One of the most intriguing divisional battles in 2015 promises to be the AFC West.
Denver Broncos
2014: finished regular season 12-4 (won division), lost Divisional playoff to Indianapolis Colts 24-13
Offence: Peyton Manning is now 39 years old and could be heading into his final season. Will still form a lethal combination with their excellent receivers Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders and will be looking for tight end Owen Daniels to replicate the impact Julius Thomas had last year. It will be interesting to see who gets the majority of the carries between C.J Anderson, Montee Ball and Ronnie Hillman.
Defence: Denver’s defence was 3rd in total yards conceded but mid table in terms of points conceded last season. An already strong linebacking corp including Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware was strengthened with the drafting of Shane Ray.
Fantasy player to watch: Demaryius Thomas signed a massive contract extension in the off -season. Will be taken high in fantasy drafts and will be the focus
Key to their success/failure: the ability of the defence to continue its great play from last season and reduce the amount of points Manning and the offence need to produce to win games.
Predicted regular season finish: 10-6
Kansas City Chiefs
2014 : finished regular season 9-7 (2nd in division)
Offence: a good offence led by a great running game. Jamaal Charles and Knile Davis are one of the best running combinations in the NFL. Charles had his 5th 1,000 yard season a year ago out six full seasons and will be the bell cow back. Alex Smith is a good game manager at quarterback, has a good tight end in Travis Kelce and finally has a number one receiver in Jeremy Maclin that should bring touchdowns from that position, something the Chiefs were unable to do last season.
Defence: the cornerstone of Kansas City is the defence. Having conceded the 2nd fewest points in 2014, the Chiefs should have made the playoffs. The reason they didn’t was clearly not related to the defence.
Fantasy player to watch: Maclin will benefit from being the main guy in the passing offence and from beiong reunited with head coach Andy Reid. Will see a ton of targets, particularly in the red zone.
Key to their success/failure: offensively the Chiefs need to find a way for Smith to get some receiving touchdowns with his wide receivers. The ability to spread the ball around will determine how far this team can go.
Predicted regular season finish: 10-6
Oakland Raiders
2014: finished regular season 3-13 (4th in division)
Offence: for a team that finished 3-13, the Raiders have much to look forward to offensively. 2nd year quarterback Derek Carr will have a host of weapons at his disposal. Rookie wide receiver Amari Cooper looks to be a superstar, perhaps this year’s Odell Beckham jr. Has impressed in the preseason to date. On the other side of the field Oakland has brought in Michael Crabtree from across the bay in San Francisco. Crabtree is said to have worked really hard in the off season and is set for a big year. Latavius Murray leads a running group that includes Roy Helu and the much maligned Trent Richardson, if he makes the team.
Defence: unsurprisingly the Raiders defence was the worst in the league last season, in terms of giving up yards and points. The defence was addressed in the draft when Mario Edwards was taken out of Florida State University in the 2nd round.
Fantasy player to watch: Cooper is going to be a star and will go inside the first three rounds of most redraft leagues.
Key to their success/failure: Carr’s ability to develop chemistry with his receiving corp.
Predicted regular season finish: 6-10
San Diego Chargers
2014: finished regular season 9-7 (3rd in division)
Offence: great news for the Chargers in the past week when quarterback Phillip Rivers inked a multiple year contract extension. His receiving corp looks to have improved this season, Keenan Allen and Malcolm Floyd have been joined by Stevie Johnson, who the San Diego offence is said to much better for than the 49ers offence he operated in last year. The running back trio of boom rookie Melvin Gordon, Danny Woodhead and Branden Oliver is right up there with the best trio in the division.
Defence: San Diego’s defence is solid without being great, about mid table in most statistical rankings. They are growing in experience together and are on the improve. If that improvement continues, they can challenge.
Fantasy player to watch: Rivers is a great late round quarterback and is sure to be a target for many fantasy owners who like to take QB’s late.
Key to their success/failure: one of Johnson, Woodhead or Allen need to have a career year.
Predicted regular season finish: 8-8
Predicted Divisional Standings
1. Denver Broncos (10-6)
2. Kansas City Chiefs (10-6)
3. San Diego Chargers (8-8)
4. Oakland Raiders (6-10)
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