NFL Predictions 2018: AFC Division, Wild Card winners

AFC West

Division Champions: Los Angeles Chargers

This may be the weakest division in the AFC, at least at the top. It wouldn’t be overly surprising for any team to finish first or last in the West. Although half their team will inevitably be injured by Week 4, I still have the Chargers as the favorites. We’ve already seen them take hits to two young stars with Hunter Henry and Jason Verrett done for the season before the preseason starts. I don’t know who their trainers are out in L.A., but it may be time to invest in new ones.

Still, there is talent all over the place on this team and their led by one of the most underrated quarterbacks of his era. Granted, he’s never been to a Super Bowl and can put up a total stinker once in a while, but Philip Rivers is a very good quarterback and a Super Bowl on his résumé would propel him to the Hall of Fame. He has elite weapons and the defense continues to get better and better with a dangerous front seven and a shutdown corner. Look for the Chargers to get into the playoffs with about 10 wins.

Again, it’s tough to predict how the other three teams will shake out. The Chiefs defense fell off a cliff last year and now they are moving on from a veteran quarterback having a career year to a virtual unknown redshirt rookie. The Broncos defense and offense aren’t what they used to be. They have a shot at second place though, because Case Keenum is a massive upgrade at quarterback. The fact that he’s a massive upgrade says all you need to know about the Broncos quarterbacks the past few seasons.

Then we have the Raiders, who are just impossible to believe in. Whenever they give you hope they could be turning the corner, they rip it away. Over the past 15 years, they may be the worst team in the NFL. That’s saying a lot considering they play in the same league with the Browns. It’s the 7-11 franchise versus the team that has won one of their last 35 games for embarrassment of the past decade and a half.