Friday 19 February 2016 18:02, UK
Denver Broncos followed up their AFC West triumph with victory in Super Bowl 50. But how did the rest of the division rate?
A glorious conclusion to the 2015 season saw Denver win Super Bowl 50, lifting the Vince Lombardi Trophy for the third time in franchise history. As Peyton Manning paraded with the prize, teetering on the verge of retirement after a below-par individual campaign, it would be remiss not to credit the Broncos' adaptability through a season that didn't always look likely to produce the desired result.
After going 7-0 in the regular season, the Broncos machine began to creak as it sustained Manning's immobility and head coach Gary Kubiak deserves credit for replacing the ageing icon with Brock Osweiler. The Broncos, with Osweiler at the helm, ended the Patriots' undefeated streak in Week 12 before winning the AFC West.
Their exceptional defence came to the fore during the postseason, limiting illustrious quarterbacks Ben Roethlisberger, Tom Brady and Cam Newton to a combined one touchdown. They say defences win Super Bowls, and so it proved.
Star player: The Broncos defence has been compared to the great Chicago Bears of 1985 largely due to Von Miller. The Super Bowl MVP strip sacked Carolina's Cam Newton twice and kept things watertight all year. Want to keep him? Denver may have to make free agent Miller the highest paid defensive player in the NFL.
Grade: A+. Plus the distinction of having their photograph on the wall forever. Denver won the big one with possibly the best defence ever and deserve the highest praise.
A shocking 1-5 record in their opening six games meant the Chiefs' season was always likely to end early so they deserve credit for reaching the Divisional round of the play-offs. With Jamaal Charles, their top running back, sustaining a nasty injury in Week 5, their run to the postseason looks even better.
Andy Reid and John Dorsey's men set a franchise record for 11 consecutive wins, earning a runners-up spot behind Denver in the division, and a Wild Card berth. They beat the Texans 30-0 in their first play-off win since 1994 before their season ended in the Divisional round after defeat to the Patriots.
Star player: Admittedly Eric Berry's return after cancer treatment is a heart-warming story but his performances on the field has turned his emotional roller coaster into somewhat of an afterthought. He was selected for the Pro Bowl, was named Comeback Player of the Year and now, as a highly-touted safety, will cost big bucks on the free agency market.
Grade: B. Their awful form at the start of the season could have resulted in an F, but they bucked their ideas up pretty quickly and ended up overachieving by making the postseason which is worthy of a B.
A season that will ultimately be defined by their uncertain off-the-field issues means their significant improvement on-the-field is in danger of being forgotten. It was head coach Jack Del Rio's first campaign in charge, and Charles Woodson's last at cornerback (he finally achieved a personal goal of intercepting Manning during a Week 5 loss before retiring at the end of the season).
But considering the Raiders went 3-13 in the 2014 season, Del Rio and co have done a fine job of ignoring speculation about their location and focusing on the job at hand. Their play-off hopes were alive until a Week 15 defeat to Green Bay. They lost their battle to relocate to Los Angeles, then Carson, and have subsequently confirmed one more year in the California city of Oakland.
Star player: Latavius Murray, the running back, became the first Raider to reach 1,000 rushing yards since 2010. He was earmarked as their main receiver at the start of the campaign and dealt with that responsibility manfully.
Grade: B-. Not much was expected of the Raiders so a B- seems fair considering they put their relocation rumours to the back of their minds during a solid season.
Like the Raiders, the Chargers' 2015 campaign was dominated by their quest to find a new home in California. But unlike the Raiders, the Chargers' on-field form plummeted while they dealt with the upheaval.
Their worst season in 13 years saw the Chargers crash to the bottom of the AFC West, epitomised by a penultimate week defeat to their local rivals the Raiders. Owner Alex Spanos has since announced that, after missing out on a move to Los Angeles, they will remain in San Diego for another year before deciding whether to join the Raiders in Inglewood.
Star player: There wasn't much that the Chargers will look back on fondly, but cornerback Jason Verrett put in a decent year, scoring a memorable pick six after intercepting Chicago's Jay Cutler.
Grade: F. The harshest punishment must regretfully be doled out to the Chargers who had their fans in a frenzy with relocation talk and pitiful performances. Detention, and an F.
