If this is Peyton Manning’s last year, the recent stranglehold the Denver Broncos have exercised on the AFC West may be coming to an end.
This may be the last opportunity in a while that Denver has to assert its authority over its divisional rivals.
Before Manning arrived in 2012, the Broncos had only won the divisional title twice in the past 10 years. Once in 2005, under Jake Plummer, and once in 2011, under Tim Tebow.
When Manning retires, the Broncos may have to get used to mediocrity for a while unless they hit big in free agency.
Emmanuel Sanders earned his first Pro Bowl nod last season, and Demaryius Thomas continues to be one of the best wide receivers in the game. CJ Anderson also earned his first Pro Bowl selection last year, and could become a great running back for the Broncos if he performs well again this year.
Aqib Talib and Chris Harris both scored Pro Bowl honours last year at cornerback, and DeMarcus Ware continues to play his way into the Hall of Fame. Von Miller is one of the best at his position, and with rookie Shane Ray joining him, the Broncos defence looks to be a dominant force this season.
The most exciting component of the AFC West this season might not be who is coming first, but who is coming second. The San Diego Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs both finished 9-7 last season and missed out on the playoffs, but I suspect one of the two will make the leap this year.
After making the Wild Card game in 2013, the Chiefs missed out last year, but I predict that they’ll finish 10-6 – maybe even 11-5 if everything goes right – and get back into the post-season. Alex Smith is a good quarterback, and with a playoff berth he may make his second Pro Bowl in his career.
Despite Smith’s ability, the offence obviously flows through the backfield, courtesy of Jamaal Charles. One of the top running backs around, he’s made four straight Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams. With Jeremy Maclin signing, a touchdown pass may actually be thrown to a wide receiver in 2015. Derrick Johnson, Tamba Hali, Justin Houston and rookie Marcus Peters will be key for the defence.
The Chargers will take a step back this year in my opinion. If they do make the playoffs, expect them to lose to the Broncos in the divisional round like they did in 2013. Outside of Eric Weddle and maybe Brandon Flowers, their defence has little talent, but their offence is stacked.
They lost Ryan Mathews to the Philadelphia Eagles, but with young talent like Branden Oliver and Melvin Gordon, they should have a good ground attack. With new addition Jacoby Jones and old face (and future Hall of Famer) Antonio Gates, their receiving game should help them score points.
Finally, we come to the Oakland Raiders, the longtime laughingstock of the division. They haven’t made the playoffs since 2002, but with Jack Del Rio on as the new coach, he’s a slight improvement on recent hirings made by Reggie McKenzie. Last year’s horrendous 3-13 record was the worst since 2006 – since 2002, when they lost Super Bowl XXXVII, they have a record of 56-136.
Derek Carr had a good rookie season, despite what the record said. He’s definitely the franchise quarterback going forward for this team. With Amari Cooper as a deep threat downfield, Carr should improve on his rookie numbers and should hopefully notch a few more wins for his team.
Justin Tuck will hope to reignite his career after spending eight years with the Giants, and having Khalil Mack out there with him, the defensive ends will be explosive for Oakland. Mack had a breakout rookie year last season, and could become a dominant force in this league for years to come.
This year will be a test to see who can inherit the division title when the guard finally changes in the West.
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