San Diego Chargers: 1-3
Unless something miraculous happens, the Chargers will cruise to another AFC West Championship in 2010. They’re loaded across the board and drafted intriguing RB prospect Ryan Mathews out of Fresno State in the 1st Round to upgrade the running game. WR Vincent Jackson and LT Marcus McNeill are potential long term holdouts, but I think another reason that GM AJ Smith has not caved into their contractual demands is he knows San Diego will have this division wrapped up by the time they come back in Week 12. Both players will then suit up and bring their A game as they will be playing for a long term deal in San Diego – or elsewhere – in 2011.
Denver Broncos: 6-1
Denver’s short run, all of six games to open the season last year, is done. Josh McDaniels has stripped this team of the young talent he inherited (QB Jay Cutler, WR Brandon Marshall and TE Tony Scheffler) and severed ties with DC Mike Nolan because of philosophical differences. He is now betting on one of the greatest college QBs in Tim Tebow to duplicate that success in the NFL and resurrect this organization back to a respectable franchise in the next few years. I don’t think it will happen under McDaniels. While he has shown definite ability to prepare his team and get them to play hard for him, his handling of star players will always keep this franchise at .500 or below while he is calling the shots. The Broncos are staring at a last place finish in 2010. The 2-8 finish last year was not an aberration.
Oakland Raiders: 7-1
The Raiders will be improved – it’s hard not to once you rid yourself of the biggest bust in NFL Draft history – but it won’t be to the point of competing for anything of consequence in 2010. 8-8 is a more realistic goal. There’s talent on defense and offensively they have some nice young pieces to build on. They should also see a dramatic decline in turnovers under QB Jason Campbell, and the benefits of this will be twofold: it will lead to more scoring opportunities and keep the defense out of unfavorable situations.
Kansas City Chiefs: 7.5-1
The Chiefs are another team stockpiling young talent and have assembled a New England Patriots part Deux coaching staff (DC Romeo Crennel, OC Charlie Weis) around second year HC Todd Haley. However, this team’s ability to rise up and contend for the 2010 AFC West crown will be for naught with QB Matt Cassel behind center. He’s an average signal caller who leveraged a terrific New England offensive situation into a long term contract. There’s definitely some good, young talent on this roster, both on offense and defense, but not enough to raise the ceiling any higher than 2nd in the division in 2010.
* current betting odds next to team name.
Pro Football 101 betting strategy:
The Chargers are a lock – plain and simple. And your 33% return (bet $100 to win $33) will be much better than you’re receiving from the bank or 6 month CDs. The other teams have too much ground to make up in 2010 and none are on the cusp on unseating the Bolts.
