AFC Best?
Four Reasons the AFC West will be Fantastic this Year
Years ago we hyped up this division to no end. And for good reason! The Chargers boasted a star studded roster led by Justin Herbert. The Raiders reunited college teammates Derek Carr and Davante Adams. The Chiefs refused to miss the AFC Championship year in and year out (that has to come to an end at some point….right???). And let’s be honest, Russell Wilson may be a meme now, but once upon a time he was well on his way to the Hall of Fame with no blemishes on his record. Admittedly we made a few….miscalculations.
While we never saw the Gruden scandal coming, Carr underperforming was far more predictable. Frankly, we underestimated what a colossal fuck up Brandon Staley was as a head coach. Firing their Offensive Coordinator was certainly a bold move after giving up a three possession lead in the second half of the Wild Card round. As for Russell Wilson as a Bronco…….fuck you we were all hyped about that!
All of that being said, sometimes when you take a bad beat you walk away from the table with your tail between your legs. And other times, you sack up and double down. Today we opt for the latter! We’re hoping today’s sequel ages more like The Dark Knight and less like Joker: Folie à Deux. The fact of the matter is today’s AFC West has Pro Bowlers coming out of its ears and quite possibly the most impressive lineup of Head Coaches in NFL history. Today we lay out 3 reasons highlighting why the AFC West is finally the best division in football and not just Patrick Mahomes’ doormat. Let’s start with a look at the most exciting new additions.
Reason No. 1: Noteworthy Newcomers
Pete Carroll (HC)
Najee Harris (RB)
Dre Greenlaw (LB)
Ashton Jeanty (RB)
Talanoa Hufanga (S)
Geno Smith (QB)
Raheem Mostert (RB)
Jahdae Barron (CB)
Devin White (LB)
Josh Simmons (OT)
The Offseason brought plenty of familiar faces into the AFC West mix. And for good reason. It’s been nearly 10 years since a team other than the Chiefs has claimed the division crown. Andy Reid was enough of a problem without Patrick Mahomes and is damn near impossible to beat with him. So it wasn’t surprising to see talent flock to this division with proud franchises such as the Broncos and Raiders…plus the Chargers have a neat stadium!
The real question lies in which newcomer makes the biggest impact in the West this season. Our immediate reaction was Dre Greenlaw based on how much he wrecked the now division-rival Chiefs in Super Bowl 58 before what can only be described as a laughably bad-timed injury. There’s also a specimen such as Offensive Tackle Josh Simmons who (God-willing with good health) should immediately help address the biggest weakness of an otherwise dynastic team. But then we looked at the Raiders’ 32nd ranked rushing yards per game (a putrid 79.8 yards) and remembered why they drafted Ashton Jeanty sixth overall. Just don’t get cute and pass from the 1 yard line to decide any games Pete.
Reason No. 2:
Pete Carroll vs Jim Harbaugh is back!!!
In case you’re new to football or simply forgot one of the greatest rivalries of yesteryear (and all time), it’s worth highlighting the reignition of divisional rivalry between two of the most competitive, energetic, borderline psychotic coaches we’ve ever seen who, particularly, despise each other as much as losing. Sure it’s been a while since they’ve crossed paths and they’ll say all the niceties in press conferences (just look at the one in the clip below). But make no mistake, these two want to lose to one another about as badly as Zelensky wants Putin over for tea. And if you think Pete Carroll only took this job because it was his only option well……maybe, but we’d bet irresponsible amounts of money that the opportunity to go against Harbaugh twice a year was definitely brought up as a selling point.
Based on where these franchises are in the implementation of their current programs, it’s hard to imagine Harbaugh not having the advantage at least in the early goings. Justin Herbert is the embodiment of what most Coaches would create in a lab given the option. Jesse Mintern is back with a year of continuity for a Defense that ranked Top 10 in rushing and passing EPA (9th & 5th respectively). There’s also the two-time First Team All-ACC and two-time All-American Running Back they drafted 22nd overall in Omarion Hampton. As if that weren’t enough, Herbert actually has downfield targets not named Ladd McConkey with the return of franchise favorite Keenan Allen and the arrival of rookie pass catcher Tre Harris.
And yet, teams tend to adopt the identity of their coaches and Pete Carroll’s teams have never been ones to roll over and die even when they’re outgunned (look no further than Carroll’s Seahawks nearly erasing a four possession deficit against the eventual NFC Champion Panthers in 2015 or pulling off a shocking overtime win against Aaron Rodgers’ Packers in 2014 after trailing 19-7 in the fourth quarter) Games may have gotten away from Seattle at times, but Seahawks games under Pete were nothing if not entertaining, regardless of how the odds were stacked against them. And while this was one of the more depleted rosters in football last year, Carroll is far from unarmed. Maxx Crosby is (at least) a Top 5 Pass Rusher in the NFL, Jeanty should hit the ground running (no pun intended? You be the judge), and Geno Smith resurrected his career under Carroll. Harbaugh’s squad is better on paper, but this Raiders team looks scrappy and games aren’t played on paper.
Reason No. 3:
Sean Payton Has a Quality Quarterback Once Again
Say what you will about Sean Payton, that man has incredible ambition. Seriously he’ll kill a guy if he has to. Look no further than 2012 when he…look the point is Sean Payton finally has a QB again and that should scare every team in the league. The last time Payton had a viable starter he went 152-89 for a 63% winning percentage, won 7 division titles, made 3 conference championships, and won a Super Bowl.
Now with a young gunslinger in his ranks, Payton has a bounty out on this entire division. Granted the kid has one season as a starter under his belt. But damn was it an encouraging rookie season. The kid started a little slow (back to back losses with a sub 60 QBR including a pair of sacks AND picks per game). But holy hell did he rally and figure it out! It all started against Tampa when he had his first win and posted a QBR over 80. Nix then racked up three straight wins, before really started feeling himself against Carolina (who didn’t to be fair) and went absolutely nuclear against Atlanta (145 passer rating, 4 touchdowns, & Zero interceptions). If you still doubt the young signal caller. It’s worth noting he had a 12-4 TD/INT ratio and ONE sub-100 QB post bye (yes we’re aware he faced the Chiefs’ backup, but the kid was also a Rookie). Whether or not Payton reaches the same heights with Nix as he did with Brees, he’s already demonstrated plenty of reason for the rest of the league to fear him (you know ethically too that is).
Reason No. 4: Chiefs No Longer the Division Bullies?
Until proven otherwise, the AFC West belongs to Kansas City. The Chiefs haven’t conceded this division since Peyton Manning retired and now Patrick Mahomes is pissed off following the worst (and funniest) Super Bowl we’ve seen since Bill Belichick pantsed Sean McVay on national television. That withstanding, every team in this division took significant steps towards overthrowing the kingdom in the last calendar year. The Raiders appear primed to at least field adequate passing and rushing attacks this year while still boasting one of the most ferocious Defensive Players in the league, Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers are set up to win in the trenches, run the piss out of the ball, & feature a more dynamic passing attack this year, while Sean Payton’s Broncos may not give up 10 points all season after doubling down on last year’s top-ranked defense with the additions of Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga, and first-round cornerback Jahdae Barron. Even if Kansas City wins the division again this year, it will be much bloodier than anything Tom Brady ever faced in the AFC East.
But like the other tenants of the West, the Chiefs didn’t sit Pat(rick Mahomes, sorry sorry sorry that was awful, we’ll try to get around to taking this out in editing) and made in-house improvements of their own. They clearly learned the biggest lesson from their failed ‘threepeat’ with investments in the O-Line such as the aforementioned 1st Round Pick Josh Simmons, Free Agent Signing Jaylon Moore, and UDFA Tackles Esa Pole and Dalton Cooper. But they didn’t stop at the Offensive Line when trying to address their struggles on the biggest stage last year. They’re undoubtedly counting on the return of Rashee Rice and Rookies such as explosive backfield threat Brashard Smith and Wide Receiver Jalen Royals to open up more options for an Offense that ranked outside the top 10 in Points Per Game (12th) despite having the greatest Quarterback in Football.
Still, despite concerted efforts to address glaring issues in a team that has largely been considered the class of the NFL for most of the last decade, the chinks in the armor have surfaced and the rest of the division may finally be catching up. The Chiefs (quietly) won all of their division games (with the starters) by one possession last season and will face much stiffer competition this season. The Raiders haven’t played a snap under Pete Carroll and already have more stability than they’ve had since ‘The Jon Gruden Experience’ was cancelled, the Broncos might have a threshing machine in the works if Bo Nix can avoid the Sophomore Slump, and Jim Harbaugh made the Super Bowl in his second season during his last stint as an NFL Head Coach. As foolish a proposition as it is to bet against Mahomes, it’s incredibly difficult to look at the talent pool that is the AFC West and not think the Chiefs might have peaked.
As exciting as the on-field matchups will undoubtedly be, the chess matchups between four of the most competitive coaches the NFL has ever witnessed will be unforgettable. Needless to say, the most important takeaway here is that when AFC West matchups are broadcast this fall, you plant your fucking ass and enjoy while we get to experience this unprecedented conglomerate of coaching excellence.
