AFC West/East

Greg and I have been previewing each NFL division leading up to the regular season. This week, it's been all about the AFC. We’ve covered the AFC South and North, so today we finish the AFC by covering the West and the East. We’ve been in agreement on many topics thus far, but will it continue?

AFC West

Division Winner: Denver Broncos (Both)

Division Cellar: Oakland Raiders (Both)

Other Playoff Teams: Kansas City Chiefs – Wildcard #2 (Greg), None (Andrew)

1. Denver Broncos

Greg - Their defense will take a step back this season for several reasons. First, Champ Bailey is injured. Second, Von Miller is out for the first six games. Third, the Broncos failed to re-sign Elvis Dumervil. However, the offense added Wes Welker, drafted Montee Ball, and has a healthier Peyton Manning. They should make good strides on that side of the ball, and will probably have a similar season to last year in that they may not have a great record the first half of the year (or even if they do they won't be playing great football), but when they get healthier towards the end of the regular season they should be playing very good football.

Andrew – Much of the summer, I thought this looked to be not just the division favorite, but the best team in the entire NFL. With Manning getting stronger physically, gaining better chemistry with his receivers, and by adding Wes Welker and Montee Ball, I think the offense could be scary good. The reason I’m backing off my “best in NFL” stance is because of the defense. They messed up the Dumervil deal, Von Miller got suspended for six games, and they are without Champ Bailey right now too. They will be just fine in the division however.

2. Kansas City Chiefs

Greg - This roster, as a whole, I think is as talented as any roster in the NFL. Andy Reid should make a huge difference as a coach and they have a legitimate NFL QB now in Alex Smith. If Jamaal Charles can stay healthy and they develop some other passing options outside of Dwayne Bowe, then this team will put up some points. The strength of this team will be its defense though.

Andrew – The potential is here for this to be the most improved team in the league. Andy Reid and Alex Smith are MASSIVE additions to this team. We know they already possess a good offensive line and running back (Jamaal Charles), so if they can get anything consistent from the receivers the offense will be solid. The youngish defense should also be decent. The question is, are the ready to win now or do they need another year? I think they will be in the mix for a wildcard spot, but I believe they fall short.

3. San Diego Chargers

Greg - Mike McCoy should help Philip Rivers throw fewer interceptions this year, but Rivers has slowly digressed over the last three seasons. His TD's have gone down, his INT's have gone up, and his yards per season and completion percentage have also all gone down. The defense should take a step forward, or at least not digress, but this team is just not all that talented anymore.

Andrew – The Chargers are a team in transition, but it’s also been a team devastated by injuries. If Philip Rivers can get back to his standard of play from years ago, AND the cast around him can stay healthy, I do think they are capable of winning a number of games. I also like some of the players they’ve added to their defense. The problem I see is that I doubt it can all come together perfectly this year, because they need to improve across the board.

4. Oakland Raiders

Greg – It feels like a stretch for me to give this team even three wins. I'm not sure where they come from, especially since I have San Diego finishing ahead of them in the standings. If Terrelle Pryor starts at QB, I can see them being somewhat competitive just because his athletic playmaking ability will help keep them in games. On the flip side he will make some mistakes that will cost them games as well this year. The only game I will watch this season that has Oakland involved in it will be week 1 when the Colts play the Raiders.

Andrew – This is a franchise that is neck and neck with Jacksonville as one of the worst in the league. They don’t have anything on offense, outside of Darren McFadden who will almost certainly get injured again at some point this year. And on defense, they are potentially just as bad. Watching them in preseason was just painful. Let’s all be on the lookout for a potential 0-16…

Preseason Division Awards (AFC West)

Offensive MVP: Peyton Manning (Both)

Defensive MVP: Eric Berry (Both)

Rookie of the Year: Nico Johnson (Greg), Montee Ball (Andrew)

Free Agent of the Year: Alex Smith (Greg), Wes Welker (Andrew)

AFC East

Division Winner: New England Patriots (Both)

Division Cellar: New York Jets (Both)

Other Playoff Teams: None (Both)

1. New England Patriots

Greg - The Patriots are almost the exact opposite of the Broncos. Their defense should be more stout, but their offense may be less prolific than in the past. Yes, they still have Tom Brady, but their offense should be even more heavily reliant on the run than last year. Look for Shane Vereen and Steven Ridley to have big seasons.

Andrew – The Patriots have owned this division for the last decade, and I expect this year to be even less competitive than in the past. There is no chance that they don’t win the league, unless Tom Brady gets injured again. Their offense will be strong once more, particularly in the running game behind Steven Ridley and Shane Vereen. And the defense will no longer be one that’s gets dominated. In fact, I think they defense may end up being just as good or better than Tom Brady’s offense. Of course, one does have to worry about Brady’s lack of established and healthy weapons for once…

2. Miami Dolphins

Greg - The Dolphins have gotten much better, but their offensive line and RB positions are still a little lacking. This will cause the team to narrowly miss the playoffs. Side note: I am a big fan of Miami's subtle “uni” change. It looks classy.

Andrew – I think Miami is headed in the right direction, but aren’t quite there yet. Tannehill got some playmakers in the offseason, headlined by Mike Wallace. If the chemistry can be established, there could be fireworks. I think the defense will be a touch better also, and I’m curious to see if their first round pick, Dion Jordan, can make any sort of significant impact this year.

3. Buffalo Bills

Greg - E.J. Manuel should have a good year. The guy is solid, and won't make any spectacular plays this year, but neither will he make any plays that will cost the Bills any games. C.J. Spiller's health could determine whether this team is truly mediocre, or threatens to make the playoffs.

Andrew – The Bills were pretty disappointing last season in my opinion. They had spent so much money into trying to make the team, defense in particular, better heading into last year, and it simply didn’t work at all. They were atrocious on defense, and the offense wasn’t much better outside of CJ Spiller. They added some pieces to the offense (rookies EJ Manuel and Robert Woods in particular), but can the defense improve? And who the heck will start at QB throughout the season?

4. New York Jets

Greg – The Jets are the only thing keeping the Raiders from being the worst team in the league this year. This team is completely dysfunctional from top to bottom, and new GM John Idzik has not done anything thus far to change that. He still has an overpaid, immature veteran QB who cannot keep himself from turning the ball over. He also just drafted an overpaid, immature rookie QB who really has no idea what he is doing, and is surrounded by a talentless blob of large human beings led by a coach who does his best work when he's got good veteran leaders. They will be the laughingstock of the league this season.

Andrew – If there was a team that went from “heroes to zeroes” quickly, the Jets are it. I hated how Rex Ryan managed the team last year… AKA not giving Tebow a shot over sucky Sanchez… and to make it worse he’ll likely end up starting Sanchez again this year (even with a shoulder injury). IT’S TIME TO MOVE ON! The defense isn’t nearly as good as a few years ago either, but I think the rebuild is underway and I thought they added some good players to it in the draft. But no matter how you slice it, they simply don’t have that much talent currently on the team, and will struggle in 2013.

Preseason Division Awards (AFC East)

Offensive MVP: Tom Brady (Both)

Defensive MVP: Jerod Mayo (Both)

Rookie of the Year: Dion Jordan (Greg), Kenbrell Thompkins (Andrew)

Free Agent of the Year: Dannell Ellerbe (Greg), Mike Wallace (Andrew)

By: The Sports Guys