POLL Who will win the AFC West?

[Broncos6482]

First time I can remember being serious about the Chiefs being the favorite in the division at this point since the Vermeil days. Broncos really have put a damper on what could have been a nice run of division titles in a couple other divisions out there.

I don't know, seems like it's been a good thing to me!

 

[cdumler7]

First time I can remember being serious about the Chiefs being the favorite in the division at this point since the Vermeil days. Broncos really have put a damper on what could have been a nice run of division titles in a couple other divisions out there.

Was just talking to somebody about this the other day. Sometimes a very good team just happens to be in a division with another very good team. Just think if the Chiefs were in the AFC South these past few years. I think they would have easily won that division probably 2 of the last 3 years. Instead they were stuck in the division with the Broncos and had to keep settling for Wild Card spots.

 

[mcnabb7542]

Chiefs
Chargers
Raiders
Broncos

 

[cdumler7]

Now as for the division. Hard not to pick the Broncos. Champions until they are not.

I look at Bucky Brooks who just posted an article about the top-10 talented teams in the league. He has the Broncos at 4th right now. So still plenty of talent even with the question mark at the QB position.

To me they get the run game going making like much easier on the defense plus won't throw so many picks putting the defense in such a terrible position. They might not be blowing people out again but I still think they find a way to win this division.

Honestly I do think I would have picked the Chiefs if Houston had not got hurt. That is about as big of a blow to a defense as you can have in the division. I think there defense early on will be ripe for the picking with them trying to integrate some younger players into the system. So they could see an early season slump again just like last year.

Oakland--My biggest thing against them is coaching. I don't think Del Rio is all that good of a coach and will cost his team a few games. Throw in usually the teams that everybody says is the dark horse are usually a year away. They need time for the young talent to all mesh together so I think Oakland is going to have a very up and down year. They can beat anybody but they can also lose to some very bad teams.

 

[SonnyCID]

Chiefs

 

[Oldschool739]

Discuss

KC and my boy Andy seem like the most probable at this point but I'm going gut feeling and taking SD....
They were whippin' Denver last yr in Denver until the old master mind came back in and saved the Donkeys...
With a mediocre to bad qb this yr in Denver, it will be a stroll in the park for SD....
And Rivers is just due, the law of averages and all that... "I'm just Sayin' "

 

[Clayton]

And Rivers is just due, the law of averages and all that... "I'm just Sayin' "

Rivers is due for a bad year if we are talking law of averages. He has been carrying that team on his back

 

[Oldschool739]

Rivers is due for a bad year if we are talking law of averages. He has been carrying that team on his back

This may be the yr they give him the help he needs !!....Long shot, but that's the beauty of a gut feeling pick, it don't have to look right on paper to work...

 

[cdumler7]

KC and my boy Andy seem like the most probable at this point but I'm going gut feeling and taking SD....
They were whippin' Denver last yr in Denver until the old master mind came back in and saved the Donkeys...
With a mediocre to bad qb this yr in Denver, it will be a stroll in the park for SD....
And Rivers is just due, the law of averages and all that... "I'm just Sayin' "

We seem to have different definitions of being "Whipped". Denver was down 13-7 at one point in the game. That was the largest margin of the game. So a one score game is getting "Whipped"? Throw in that is with the Broncos having 5 turnovers at that point. They were still only down by 6.

 

[Oldschool739]

We seem to have different definitions of being "Whipped". Denver was down 13-7 at one point in the game. That was the largest margin of the game. So a one score game is getting "Whipped"? Throw in that is with the Broncos having 5 turnovers at that point. They were still only down by 6.

Apples and Oranges man, getting beat is getting beat and 5 turnovers says you are getting whipped no matter what the score is.....But you aren't concerned with that, only that I chose them over your Donkeys, so just tell the truth.....I said it was a gut feeling, maybe you don't understand anything that doesn't have a stat sheet with it !!

 

[cdumler7]

Apples and Oranges man, getting beat is getting beat and 5 turnovers says you are getting whipped no matter what the score is.....But you aren't concerned with that, only that I chose them over your Donkeys, so just tell the truth.....I said it was a gut feeling, maybe you don't understand anything that doesn't have a stat sheet with it !!

I was only commenting on your "getting whipped" statement. The defense was doing just fine. they were not getting whipped in this game at all. The offense was moving the ball just kept having some bad turnovers. The offense was just struggling to hold onto the ball.

And I have no problem with somebody picking against the Broncos. I have no clue what they will be this year. I still think they are the most talented team in the division and I think whoever plays QB might surprise some people. More importantly though to the success of the team I think the run game will look much better making life much easier on our defense and help out whoever is starting at QB. This is why they play the games though. We can look on paper or have gut feelings but in the end still have to see what they do on the field.

 

[Oldschool739]

I was only commenting on your "getting whipped" statement. The defense was doing just fine. they were not getting whipped in this game at all. The offense was moving the ball just kept having some bad turnovers. The offense was just struggling to hold onto the ball.

And I have no problem with somebody picking against the Broncos. I have no clue what they will be this year. I still think they are the most talented team in the division and I think whoever plays QB might surprise some people. More importantly though to the success of the team I think the run game will look much better making life much easier on our defense and help out whoever is starting at QB. This is why they play the games though. We can look on paper or have gut feelings but in the end still have to see what they do on the field.

Well you should know that every team that plays them will be thinking stop the run, make that weak qb beat us....
There goes your leaning on the run game for success....
We've been thru it, with great D and strong run game with bad qb's....So I'm not speaking to something I know nothing of.....

 

[megalodon30]

Denver Broncos.

 

[NWPATSFAN]

Well you should know that every team that plays them will be thinking stop the run, make that weak qb beat us....
There goes your leaning on the run game for success....
We've been thru it, with great D and strong run game with bad qb's....So I'm not speaking to something I know nothing of.....

Flacco's not a bad QB. He's just not very good.

 

[Ewa PGH Fan]

KC.

 

[idahoraiderfan33]

RAIDERS

 

[cdumler7]

Well you should know that every team that plays them will be thinking stop the run, make that weak qb beat us....
There goes your leaning on the run game for success....
We've been thru it, with great D and strong run game with bad qb's....So I'm not speaking to something I know nothing of.....

Hmmm I guess we should just ignore the fact that some of the top rushing teams last year also had bad QB play. Minnesota for example finished 4th in total yards rushing and 3rd in yards per rush this last year. Passing wise they finished 31st in yards passing and were only 20th in QB passer rating. Not exactly an explosive passing game. Maybe the only team with worse QB play than the Broncos last year was the Rams with dead last in QB Rating and dead last in actual passing yards. They also had the lowest per completion rate in the league. Yet where did they finish rushing last year oh yeah 7th in rushing yards and 5th in yards per attempt. Hmmm yeah there goes your theory that a team can completely shut down a running game just because a team has a bad QB.

 

[NWPATSFAN]

Hmmm I guess we should just ignore the fact that some of the top rushing teams last year also had bad QB play. Minnesota for example finished 4th in total yards rushing and 3rd in yards per rush this last year. Passing wise they finished 31st in yards passing and were only 20th in QB passer rating. Not exactly an explosive passing game. Maybe the only team with worse QB play than the Broncos last year was the Rams with dead last in QB Rating and dead last in actual passing yards. They also had the lowest per completion rate in the league. Yet where did they finish rushing last year oh yeah 7th in rushing yards and 5th in yards per attempt. Hmmm yeah there goes your theory that a team can completely shut down a running game just because a team has a bad QB.

Vikes also had the league's leading rusher.

 

[cdumler7]

Vikes also had the league's leading rusher.

Again just shows though that teams can stick to the run game and still find success. My guess is the Broncos will try to copy the Vikings ways of run the heck out of the football and play solid defense. Obviously worked well for them getting them to the playoffs. Teams can commit to the run game and even if a defense wants to stop it they can still win with technique and scheme. This is where Kubiak's scheme comes into play because even if you load up the box they can do a lot just scheme wise to eliminate a lot of guys from the play or make them have to pause a bit not knowing exactly whether the team is running outside and cutting back or say the QB keeps it on a naked bootleg type play. Plus when you get DL going sideways they are not big fans of having to shuffle as it takes away their ability to win with leverage plus have to worry about their legs being taken out from underneath them.

 

[NWPATSFAN]

Again just shows though that teams can stick to the run game and still find success. My guess is the Broncos will try to copy the Vikings ways of run the heck out of the football and play solid defense. Obviously worked well for them getting them to the playoffs. Teams can commit to the run game and even if a defense wants to stop it they can still win with technique and scheme. This is where Kubiak's scheme comes into play because even if you load up the box they can do a lot just scheme wise to eliminate a lot of guys from the play or make them have to pause a bit not knowing exactly whether the team is running outside and cutting back or say the QB keeps it on a naked bootleg type play. Plus when you get DL going sideways they are not big fans of having to shuffle as it takes away their ability to win with leverage plus have to worry about their legs being taken out from underneath them.

The only flaw here is Denver doesn't have an AP.