahomes, and members of his staff have found themselves being offered promotions left and right by different organizations across the league.
He literally has nothing else left to prove, that’s how stacked his resume is.
Reid is getting up there in age, so the talk of retirement will always be a topic of discussion whenever he turns a year older. But it’s been said Reid will stay in Kansas City as long as he possibly can, while aiming to win more titles and oversee the majority of Mahomes’ career.
Which is a good thing because who doesn’t want to bask in the presence of Andy Reid for the foreseeable future?
Potential Breakout Candidates for Each Team for 2021
Kansas City Chiefs- LB Willie Gay
Hear me out.
Last off-season, I predicted Gay to be the Chiefs’ breakout player in 2020. Mainly due to his potential to finally give the Chiefs a solid option at inside linebacker, something the defense has been lacking ever since the great Derrick Thomas retired. But my supposed prediction fell short of coming to fruition, as Gay found himself on the outside looking in when it came to consistent playing time.
However, a year of playing time has now stuck itself onto Gay’s belt. With that minimal, yet important amount of experience under his belt, it seems like Gay is set to at least get a look as a starter according to ChiefsWire. If he does indeed get that look, keep an eye on his progress as one of the Chiefs’ young defensive building blocks for the future.
Las Vegas Raiders- WR Henry Ruggs
What’s the plan for Ruggs in Vegas?
He’s not really a prototypical WR1, nor is he a receiver that’s limited to a handful of deep routes run per game. He’s player that’s sort of stuck in a weird place between roles based on his skillset, which is a spot I don’t think any young talent wants to find their selves in.
But the Raiders, specifically Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock, can’t afford wasting time trying to pin down Ruggs’ exact role within this offense. He was a top 15 pick for goodness sake, if you can’t find a role for him then what was the point in drafting him? That’s why I think you’ll see the Raiders try to get the ball in Ruggs’ hands a lot more often in 2021, whether that’ll be limited to traditional receiver play remains to be seen.
Los Angeles Chargers- CB Michael Davis
Looking over this Chargers roster, I didn’t really find any real breakout candidates aside from Kenneth Murray. But then I took a look at the stats belonging to veteran corner Michael Davis and immediately found what I was looking for. Davis finished with career high numbers in tackles and interceptions, but his potential fit in Brandon Staley’s defense — not his statistical achievements — is the one singular factor I’m most keen on.
The corners in Staley’s scheme in Los Angeles last season were feisty, yet technically sound talents that knew how to play smart football. We saw it with Jalen Ramsey and Troy Hill last year. I’m not saying Davis is another Jalen Ramsey or some weird clone of Troy Hill, but his previous statistical achievements and his physical tools (6’2, 196 pounds, and 4.34 speed measured at his pro day) make for an interesting fit in Staley’s scheme.
Denver Broncos- WR Jerry Jeudy
I remember being super high on Jeudy coming into the 2021 NFL Draft. While he did provide some of the excitement Broncos fans were expecting, he didn’t really put it all together week in and week out. I won’t blame him entirely for the inconsistency issues, as the quarterback situation was less than ideal during his rookie season. But a shaky quarterback situation doesn’t create drops, a problem of Jeudy’s that developed during his rookie season.
With a year under his belt, and the quarterback position possessing some form of insurance in Teddy Bridgewater, I expect Jeudy to at least build on his 2020 rookie season, and potentially rise to become a respectable running mate alongside Courtland Sutton.
Who Wins the Division?
If the Broncos did end up adding another quarterback by the name of Aaron Rodgers, then I think they would’ve seriously given the Chiefs some competition in the AFC West. But they didn’t do so, instead they’ve opted to roll with Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater, two quarterbacks that don’t move the needle much for this offense.
With that being said, I’ll take the Chiefs to win the division in 2021.
It’d be a crime to not do so. They’re obviously still one of the more talented teams in all of football, with a healthy mix of veterans and young talent littered throughout the roster. What concerns me about them though is their lack of depth at wide receiver. Once you go beyond the likes of Tyreek Hill, there isn’t much proven talent there.
Demarcus Robinson is an okay third option, Mecole Hardman is nothing more than a speedster with raw route running ability, and Byron Pringle isn’t seen as anything above a depth spot in the offense. Now of course these three players and potentially more will be tasked with picking up the slack, but questions remain about their ability to effectively do just that.
Nonetheless, I won’t pick against the Chiefs unless future evidence shows it’s safe to do so.
Aside from the serious division winner business, it’ll be fun to watch Justin Herbert and Patrick Mahomes duel it out some more in 2021. Two young quarterbacks that are in different stratospheres. One being heralded as the best quarterback in all of football, another coming off a very impressive rookie season and seemingly ready to take the league by storm.
If you have any free time during the fall and winter, make it a priority to watch the Chiefs-Chargers matchups we’ve been blessed with receiving.
I promise you won’t regret it.