This is the fourth post of a two-week series I will be doing, discussing every team by division and how I see their 2008 NFL season playing out. Today, we are discussing the AFC West division, which is populated by the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers. Let’s get started!

San Diego Chargers
Right now, I don’t know what to make of Philip Rivers. He can throw you a perfect pass in the first quarter, and fall apart by halftime. He needs to get his consistency under control and keep his mouth shut.
LT has to be one of the top MVP pre-season candidates. He won’t start of cold again like he did last season; I believe then he was just trying to adjust himself to Norv Turner’s style of offense. Now that they put together quite a run using that offensive system, I expect him to have a 1,600+ yard season with 16-19 TDs.
Chris Chambers and Antonio Gates will put together good years, even though nobody seems to want to predict so. If Rivers and LT have problems with chemistry this season like they did last year, it will hurt the offensive production. But, if the they can keep their heads as a team, I expect them to work together and make this offense one of the strongest in the league.
Shawne Merriman is just asking to retire. I can’t believe he’s going to forgo the knee surgery that he needs and play this season. The Chargers have plenty of years left in the tank, and Merriman should get this surgery done now so he can come back next year and dominate. It’s not like this is the Chargers’ final year of contention or anything. Assuming everyone stays healthy, this team will be a force for years to come. However, I’m predicting Merriman’s injury will get worse, and the defense won’t be able to compensate for his absence. But it shouldn’t hurt their playoff hopes. With or without Merriman, the Chargers are still better than the Chiefs, Raiders and Broncos.

Regular Season Prediction: 9-7, 1st in AFC West, #4 seed in AFC playoffs

Denver Broncos
Everyone thinks this is the years Jay Cutler comes out of his shell and emerges as an elite QB. I respectfully disagree. He is good, and has a cannon arm, but until the offense, and the entire team for that matter, is serious about winning, I don’t see him becoming great anytime soon. He needs that one wide receiver who can step up and be the leader on the field. He doesn’t have that in his limited arsenal yet.
Travis Henry was cut from the team in the off-season. And I thought that Shanahan said he believed him! They say that he was cut for lack of production. Okay, so apparently, in Denver they want you to do and, and if you do that, you can stick around. What? Henry was their most productive RB of last season, despite his absence. Now who do they have? I suppose I shouldn’t let them have it, yet, Denver has a weird way of producing high caliber running backs every year. Something in the air up there?
One of my good friends, Jake, who is a Broncos fan thinks that Mike Shanahan should be fired if they don’t make it to the playoffs this season. I was shocked. Are you really ready to turn your back on a guy who has always had you in position to win the division, Broncos fans? He hasn’t won the West lately because his players are no good. But, then again, as the saying goes, the coach is only as good as his players.

Regular Season Prediction: 8-8, 2nd in AFC West, no playoffs

Oakland Raiders
The Raiders finally took the steps necessary to becoming a perennial contender, starting with the draft. Darren McFadden was their first-round pick. He and Fargas will be a scary backfield duo to go up against for defenses. Michael Bush also is showing good running ability. The RB corps in Oakland is one of, if not the best in the league.
The Raiders might not have to rely on JaMarcus Russell as much as previously thought. As long as he can still take a snap and give the ball on a hand-off, this team should win some great games. Although, I doubt the Raiders are going to go either one way or the other with their offensive attack. Why dominate one when you’re great at both? The past two seasons, the Raiders have lost 2 of the top 20 wideouts in the league. First Randy Moss to New England, second, Jerry Porter to Jacksonville. However, they did pick up Javon Walker from Denver. Russell can’t be blamed for lack of production this season when the Raiders have traded away all his targets and got none to replace them.

Regular Season Prediction: 6-10, 3rd in AFC West, no playoffs

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs are just pitiful. After starting 4-3, and defeating the defending AFC West champion Chargers, they lost all of their remaining 9 games. That’s hard to do.
The QB incompetence in that system is absolutely repelling to even think about, but for you, Bloggers, I will do it. Damon Huard and Brodie Croyle are atrocious excuses for quarterbacks, and neither have a popsicle’s chance in hell of leading their team to even a .500 record.
The draft brought evidently good things, but we can never be sure until they play, can we, Mr. Alex Smith of San Fran?
Glenn Dorsey is the only bright spot on the defense, and even with him, the Chiefs won’t win many games. He had a monster college career, capping it off with a national title. Whether he’ll have the same success in the Pros is yet to be seen, but I highly doubt a ring will be coming his way while he’s with the Chiefs.
Larry Johnson had a poor year last year because he finally got that huge contract he wanted, and once he got it, he didn’t have to work for it anymore, so he slacked off. That cost him the season when he went down with an injury against the Packers.
The Chiefs are horrible all over the place, and right now I’m giving them 2 more victories than they deserve.

Regular Season Prediction: 2-14, 4th in AFC West, no playoffs

I know it's still only the beginning of May, but I am too anxious, and the torture of having to wait so long for football season to start up again is killin' me. But, I thought of something to do while we wait!

Pick pre-season bandwagons!

There's always the surprise team that comes outta nowhere:

In 2004 it was the Steelers
In 2005 it was the Panthers
In 2006 it was the Saints
In 2007 it was the Packers

So, who's gonna be the pre-season surprise team? Here are a couple of bandwagons to pick from!

Minnesota Vikings
With the additions of Jared Allen, arguably the best DLineman in the game at this time, and John David Booty, one of the best QBs in the Draft, I see this team going 10-6, no worse than 9-7 and being a real contender come playoff time, perhaps even stealing the division from the Packers, which is what I see happening.

Baltimore Ravens
In my opinion, moving back up after moving down to get Joe Flacco was the right move for the Ravens and new head coach, John Harbaugh. This guy will be sure to lead a team for years. Also, the addition of Ray Rice from Rutgers is bound to help them. McGahee and Rice will make it an interesting dual-RB situation in 2008 for the Ravens. All those pieces minus McNair are still there from that 2006 13-win team, so I see the Ravens going 10-6, and making it intot he playoffs via wild card.

Kansas City Chiefs
A really good draft, probably the best will higher the pressure on Herm Edwards to get this team back to the post-season. If he does not, with all this talent, I think he should be fired. Perhaps surprisingly I only see this team going 5-11. It techniacally is an improvment... Way to go, Herm.

Carolina Panthers
A good draft, picking up Jonathan Stewart, Jeff Otah, and Dan Connor will take some pressure off Delhomme, and hopefully he won't get hurt this year. If he stays healthy with the seoncd-best blocker and running-back in this year's draft, watch out for the Panthers. I forsee a 9-7 year with a possible wild card berth.

But, the bandwagon I'm jumping on is...

New Orleans Saints
Some great off-season moves, and by far the best off-season so far. With so many good players, there is no way the Saints will be bale to screw this up. I see an 11-5 season with a division title. The Bucs will have to settle for at best a wild card berth now.

Thanks for reading! Who do you guys think will be 2008's surprise team?

-Mike Greenspire