Sizing Up the AFC West

Not so long ago, coaching giants such as Dick Vermeil, Marty Schottenheimer, Mike Shanahan, and Jon Gruden roamed the sidelines in the AFC West. How times have changed. The once-powerful division is going through a period of change, if not upheaval.

San Diego remains the cream of the crop. Philip Rivers clearly has proved himself to be the best quarterback in the division and one of the best in the league.

LaDainian Tomlinson has a few good years left, and Darren Sproles can score from anywhere on the field. But the window of opportunity may be closing for the Chargers, and the next big game coach Norv Turner wins will be the first.

Denver has been on a wild ride since missing the playoffs and firing Shanahan. Matt Cassel, ironically, played a role in the fiasco that ended with Jay Cutler’s trade to Chicago.

The Broncos go into the season with a rookie head coach, new starting quarterback, a glut of unproven running backs and a shaky defense. The Mile High mystique may not be gone, but it definitely has taken a hiatus.

Oakland is, well, Oakland. The perennial underachievers overpaid for marginal free agents and had a draft that left experts scratching their heads. The jury is still out on Jamarcus Russell at quarterback, and as long as Al Davis remains in charge, there is little to fear from the silver and black.

What does this mean for the Chiefs? A realistic outlook is losing twice to the Chargers, splitting with the Broncos and sweeping the Raiders. But if the team has a productive off season and the Chargers come back to the pack, they can be right back in the playoff hunt as soon as 2010.