NFL Preview: AFC West

San Diego Chargers: The Chargers followed an outstanding regular season with an early playoff exit, which ultimately spelled the end for Marty Schottenheimer. Until the post-season, everything could not have gone much better in San Diego. LaDainian Tomlinson had one of the greatest seasons in NFL history, and he, Antonio Gates, and Philip Rivers combined to give San Diego the best offense in the league. The defense also played extremely well, highlighted by Shawne Merriman, who might have been Defensive Player of the Year had he not been suspended briefly for steroid use. Despite all this success, the Chargers were defeated by the Patriots in their first playoff game.

While the loss to New England led many to believe that there would be some major changes, the only significant move was the replacement of Schottenheimer with Norv Turner. Turner was the head coach of the Raiders in 2004 and 2005, so he is at least familiar with the division. Many believed Schottenheimer's conservative coaching style really hurt the team in the playoffs, so this could have a big impact. The team may miss Wade Phillips, who left for the Dallas head coaching job, but the defensive staff is very experienced, led by Ted Cottrell and including former Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera as the linebackers coach.

There's not much more to say about the Chargers. They are stacked on offense and defense. It would take an injury to Tomlinson to remove them from the NFL's elite, and even then they have enough weapons that they could be dangerous.

Denver Broncos: Denver got off to a great start last year, but sputtered down the stretch as the defense malfunctioned and the offense continued to struggle. After starting out 7-2, they ended the season by losing 5 of 7. They finished 9-7 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2002.

Many attributed Denver's poor play to the inconsistency of Jake Plummer, who was replaced by Jay Cutler. Cutler did not do much better, posting a 2-3 record in the games he started. The struggles had more to do with the defense than the offense. The defense was lights-out early on, but eventually came down to Earth.

In the off-season, Plummer's time in Denver officially ended, as he was traded to Tampa before retiring. This left the team to Cutler, who will be counted on to put up big numbers this year. Tatum Bell was also shipped out to Detroit in exchange for Dre' Bly. To make up for the loss of Bell, Travis Henry was added. Denver also signed Brandon Stokley and Daniel Graham. These changes should improve the offense substantially, and Bly should be able to make QBs pay for trying to completely avoid Champ Bailey. The Broncos have the talent to be a very dangerous team, but much will depend on how well Cutler performs.

Kansas City Chiefs: Many expected the Chiefs to upset Indianapolis in the playoffs last year, thinking that Larry Johnson would be able to plow his way through the Colts' suspect run-defense. The Colts countered Johnson by stacking the line, which should have opened up the passing game. Unfortunately, Trent Green was in the midst of a very poor season and was unable to get the job done.

That turned out to be Green's final game in Kansas City, as he was traded to the Dolphins in the off-season. Damon Huard will take over at quarterback, after putting up solid numbers when Green was injured last year.

Johnson had a long hold-out, but finally worked out a contract and should be ready for the start of the season. Also returning is Priest Holmes, who could see significant time spelling Johnson. An effective Holmes could be very important to the team's success. Johnson was the sole running option last season and one has to wonder how much his body can take.

Oakland Raiders: With Randy Moss, Aaron Brooks, and LaMont Jordan in the fold, the Raiders were supposed to have a very potent offense, but the team struggled mightily and finished with the worst record in the league. Despite all the talent at the skill positions, the offensive line couldn't open holes for Jordan or give Brooks enough time to find Moss and the other receivers. Brooks ended up sitting after only a few games, replaced by Andrew Walter, who was equally ineffective.

The Raiders had a difficult choice regarding who to take with the first overall pick in the draft, choosing JaMarcus Russell in the end. Russell looks like an outstanding prospect, but he may not be ready to start just yet, especially not with the Raiders' offensive line, which is still a weakness. The team also added Daunte Culpepper, who will likely start at the beginning of the season and will help tutor Russell, as well as Dominic Rhodes. Rhodes will split carries with Jordan and should improve the rushing attack.

That said, it's hard to see the offense improving much with the offensive line still a major weakness. The Raiders would do well to invest in their line, at least before Russell becomes the full-time starting quarterback. If not he could become the next David Carr. The one thing the Raiders do have going for them is the defense. It performed very well last year and may be even better this year with the additions of Donovan Darius, among others. If the offensive line can gel, the defense could do well enough to make the Raiders respectable, but odds are they're in for another terrible season.