The AFC West is Wide Open in 2009

If ever there was a year for a team to step up and run away with the AFC West, it's this year.  Even the team that's arguably the most talented, the San Diego Chargers, has question marks galore. 

Will Shawne Merriman and LaDainian Tomlinson return to form, or ride off into the sunset?  Can Antonio Gates avoid getting dinged up and make the big plays this offense needs him to make? 

If they can return to form, the Chargers should run away with the division. 

In Denver, gone is the mastermind of the plug-and-play running back in Mike Shanahan.  Most importantly, gone is the team's biggest playmaker in crybaby Jay Cutler. 

This year's key to the Broncos' success won't be heir apparent Kyle Orton, but rather whether new coach Josh McDaniels can improve a lacking defense and turn Knowshon Moreno into a star.  For the latter to happen, McDaniels will likely need to back off his pass-happy approach to offense that he so successfully utilized in New England. 

Out in Oakland the Raiders are, well... the Raiders. Al Davis hired last year's interim coach Tom Cable to continue what he finished as interim coach in 2008 after Lane Kiffin bolted for Tennessee. 

The No. 2 problem for the Raiders is that JaMarcus Russell is still the starting quarterback. And while the Raiders attempted to help him by drafting Darrius Heyward-Bey, it's only a matter of time before Jeff Garcia unseats him as the starter. 

The defense has one great player in Nnamdi Asomugha, but he can't make plays if the rest of the defense doesn't force the other team to throw. The fact that they spent three draft picks on defensive ends should tell you something about their inability to stop the run.  

Now on to the Kansas City Chiefs and their new younger front office in GM Scott Pioli and Head Coach Todd Haley, to go with their newly renovated Arrowhead Stadium in 2009.  And while the addition of Matt Cassel at quarterback was a great move for the future, the biggest short-term dividends need to come from the veterans brought in on the defensive side of the ball in Mike Vrabel and Zack Thomas. 

They should supply the leadership this team was in dire need of in 2008.  First-round pick Tyson Jackson needs to team with former college teammate and '07 No. 1 pick Glenn Dorsey to generate the kind of pass rush that Jared Allen supplied before getting traded off to the Vikings last year. 

If Jackson and Dorsey can produce, the Chiefs young secondary and veteran linebackers should be able to make some big plays. 

On the offensive side of the ball, the Chiefs gave up their biggest playmaker by trading Tony Gonzalez to Atlanta. Pioli added wide receivers Bobby Engram and Terrance Copper to aid in shoring up a rag-tag receiving corps whose best receiver (Dwayne Bowe) has problems catching the ball at times. 

There are no burners in this group, and fans should look forward to Chan Gailey asking Matt Cassel to run a controlled attack built around short passes and handoffs to Larry Johnson. 

That said, I believe the true key to this offense is how well the team uses second year back Jamaal Charles.  If they can get the ball to Charles in the open field and keep Cassel off his back, they should be able to move the ball downfield and put some points on the board.   

Preseason prediction:

Division Champion—CHARGERS 10-6

The rest—CHIEFS 8-8, BRONCOS 7-9, RAIDERS 4-12