2012 AFC West Watch – Week 1

The AFC West Watch returns this year and nothing pleases me more than to spend my time finding little ways to bash our AFC West brethren while still providing facts and analysis.  We’ll start this first week looking at the Denver Broncos. They face a tough Week 1 opponent in the Pittsburgh Steelers, so I won’t likely feel the sky is falling if the Broncos lose – as long as its reasonably competitive.  It is a home opener after all and I am sure we are all sick of watching home losses. A victory here, however, will do much to make me dream of dancing Lombardi Trophies.  Yes after one week, for I am still a fan.

Oakland Raiders – 0-0

The Oakland Raiders have looked terrible this preseason – I should know, I live in Sacramento – and should continue their downward spiral.  It appears 8-8 is the best they can do.  And that makes me happy.  Their schedule is only slightly less brutal than the Broncos, so they’ll be lucky to reach .500 again in 2012.  Hopefully, Carson Palmer will hold onto his job long enough for Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil to help him regret his decision to keep playing football.

UP NEXT – San Diego Chargers (0-0).  Normally, I’d say the Raiders get creamed here, but how deep could the Chargers be with all of the injuries they have suffered in the preseason?  If the Raiders lose this game, then there will be no doubt they are a terrible football team.  Chargers 23, Raiders 9.

San Diego Chargers – 0-0

If I didn’t despise the San Diego Chargers, I’d feel sorry for them.  All of us hope our team makes it through the preseason relatively unscathed from injuries, but we all remember how the injury bug often attacks and decimates one team really badly.  The Chargers are that team and add to the fact they, and Phillip Rivers, never live up to their full potential – thank you, Norv Turner – they shouldn’t be too much of a factor in the hunt for the division title.  Injuries and a brutal schedule for the Chargers only helps the Broncos situation.

UP NEXT – Oakland Raiders (0-0). The Raiders look like a bad football team and the Chargers love beating Oakland in Oakland. If the game ends up close, I’d say the Raiders pull out the victory, but my gut says it won’t be that close. Repeat; Chargers 23, Raiders 9. 

Kansas City Chiefs – 0-0

The Kansas City Chiefs began the 2012 preseason looking fairly competitive, then disaster struck.  Or should I say, then they sucked.  The Chiefs simply got dominated by the first and second team offenses in all three of their last four preseason games.  The good news?  The Chiefs have the easiest (on paper) schedule compared to their division rivals, so they might be in it towards the end if they can find a way to stop the touchdown drives…

UP NEXT – Atlanta Falcons (0-0).  So the easy part of the Chiefs schedule starts some other week. The Atlanta Falcons should win this game fairly easily and one Tony Gonzalez is going to want to show his former team they were fools to let him walk. I do not expect this game to be competitive, though it is in Kansas City, so its possible.  Falcons 30, Chiefs 13.