Friday, April 27, 2001

The AFC West is a powerhouse division

By Ron Pollack, Editor-in-chief

Everywhere you look in this division you see teams that are either Super Bowl contenders or dramatically improved. The Broncos and Raiders are Super Bowl contenders. The Seahawks are tremendously improved, and given how fast teams can move up the ladder in the NFL (see Super Bowl clubs like the Ravens and Giants last season, the Rams and Titans the year before, the Falcons the season before that), it’s not unreasonable to view them as a threat for Super Sunday. I don’t see the Chiefs and Chargers as Super Bowl challengers this season, but both have made significant moves this offseason.

Oakland Raiders: How can you not consider them to be in the Super Bowl hunt? They went 12-4 during the 2000 regular season, got to the AFC title game and showed terrific heart and resilience throughout the campaign. They get excellent QB play from productive Rich Gannon, who gets the job done with his experience, knowledge of the offense and competitiveness. Plus, he can make something out of nothing with his running ability. The running game looks strong with Tyrone Wheatley and Charlie Garner as an intriguing tandem. WR Tim Brown will get the job done as usual in the passing game. The offensive line is coming off a strong campaign. Along the defensive line, Darrell Russell can be a major star, especially if he can play as he did two seasons ago. The addition of pro’s pro Trace Armstrong will help the defensive line’s productivity, and the example he sets should only spur on Russell. In the secondary, CB Charles Woodson is a star who is going to continue to get much better. The coaching staff is very good with Jon Gruden leading the way. If the Raiders stay hungry, avoid dumb penalties and do all the little things they did last season, they will again be a big-time team.

Denver Broncos: It’s amazing all of the maneuvering they are able to do in this era of the salary cap. I can’t think of any team that has been as aggressive as the Broncos have been this offseason. They have come up with the money for their key people and still been able to go out and bring in a lot of new personnel. This club looks to be loaded and a serious Super Bowl threat as long as QB Brian Griese can stay healthy. Griese may not remind anyone of John Elway in style, but Griese has quickly developed into much more than anyone imagined when he came into the NFL. Griese seems to have all of the intangibles you want in a winning quarterback. The stable of running backs is unbelievably deep with Terrell Davis, Olandis Gary and Mike Anderson. WRs Ed McCaffrey and Rod Smith are tremendously productive. The offensive line is outstanding again. The key to this club is the defense. It needs to be much better than it was a year ago. Only time will tell if it improves significantly, but if it doesn’t, it won’t be for a lack of trying. Veteran newcomers include DLs Chester McGlockton, Leon Lett and Keith Washington and CBs Denard Walker and Darryll Lewis. Their picks in the first three rounds of the draft were also spent on defense (CB Willie Middlebrooks and DEs Paul Toviessi and Reggie Hayward). Will all of these new pieces solve the puzzle? We’ll have to see. Some of the veterans are near the end of the line, and you never know how quickly rookies will contribute. But with so many new options and last year’s No. 1 pick, Deltha O’Neal, having a season under his belt, this is certainly an intriguing mix. Also, don’t forget that the Broncos have a genius head coach in Mike Shanahan and a sensational coaching staff to go with him.

Seattle Seahawks: Teams can make big jumps quickly in the NFL, and the Seahawks look like the team most likely to do so this season. Major improvements have been made on both sides of the ball. The defensive upgrades have been made by bringing in guys who have been around for some time with other teams. The defensive line has been upgraded with the additions of John Randle, Chad Eaton and Jeremy Staat. The LB corps will get a jump start from the addition of Levon Kirkland. The secondary will benefit from the arrival of Marcus Robertson. The offense has been given additional juice, but from much more inexperienced talent. QB Matt Hasselbeck was obtained in the offseason, and what he lacks in game experience should be offset by the fact that he is a Mike Holmgren favorite. If a QB guru such as Holmgren likes you, your future figures to be bright. The draft yielded a couple of players who very well could become Pro Bowl regulars down the road in WR Koren Robinson and OG Steve Hutchinson, both first-round selections. On paper the Seahawks look as though they are a year away from being a Super Bowl contender, but recent history says that teams like this are the ones that have been playing on Super Sunday.

Kansas City Chiefs: I don’t see them contending for the Super Bowl, but their offense very well could give opposing teams a lot of headaches. The arrival of QB Trent Green and RB Priest Holmes fills holes that really needed to be filled. Green is a smart, accurate passer who should step in and fill the void left by the departure of Elvis Grbac. I don’t think Holmes can be a star in this league, but he will be productive enough to keep defenses honest. That’s all the receivers need. Tony Gonzalez is the best pass-catching tight end in football. WR Derrick Alexander is coming off a monster season, and his sidekick, Sylvester Morris, should be much improved with a year in the NFL under his belt. The offensive line is very good. Add it all up, and it’s potentially an extremely explosive unit. The defense has some very good individual pieces but not enough just yet. This side of the ball still needs some work. If the defense surprises this year, though, look out. The secondary in particular needs to step up.

San Diego Chargers: This is not a Super Bowl team right now, but it is dramatically improved from where it was when last season ended. The Chargers have upgraded themselves significantly on defense through free agency with the additions of DE Marcellus Wiley and CBs Ryan McNeil and Alex Molden. I’m not saying that McNeil and Molden are stars — they’re not — but they are upgrades. Keep in mind that the Chargers bring back star-caliber defensive talent in LB Junior Seau and SS Rodney Harrison. Doug Flutie has been brought in to be the quarterback, and he will be a big upgrade over what the team had last year. Rookie RB LaDainian Tomlinson is a huge upgrade over what San Diego had last year. Is the Chargers’ work done? Hardly. They still need to significantly improve the offensive line and eventually must find some long-term solutions at wide receiver. That said, San Diego is no longer the weakling it was last season. I think it will give opponents some trouble this year.

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2000 - 2001 Season