POLL Who has the most pressure in the AFC West?

[Schmoopy1000]

We might have to drug test Adams

he must be a functioning alcoholic because he didnt even seem drunk in that video.

 

[Schmoopy1000]

I mean Jesus Battle... I was just calling Blues a cock.... I wasn't planning on luring him out to the forest and ****ing him while screaming pig noises. I mean I know I said the word hog, but that was in no way related!

of course you werent gonna lure him into a forest. You're a damn Shark!
1st it starts off with hey you want to go to the beach.
then
hey why not go for a swim in this nice lagoon where there are no witnesses.
then
Bam! He is on an episode of SVU!

You ain't foolin' nobody!

 

[cdumler7]

I'm a little surprised Herbert isn't getting more votes in this. Chargers are being hyped by most as having one of the top-3 most talented rosters in the entire NFL. Herbert has risen up QB boards and is squarely in that top-5 QB talk. When that happens with a guy on his rookie contract that usually means they should be competing for Super Bowls and playoffs should be a given. The fact that he has yet to make the playoffs puts a ton of pressure on this season for him and the Chargers. Throw in Allen getting older, Chargers spending big in FA, and even using their 1st round pick on the OL to help him out puts a lot on the shoulders of Herbert to now show up.

 

[cdumler7]

Broncs have a new HC, OC and QB learning a new system.

Raiders have all of that other than QB that has been in the building. So not sure the situations between the two teams is that different. McDaniels also has one of the most complicated systems in all of football so to me if anyone should be worried about learning the new system and getting everything in place early in the season it would be Carr and the Raiders.

 

[cdumler7]

Part of me just thinks that the Broncos fans will be happy to just have a QB.

Yes we are happy! We also have expectations of good things though for the franchise. You don't trade that much draft capital to finish 4th in the division. I don't expect Super Bowl day 1 but I do have expectations of playoffs this year to consider getting Wilson a success.

 

[Clayton]

Yes we are happy! We also have expectations of good things though for the franchise. You don't trade that much draft capital to finish 4th in the division. I don't expect Super Bowl day 1 but I do have expectations of playoffs this year to consider getting Wilson a success.

The way I view the offseason is that the Chargers and Broncos are both chasing recent trends. Chargers building around that rookie QB contract deal. Broncos fit the mold of the past two SB champions where they took a franchise QB off a team that wasn't competing and the QB got to choose where they went. The Raiders rebuilt a few years back so they're the 'moved team that used to suck ready to compete' type and they got McDaniels and Davante Adams to choose to play with them.

Chiefs are basically their own trend. They've been able to contend and rebuild at the same time. I do think Veach just had his best draft but relying on draft picks is basically gambling and thats where KC is at right now.

My gut tells me either KC or the Raiders are missing the playoffs without an outside shot at both just because the AFC is strong. To me, that means the pressure is on LA and I guess also DEN like you say.

 

[Judge Fudge]

Carr.

He has the Legit Weapons around him now with Adams in the fold.

If he Doesn't go over, barring injury of course, 3000 with over 20 TD's and under 10 INT. It shall be a failure

 

[cdumler7]

The way I view the offseason is that the Chargers and Broncos are both chasing recent trends. Chargers building around that rookie QB contract deal. Broncos fit the mold of the past two SB champions where they took a franchise QB off a team that wasn't competing and the QB got to choose where they went. The Raiders rebuilt a few years back so they're the 'moved team that used to suck ready to compete' type and they got McDaniels and Davante Adams to choose to play with them.

Chiefs are basically their own trend. They've been able to contend and rebuild at the same time. I do think Veach just had his best draft but relying on draft picks is basically gambling and thats where KC is at right now.

My gut tells me either KC or the Raiders are missing the playoffs without an outside shot at both just because the AFC is strong. To me, that means the pressure is on LA and I guess also DEN like you say.

It is hard for me to picture the Chiefs missing the playoffs, but it does happen even to the top QB's. Manning and the Colts missed in 2001 after they had a transitioning defense and gave up a lot of points that year. I could see the Chiefs possibly falling into that kind of category of trying to integrate so many new pieces and it not flowing as well as expected. Same with the offense now having so many new pieces that it takes maybe 6-weeks into the season before they start gelling. I still have the Chiefs making the playoffs.

To me the Raiders are the team very much set for regression. They had the 4th worst point differential in NFL history that made the playoffs. When you throw in a new coaching staff to the mix I think they will have some struggles especially early on. I would add they have the worst starting OL and worst secondary in a division loaded with pass rushers and QB's that can throw all over the field.

I do question a little the coaching in LA as they have had a pretty loaded roster the last couple of years and have still struggled to get over the hump. Heck had coaching cost them the win and in game to end the season.

And Broncos yeah plenty of question marks all around. New coaching, new QB, players with injury histories at key positions, young roster. A lot could go wrong or right for them.

 

[Clayton]

To me the Raiders are the team very much set for regression. They had the 4th worst point differential in NFL history that made the playoffs. When you throw in a new coaching staff to the mix I think they will have some struggles especially early on. I would add they have the worst starting OL and worst secondary in a division loaded with pass rushers and QB's that can throw all over the field.

A big part of that worst point differential is that they got blown out by the Chiefs twice. Key players hurt or arrested, too.

I will say that the Raiders secondary and OL might wreck their season. Chiefs last year proved that it didnt really matter how good you were if someone could just beat your secondary over the top. I think the Raiders could end up being good but there will be teams that they wont be able to match up with and that might be enough to make them last place.

I havent seen the full Madden rankings yet but I expect the offenses to rank:

#1 Chargers
#2 Raiders
#3 Chiefs
#4 Broncos

and the defenses:

#1 Broncos
#2 Chargers
#3 Raiders
#4 Chiefs

So the Chiefs are at the opposite end of the spectrum as the Eagles and Dolphins. Established QB, Established Coach, maybe the least stacked roster in their division. The question becomes: how much does that matter?

 

[cdumler7]

A big part of that worst point differential is that they got blown out by the Chiefs twice. Key players hurt or arrested, too.

I will say that the Raiders secondary and OL might wreck their season. Chiefs last year proved that it didnt really matter how good you were if someone could just beat your secondary over the top. I think the Raiders could end up being good but there will be teams that they wont be able to match up with and that might be enough to make them last place.

I havent seen the full Madden rankings yet but I expect the offenses to rank:

#1 Chargers
#2 Raiders
#3 Chiefs
#4 Broncos

and the defenses:

#1 Broncos
#2 Chargers
#3 Raiders
#4 Chiefs

So the Chiefs are at the opposite end of the spectrum as the Eagles and Dolphins. Established QB, Established Coach, maybe the least stacked roster in their division. The question becomes: how much does that matter?

From what I have seen of the Madden ratings they were not kind to the Broncos. They used a wait and see approach to their scores as most everything for the Broncos is based on potential rather than actual production.

And you might be right about the Raiders. I do see though they had 4 wins in overtime last year with 0 losses. The odds of them replicating something like that is slim to none. A huge chunk of their wins were 3-point victories. I'm interested to see especially with the change in coaching whether they can take that next step and start turning those close games into bigger victories or if they trend back towards the norm where teams do not win that many close games in the fashions that they did. Some of that reminds me a bit of the Broncos in 2015 winning games in some weird ways. The odds of them replicating that were slim to none. Heck saw that in 2016 where the defense it could be argued played at an even greater level than the 2015 unit and the team ended up missing the playoffs.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Wilson or Herbert.

Herbert has already exceeded expectations every year but there are some lofty expectations being thrown around. Herbert is already being discussed as top 5 QB. Rams winning the SB applies some pressure too and it's still a tough city to play for.

Wilson has to prove himself all over again. So he gets my vote.

 

[Clayton]

From what I have seen of the Madden ratings they were not kind to the Broncos. They used a wait and see approach to their scores as most everything for the Broncos is based on potential rather than actual production.

And you might be right about the Raiders. I do see though they had 4 wins in overtime last year with 0 losses. The odds of them replicating something like that is slim to none. A huge chunk of their wins were 3-point victories. I'm interested to see especially with the change in coaching whether they can take that next step and start turning those close games into bigger victories or if they trend back towards the norm where teams do not win that many close games in the fashions that they did. Some of that reminds me a bit of the Broncos in 2015 winning games in some weird ways. The odds of them replicating that were slim to none. Heck saw that in 2016 where the defense it could be argued played at an even greater level than the 2015 unit and the team ended up missing the playoffs.

I mention the Madden ratings because the players do follow that and I do think its going to start media talking if Chargers and Raiders are ranked higher than teams that have Russ and Mahomes.

I think you have to go back to the days of like 1993 with Elway and Montana for the AFC West to have this much attention. Expect that its arguably better now than it was back then. Things are going to get crazy.

 

[Dude]

This could be one of those seasons where teams in their own divisions beat the shit out of each other. Seems like there will be a lot of that in AFC. Good!

 

[Dude]

Good question @DJ

They all have pressure for different reasons:

- Mahomes: after his pathetic close to last season needs to prove he is truly elite, now without the speedy receiver.

- Wilson: what has been said, Broncos are supposed to be a QB from glory again. Vastly overrated. Will they deliver or choke?

- Carr: getting a little long in the tooth with little to show for it. Needs to deliver now or never.

- Herbert: San Diego … err, LA, is supposed to be one of the top teams for some time. If he pulls it all together could be something like what Burrow did last season?

Most pressure, probably Carr or Herbert because those 2 teams have underachieved for some years.