Friday 8 September 2017 16:45, UK
For the new NFL season, we preview all eight divisions...
Here, we look at the AFC West, plus at the bottom of the page we give you the chance to take our personality quiz to determine which of the teams you should support...
Don't worry, if none float your boat here, there are seven other divisions to try!
Head coach: Jack Del Rio
Key man: Derek Carr. The Raiders quarterback was on course to challenge for the MVP award until injuries disrupted his 2016 season - first a broken finger against Carolina in late November and then a broken leg against Indianapolis on Christmas Eve. Carr is now back healthy - with a brand new contract making him the second highest-paid player in the NFL - and the Raiders have made moves in the offseason to make their offence even more potent. Last season's defensive player of the year Khalil Mack will also be crucial to the Raiders' chances.
Major additions: The Raiders have strengthened their offence with the additions of tight end Jared Cook, wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson and running back Marshawn Lynch. Cook led the Green Bay Packers in last year's playoffs with 18 catches and 229 yards (plus two touchdowns) in three games, and Del Rio says he "opens up a lot of possibilities". It is Lynch's move that has made the most headlines though. After a year out of the game, the 31-year-old Oakland native has joined on a reportedly incentive-laden contract. If the former Seattle Seahawks running back can discover his 'Beast Mode' form, then he will be a huge weapon for the Raiders.
Last season: Without Carr, the Raiders struggled, missing out on a first-round playoff bye after a 24-6 defeat to the Denver Broncos in their final regular-season match and then losing to the Houston Texans in the wild-card round of the playoffs. They finished with a 12-4 record and clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2002. However, their success was somewhat overshadowed by confirmation over the offseason that the team will be moving to Las Vegas. It is planned they will be in Nevada for the 2020 season.
Prospects: If Carr stays healthy then the Raiders should again at least challenge for the AFC West title. Whether they can go on a Super Bowl run, however, might hinge on improvements from the defence, which was ranked 26th in the NFL last season.
Prediction: 1st (12-4)
Head coach: Vance Joseph
Key man: Von Miller. Voted by his peers as the second-best overall player in the NFL for the 2016 season, Miller has high hopes for 2017, targeting a league-record 30 sacks. The linebacker says it's "doable", even though the record currently stands at 22.5 since it became an official league statistic in 1982. Miller's best season in terms of sacks was 18.5 in 2012, but he has looked sharp in training camp and preseason. The Broncos have had the top-ranked pass defense for the last two seasons and their secondary of Aqib Talib, TJ Ward, Chris Harris Jr, Darian Stewart and Bradley Roby - nicknamed the 'No Fly Zone' - will again be their strength.
Major additions: Improving the offensive line was one of the key aims for the Broncos in the offseason and they went about doing that in the draft and through free-agency. Left tackle Garett Bolles was their first pick in the draft while they also signed Ron Leary from the Dallas Cowboys and Manchester-born Menelik Watson from the Oakland Raiders. Jamaal Charles has also joined from the Kansas City Chiefs to bolster a strong-looking running back group.
Last season: The Broncos started strongly, going 4-0, including an opening-day win over 2015 Super Bowl opponents Carolina Panthers. However, the wheels came off towards the end of the campaign, with four defeats in the last six games condemning the Broncos to third place in the AFC West. It was the first time since 2010 they had missed the playoffs.
Prospects: Nearly of all the offseason chat around the Broncos has been about the quarterback battle between last year's starter Trevor Siemian and last year's first-round pick Paxton Lynch. The battle came to an end after the second preseason game with Siemian, who is regarded as the safer choice, named as the starter. Wide receiver Demaryius Thomas has said he thinks the Broncos can return to the Super Bowl with Siemian, but there will need to be improvements on the offensive line and stopping the run for that to have any chance of happening.
Prediction: 2nd (10-6)
Head coach: Andy Reid
Key man: Is Alex Smith good enough to take the Chiefs deep in the playoffs? The 33-year-old quarterback has overseen 41 wins in four years and holds the highest passer rating (92.2) in club history in that span. Yet the question over Smith's "ceiling" remains. Can he take the Chiefs to a Super Bowl? He is under contract for another two years but the Chiefs appeared to be planning for the future when they traded up in the draft from 27 to 10 to get quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who has impressed in flashes in preseason. Smith's starting job looks to be safe for this year, but can he show that he has a Super Bowl ceiling?
Major additions: It's been an offseason of change for the Chiefs, with general manager John Dorsey surprisingly fired in June after four years with the team and wide receiver Jeremy Maclin also cut. Dontari Poe and Jamaal Charles have also left, with Bennie Logan coming in from Philadelphia to replace Poe at nose tackle and veteran running back CJ Spiller signing after playing in just six games last season with the Seattle Seahawks and New York Jets. Perhaps the biggest off-season news was the six-year deal for Eric Berry which makes him the highest-paid safety in the league. Berry was a key player last year when he played under the franchise tag.
Last season: The Chiefs only lost twice after their bye in Week Five and clinched their first AFC West title since 2010 with a 37-27 win over the San Diego Chargers in their final regular season match. But they could not make home advantage count in the AFC Divisional round as they were beaten 18-16 by the Pittsburgh Steelers, who scored all their points from field goals. The Chiefs have won just one playoff game since the 1993 season.
Prospects: The Chiefs have won 43 regular-season games in four years under Reid, but can they finally make a deep play-off run? They will need to improve their rushing defence, which ranked 26th last season, and perhaps find something more from the offence, which ranked 20th overall in 2016. They have been hit with the news that running back Spencer Ware is set to miss the season with a knee injury.
Prediction: 3rd (8-8)
Head coach: Anthony Lynn
Key man: Not only do the Chargers have a new head coach this season, but they also have a new stadium to play in after moving from San Diego to Los Angeles. Quarterback Phillip Rivers, now in his 14th season with the team, admitted the move from San Diego left him "numb". Much of the Chargers' hopes for a successful season again rest on the shoulders of Rivers, but will he finally get some better protection? After allowing the most pass pressures in the NFL over the past three seasons, according to Pro Football Focus, the Chargers have tried to help Rivers by spending three of their seven draft picks on offensive linemen. Defensive end Joey Bosa should also be set for a big season after being named 2016 rookie defensive player of the year.
Major additions: The move to bolster the offensive line saw the Chargers sign left tackle Russell Okung in free agency and pick up Forrest Lamp and Dan Feeney in the second and third round of the draft. Unfortunately, the injury bug which hit the Chargers last year has struck again, with Lamp likely out for the entire season with a knee injury and first-round draft pick Mike Williams potentially out until October with a back problem.
Last season: A 5-11 record doesn't fully tell the story of the Chargers' 2016 season. Off the field there were injury issues and a lengthy contract standoff with Bosa, the overall third-round pick in the draft, that was not resolved until late August. Bosa eventually made his debut in October against the Raiders, but could not prevent the Chargers suffering a fourth tight defeat in their first five matches, including blowing a 21-point lead against the Chiefs. The Chargers rallied with wins against the Broncos and Falcons, but finished the season with six straight defeats.
Prospects: Can the Chargers challenge in the AFC West? They have the offensive weapons in Rivers, running back Melvin Gordon and tight end Antonio Gates, but can the defence improve under new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley? And how will the team fare under a new head coach and playing in a new city? Avoiding any more injuries would be a good start, and Bosa has the potential to be a defensive player of the year candidate, but it looks like a challenging season for the Chargers.
Prediction: 4th (6-10)
