Raiders- Broncos- and Chiefs…Oh My!

Three teams with a vile hatred for each other once again resume their on going battle for AFC West supremacy.  Denver and Kansas City both head into the 2004 NFL season trying to shake the nightmare of countless Peyton Manning TD passes; I think Brandon Stokley just scored again.  While Oakland is still trying to fathom that Rick Mirer was their starting quarterback for half the season.  All three teams have a legitimate shot to snatch the AFC Western crown in the upcoming season and below are my predictions.  Don’t worry San Diego fans I didn’t forget about your beloved Chargers.  I threw in a blurb about the `Bolts since they do have a shot at the division, well technically anyway. Oakland Raiders – After three straight division titles and a trip to the Super Bowl in 2002, the Raiders plummeted to 4-12 last year.  However, enough significant changes have been made in the off-season that I think Oakland will rebound this year and edge out Kansas City for the division title.  I may be a biased member of the Raider Nation, but I do have some valid reasons behind my madness.

First and foremost is the return to health of Oakland quarterback Rich Gannon.  Not only is he back under center for the Raiders, but he is back with a vengeance.  Everyone took their shots at the Raider’s field general last season as the offense crumbled early in the season.  No one seemed to notice that the offensive line was in complete shambles because of age, injury and a bad case of the William Perrys.  Or that former coach Bill Callahan hit the panic button and radically overhauled an offense that was number one just the season before.

“I said we have got we’ve got some major problems down the road and if you can’t see it, you are blind.” – Rich Gannon

Gannon saw it early in the 2003 training camp and he ended up paying the price.  He took the majority of the heat from fans, media, and opposing defenses.  When Gannon was knocked out for the season in week seven the Raiders were practically already out of the playoff race.  Everyone could see Oakland’s problems went much deeper than quarterback when they only won two games the rest of the season.  

So Gannon is back and has a pretty big chip on his shoulder.  He is desperate to prove he is still the same guy who led the Raiders to the Super Bowl two seasons ago.  The last time he entered camp with everything on the line was back in 1999, his first in Oakland.  All he did was go to four straight Pro Bowls, win three AFC West titles, one AFC Championship and one NFL MVP award.  

Another reason for the Silver & Black’s resurgence will be the reworked offensive and defensive lines.  Two blue chip prospects were drafted in left tackle Robert Gallery and center Jake Grove.  Both have impressed in camp and should be starting by the season opener.  On defense the Raiders snared two Patriots to help stuff the run.  Ted Washington and Bobby Hamilton will team with another addition, the always loquacious Warren Sapp, to give Oakland plenty of girth to clog opponents running lanes.  

These moves along with the new coaching staff of Norv Turner and an overall increase in team speed could get the Raiders back on top the AFC West.  Of course it won’t be easy with the Chiefs and Broncos around, but I think Oakland has made the right moves to compete in this cutthroat division.

Kansas City Chiefs – Dick Vermeil’s Chiefs are sure to score their share of points this year on offense and special teams.  The big question in KC is how many will their opponents score?  At times last year KC’s red clad defensive unit was as effective as a matador’s red cape is stopping a stampeding bull.  Whether it was Clinton Portis dropping five TD’s on them or Peyton Manning dissecting them with ease in the playoffs, the Chiefs had major surgery to perform on the defensive side of the ball.

So what were the big moves KC made in the off-season you ask?  They brought in defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham and that was pretty much it.  They did keep the entire defensive unit in place and also selected a DT from Oregon, Junior Siavii, in the first round of the draft.  I respect Gunther’s ability as a defensive coordinator, but this is a lot of faith to put in a guy standing on the sidelines.  The Chiefs needed to make more impact moves on this side of the football.

The offense once again should be superb with the best line in football leading the way.  As John Madden would scream on Monday night; Spears, Shields, Weigmann, Waters, and Roaf!  That’s one hell of a group!

Behind that line you have maybe the best running back in football, Priest Holmes, and a solid quarterback in Trent Green.  Throw in the NFL’s absolute best tight end in Tony Gonzalez and you can see why the Chiefs light up the scoreboard.  I’d pick on the less than stellar wideouts KC employs, but that would seem like nitpicking.  This offense is guaranteed to score plenty of points and move the football.

That is what makes the lack of moves on the defensive side of the ball even more mystifying to me.  The Chiefs are so close to being a Super Bowl team with their offense and special teams that even the most miniscule additions might have put them over the top.  Maybe they see Gunther as that missing ingredient, but I have my doubts.  It’s not like former D-coordinator Greg Robinson was any slouch.  He did secure two Super Bowl rings as the Broncos defensive leader.  I see a definite playoff run for Kansas City this year; however it will come via the Wild Card route in my mind.  

Denver Broncos – Every year since 1998, expert prognosticators pick Mike Shanahan’s Broncos to advance to the Super Bowl and every year the Broncos have let them down.  Since the great John Elway retired, Denver has made the playoffs only twice and each time made only a brief appearance.  This year I will not fall into that trap and actually see Denver taking a step back from last year.

The major reason for a Bronco slide is the loss of some major offensive weapons, namely Clinton Portis and Shannon Sharpe.  I don’t necessarily think the Portis trade for cornerback Champ Bailey is a bad one, but I think Denver will miss the big play ability Portis brings to the offense.  Shanahan will get Denver to mount a solid rushing game, he always does, but I don’t see anyone that can provide big home runs as consistently as Portis did the last two years.  Those long runs were a major part of the Denver offense.  Regarding Sharpe, he is simply one of the best tight ends in the history of the game.  His production cannot be replaced on the field or in the locker room.

So now most of the pressure lies on Jake Plummer to keep the offense clicking.  I think Jake, the only “Snake” I acknowledge is one Kenny Stabler, is a solid QB, but he doesn’t have a lot of weapons to work with.  His safety valve in Sharpe has taken his pearly whites to the broadcast booth and Rod Smith is fighting off not only DB’s, but Father Time as well.  Denver needs one of their receivers, Ashley Lelie and Darius Watts, to have a breakout year.  

Bailey brings Shanahan the shutdown corner he has always coveted, but the price was steep.  Champ will help the defense, but it remains to be seen by how much.  The Broncos might lack kick with so many new faces trying to prove themselves on defense.  Out at linebacker are Ian Gold and John Mobley and in are rookie D.J. Williams and second year man Jashon Sykes.  Those are some speedy, linebacking shoes to fill.  

Leading sack man Bertrand Berry is also gone, so Reggie Hayward and former Lion Luther Ellis need to pick up the slack.  The always exceptional Trevor Pryce is back, but does he have the help?  I believe the Broncos will always be a tough opponent with the Mastermind in charge, but the talent isn’t quite there in 2004.  I can see the Broncos fighting for a playoff spot, but eventually ending up around 8-8 because of the inconsistent play they will experience this year.

San Diego Chargers – I really hope LaDainian Tomlinson doesn’t end up being the Barry Sanders of the new millennium, the league’s best running back on a perennial loser.  The man could be the love child of Barry and Emmitt Smith if such things were possible and thank the gods above they are not.  Tomlinson has sweet moves, terrific vision, speed and power.  In the name of Larry Centers, he even caught one hundred passes last year.  The man is a stud, but on a dud of a team.

Thos are all of the good things I can mention about the Chargers at this time.  They really are a team lacking in talent.  The line is horrendous and the receivers are third and fourth line type of guys.  They can’t even get their number one pick, QB Philip Rivers, into camp on time.  Everyone who bashed Eli Manning at draft time should be apologizing profusely right now.  The team and organization looks like a complete mess.  Although the way the NFL works, the Chargers will probably end up in the Super Bowl.  I see 4-12 repeat of last year as a better estimate.