AFC West Preview

Oakland Raiders – Sons of Anarchy

Why SOA? – I have to be honest, I seen only one episode of Sons of Anarchy, ever. I do plan on getting caught up on the DVDs asap. I’ve heard from some reliable sources I would like it. I’m sure you wonder how I could compare a team to Sons of Anarchy since I have never seen it. The answer is threefold. First, The Raiders fans are notoriously the most rabid and frightening fans in all of sports. If any group of fans is going to form an outlaw biker gang, or likely already has formed one, its Raider fans. Second, both Sons of Anarchy and the post-Jamarcus Raiders are unknowns to me. How good are the Raiders receivers with a competent quarterback throwing to them? With a decent passing game, could Darren McFadden become the back many thought he was coming out of college? Is Robert Gallery still alive? And for that matter, is the movie Weekend At Bernie’s based off of Al Davis, who I know is a corpse? All unknowns in my book. Third, I am legitimately excited for watching both SOA and the 2010 Raiders. I kind of like the Raiders, my dad likes the Raiders and I have always liked their uniforms. Plus, I just think football is better with a good Raider team. Could be an interesting 2010 for Jason Campbell’s bunch.

Analysis – I think the AFC South is going to be won by the Chargers. Let’s not get crazy picking anybody else. With that being said, I do think either the Raiders or the Chiefs will have a breakout year. I think the Raiders are finally moving in the right direction. They are not like the Lions or Rams who had high draft picks and constantly wasted them. The Raiders picked a QB and a RB that were supposed to be can’t-miss superstars. Jamarcus is long gone, but McFadden still has time to develop into a star. The Raiders just had bad luck. I think with Jason Campbell running the ship it could be a different feeling in Oakland. I don’t know how many wins will come out of this new direction this year, but I do think they are headed in the right direction.

Favorite Player – Sebastian Janikowski. Still holds the record for most badass kicker in college football history. Not my favorite mind you, he will come later, but the most badass.

Least Favorite Player – Michael Bennett. Somehow he is still on an NFL roster after bombing with the Vikings. I don’t hate him, I just wish he would have lived up to the hype when wearing the purple and yellow.

2009 Record – 5-11

2010 Prediction – 6-10

San Diego Chargers – Psych

Why Psych? –

First of all, let me preface this by saying that this summer I decided to delve into the four season of Psych, and it was one of the best choices I have ever made. I don’t typically watch shows that my dad watches (Two and a Half Men, The Lone Ranger, Anything with Steven Segal), but Psych is the exception. Shawn and Gus may be the funniest duo on TV today. Add that with Juliet’s loveableness and Roger Dorn hitting cleanup, and you have yourself an outstanding show. So why Psych? The location connection comes into play again, since Psych is set in Santa Barbara. The real reason I chose Psych is because it is overlooked. Psych should be getting more attention and getting more positive press than it does. I understand it is on USA, which doesn’t do it any favors, but it is a very good show. The Chargers are always overlooked as well. Even though they have failed to make a Super Bowl since the Stan Humphries team that got drilled by Steve Young and the Niners, the Chargers have been a real contender for five or six years now, yet nobody mentions them in the preseason. They will make the playoffs this year, and who’s to say the chargers don’t make a Super Bowl run? My psychic ability says it is a possibility.

Analysis – Even though I like the Chiefs and Raiders to make improvements this year, I think the AFC West is the Chargers to lose. They should win this division comfortably. I went into this preview thinking the Chargers may have lost a step since last year, but their schedule is so damn easy. I still see them winning 11 or 12 games, even without LT and possibly Vincent Jackson. Phillip Rivers is a douche, but he is good. Ryan Matthews is being heralded as the second coming of LT. The receivers may not suffer too bad without Jackson. Macolm Floyd and Legedu Nene could be serious fantasy sleepers this year. Also, don’t forget about Antonio Gates. They still have Nate Kaeding kicking field goals, which is a good thing, until January. The defense is the question mark. It will certainly be good enough to get them into the playoffs, the question will be is it good enough to get them any playoff wins.

Favorite Player – Nate Kaeding. I love the Iowa boys. The best college kicker I have ever seen has become a great pro kicker. The playoff chokes of Kaeding are a fluke. I don’t like the Chargers, but I wouldn’t mind seeing them win a playoff game with a Kaeding field goal to silence the critics, for at least a week. Also, I heard Nate bought Todd Lickleiter’s old house, which is sweet. Maybe he burnt it down.

Least Favorite Player – Tie between Phillip Rivers and Vincent Jackson. I don’t like Rivers because he is a crybaby. I don’t like Jackson because I drafted him decently high in fantasy thinking he was too stupid to hold on all year and would sign by opening day. Guess I was wrong.
2009 Record – 13-3

2010 Prediction – 11-5

Kansas City Chiefs – Doug

Why Doug? –

Two staples of my childhood: Doug Funny and the Chiefs. I remember seeing Chiefs stuff everywhere as a child. I realize we are pretty close to Kansas City living in Davenport. It’s an incredibly easy drive from Iowa City. But even with the close proximity, it seemed like there was a lot of Chiefs fans in the 90’s, and they have largely disappeared. They were always an entertaining team to watch I thought, and Chiefs fans are notoriously friendly, as documented in the book “Bury me in my Jersey” about a Philly fan who went to an Eagle’s game in KC and was appalled by the friendliness of Chiefs fans. Doug Funny was always Mr. Nice Guy, was entertaining, and has largely disappeared from my life. I bet Doug was a Chiefs fan. (I’m sure you can tell I struggled to find a show to represent the Chiefs if this is the best I could do.)

Analysis – As I said in the Raiders section, one of these teams is going to have a bounce back year. I think the Chiefs get back to .500 this year, which would be a big deal in KC. The Chiefs have one of the loudest stadiums in the league, when it is sold out, which hasn’t been much lately. Matt Cassel should improve in year two of being a Chief, and I love their running game with Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones. The receiving core should be pretty decent this year too, with Dwayne Bowe and Dexter McCluster catching Cassel’s passes. To be 100% honest, I know next to nothing about the Chiefs defense. I think the Chiefs offense will put some points on the board, so if the defense is good at all, they will win some games and be an exciting team to watch.

Favorite Player – Jamaal Charles. I like Charles because I spent a pretty high fantasy pick on his services. The second half of last year he was the second rated back in the NFL behind Chris Johnson. That will probably diminish a little bit with Thomas Jones taking carries away, but I still could see Charles having a big year.

Least Favorite Player – Glenn Dorsey. I’m not crazy about big fat guys from LSU. (See, Russell, Jamarcus and O’Neal, Shaquille)

2009 Record – 4-12

2010 Prediction – 8-8

Denver Broncos – Everybody Loves Raymond

Why Raymond? – I don’t love Raymond. In fact, I don’t even like him very much. That show was boring and considered an all time great show. Most people that do like Raymond are either old or boring themselves. I don’t like the Denver Broncos either. When I was young, I had an unexplainable hatred of John Elway. I don’t hate him anymore, but he reminded me of Mr. Ed and I just never liked him. I don’t like Denver fans. They suck. I don’t like nose bleeds or thin air. Brady Quinn and Tim Tebow are two of my least favorite college quarterbacks of all time. Raymond may have had some funny episodes here and there, and the Broncos may have had a player I liked here and there, but overall, I am not a fan of either.

Analysis – I picked Denver to win six games, but I’m starting to think that may be a little generous. This team is not good. I would understand giving Brady Quinn a chance if he wasn’t starting in Green Bay or Indianapolis, but he couldn’t hold down the starting role in fucking Cleveland! How bad can you be if you can’t start for the Browns? Knowshon Moreno could have a good season, or he could have nagging injuries all season. Hard to tell. Not crazy about any of the receivers, the tight ends or the defense. I also am not sold on Josh McDaniel. His fist pumps got old last year. Not feeling the 2010 Broncos.

Favorite Player – Kyle Orton. I have many mixed feelings about Kyle Orton. He is from Iowa and claims to love Iowa, but he went to Purdue. He was a Bear, but they gave up on him for Jay Douche Bag Cutler. He is now friends with Tebow and Brady Quinn, but he beat them out for the starting job. He usually has a sweet beard. The beard wins out.

Least Favorite Player – Tim Tebow. I was so worried a team I like (Vikings or Colts) would pick Tebow and I would have to cheer for him. Thanks Broncos.

2009 Record – 8-8

2010 Prediction – 6-10