Westward Ho!: Previewing the AFC West in 2011-12

This season we saw the most talented team in the AFC West left at home come playoff time, the division title winners embarrassed in their first playoff berth in some time, a dominating and undefeated team in the division finish the season with a .500 mark and a team plagued with turmoil begin its development of the potential prodigy.

After being owned by the Bolts the last few years, teams in the AFC West have actually made themselves respectable. The Chiefs seem to have capitalized on years and years of being at the top of the draft. The Raiders look like they are inching closer to being the Raiders of old, and the Broncos—well, who knows?

All of these factors make up an intriguing story line for the 2011-2012 season. So how will the AFC West shape up this coming year? I have decided to break down each team in this division and predict where all four teams will finish next year in the division.

1. San Diego Chargers

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DENVER - JANUARY 02: Quarterback Philip Rivers #17 of the San Diego Chargers delivers a pass against the Denver Broncos at INVESCO Field at Mile High on January 2, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. The Chargers defeated the Broncos 33-28. (Photo by Doug Pensing

Yes, they were caught this year. Yet this team is still the most talented team in the division. It is led by the best quarterback in the division and one of the best in the NFL; it has some of the best offensive weapons in the NFL; and the defense was statistically the best in the NFL this past year.

The Chargers are still the team to beat in this division. If they can minimize foolish mistakes, improve slightly on special teams and be a little more fortunate with health issues this coming year, they should regain the power in the division.

Burning Questions: What will the team do about Vincent Jackson and other important free agents? What will the defense look like with Ron Rivera gone? Will Ryan Mathews bounce back and have a strong year next year?

Potential key additions: WR to replace Jackson if he goes. Safety. Right tackle. Outside linebacker. Defensive tackle.

2. Kansas City Chiefs

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KANSAS CITY, MO - JANUARY 09: Quarterback Matt Cassel #7 of the Kansas City Chiefs looks to pass against the Baltimore Ravens as the Ravens defeated the Chiefs 30-7 in their 2011 AFC wild card playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium on January 9, 2011 in Kansa

Was it a fluke? Only time will tell. However, strong arguments can be made for the continued relevance of the Chiefs.

They have the best running back in the division and maybe one of the best in football right now, they have arguably the best coaching staff in the division and they have a defense constantly maturing and making plays.

Todd Haley has done an absolutely wonderful job with the Chiefs. There are many players on the Chiefs who showed tremendous strides in developing into very good football players. Before this past year the jury was still out on many of the Chiefs players. Players like Dwayne Bowe and Jamaal Charles have inserted their status among the elite at their position.

Burning Questions: How will Matt Cassel perform next year? How will the departure of Charlie Weis affect the offense? Will the young defense continue to develop?

Potential Key Additions: The Chiefs lived off the quarterback's best friend for years. Now I am not saying they need another Tony Gonzalez, but a talented TE would not hurt. Inside linebacker. Cornerback.

3. Oakland Raiders

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KANSAS CITY, MO - JANUARY 02: Safety Mike Mitchell #34 of the Oakland Raiders congratulates linebacker Kamerion Wimbley #96 after a sack in a game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on January 2, 2011 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by

The Raiders tortured their division foes this year. Their more than sturdy defense and strong running game help them pound out a record of 6-0 in the division. Every win also came in convincing fashion.

If you were to watch only those games, you would think they were clearly the best team in the division. Trouble is that they have to play 10 other games.

If you were watching any Raiders games this year, you might have reminisced about the Raiders of old. Then if you continued watching, you would see a team revert to the ways they have known as of late.

Either way, Tom Cable made some huge improvements to a team that has struggled so much recently. He instilled the Raider mentality of power football with the stingy defense and the one-two punch of Darren McFadden and Michael Bush. Unfortunately, Al Davis still runs the organization, and changes will be made at the most inopportune times.

Burning Questions: Will Hue Jackson continue to improve the Raiders? Does Davis have anything left? Can the Raider repeat their dominance in the division?

Potential Key Additions: If Nnamdi Asomugha leaves, the Raiders will need another playmaker as a CB. Defensive end. Possibly a QB.

4. Denver Broncos

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DENVER - JANUARY 02: Quarterback Tim Tebow #15 of the Denver Broncos looks to deliver a pass against the San Diego Chargers at INVESCO Field at Mile High on January 2, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

Well, the Josh McDaniels fiasco finally ended in Denver. It was evident a change needed to be made. Looking in, it seemed McDaniels had lost his locker room. Such dismal performances throughout periods of the season were not appreciated by the loyal fans from the Rockies.

Although his dictatorship didn't play out well, there were clearly some positives that came out of the McDaniels regime. McDaniels definitely got the most out of Kyle Orton and turned a respectable group of receivers into one of the better receiving corps in the NFL. He even did this after parting with the best in the bunch before the season ever began.

The best contribution McDaniels made, though, was his decision to draft Tim Tebow. It became one of the more intriguing story lines in the division, and it leaves the Broncos with a bright spot for the future. Now hopefully Tebow is not affected by the transition of a new coach early on in his career like so many other young quarterbacks have been in the past.

Burning Questions: What will Tebow's contributions be in the coming season? How will the transition from McDaniels to John Fox affect the team? How will John Elway put his stamp on next year's team?

Potential Key Additions: The Broncos have many areas they could look to fill. I think their No. 1 priority is to surround Tebow with enough players that will complement what he brings to the team. A free agent like Darren Sproles would be a perfect weapon for Tebow. Offensive guard. Defensive tackle.