Predicting each AFC West team's record for the 2019 NFL season

The AFC West is one of the more intriguing divisions in the NFL. The Chiefs are an offensive juggernaut, the Chargers just may have the leagues best receiving corps.

Meanwhile, in Mile High City, the Broncos still have one of the best defensive pass-rushing tandems in Von Miller and Bradley Chubb. The Raiders, on paper, look like things are finally treading in the right direction. We'll have to see how Jon Gruden fares in year two.

That said, here's how I believe each AFC West team will fare, record-wise, in 2019.

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#1 Los Angeles Chargers: 13-3

The Chargers are coming off an impressive 12-4 season, where they had one of the league's most dynamic offenses and a defense that ranked 8th in points allowed per game with 20.6, 9th in total yards allowed per game with 333.7, 9th in passing yards allowed per game with 227.9, and 9th in rushing yards allowed per game with 105.8.

If you thought this team was scary last season, they're going to be even better this season. Their offense is still just as explosive, with Pro Bowl receiver Keenan Allen and deep threat Mike Williams leading the way. Philip Rivers can still play at a high level, and running backs Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler are still an explosive 1-2 punch.

My only concern with this team is their offensive line, which surrendered 34 sacks lasts season. From what I've seen, GM Tom Telesco hasn't done much to address these issues, which leads me to believe that it's not a problem in the organization's eyes. Yes, a lot of their lineman are young. But they struggled heavily against New England in the Divisional Round of the playoffs last season.

Despite the concerns I have about their offensive line, the Philip Rivers still has plenty of weapons in that arsenal of his. And the defense still has stars everywhere you look. Derwin James, Desmond King, Casey Hayward and Joey Bosa are just a few. I believe their high-powered offense and dominant defense will carry them to an AFC West title, and the AFC's top seed in 2019.

#2 Kansas City Chiefs: 11-5

Patrick Mahomes

Yes, I actually have the Chargers finishing two games ahead of the Chiefs in 2019. Why? It's simple. Let's just assume that Tyreek Hill isn't going to be with Kansas City this season (for obvious reasons). Say what you will, but that's a BIG loss, as he one considered by many to be the league's most explosive wideout. Replacing a player of his caliber is going to be extremely difficult.

Patrick Mahomes took the league by storm in 2018, securing both the NFL's MVP and Offensive Player of the Year Awards, after throwing for 5,097 yards and garnering a 50:12 TD:INT ratio last season. No one's questioning Mahomes' stardom, as he has rightfully earned his place to be considered among the league's best QBs. However, can Mahomes have that same kind of production in 2019? It's hard for any QB, even for someone as talented as Mahomes, to have back-to-back MVP seasons.

Remember, there's a strong chance Hill isn't with the team this fall. There's also no Kareem Hunt, either. People forget he was a big part of Kansas City's success early on last season before being released due to a domestic violence incident. But the Chiefs have more problems defensively, as they struggled against even the worst of NFL offenses last season.

Let's face it, that 2018 defense couldn't stop a nosebleed, even if they were handed the paper towels. That's how atrocious this unit was. Despite firing their DC and switching to a 4-3 scheme, Kansas City hasn't done much to address their defensive dilemma this offseason. Safety Tyrann Mathieu can't do it all, and their secondary lacks talent and depth at the cornerback position. For these reasons, I have KC taking a small step backwards in 2019.

#3 Denver Broncos: 6-10

Bradley Chubb

The Broncos have a decent team assembled, with veteran QB Joe Flacco at the helm. However, with his best years seemingly behind him, I don't see Denver making much noise this season. Drew Lock is an interesting QB prospect, who should bring great competition to the Broncos' quarterback room.

It's no shocker that John Elway hasn't had the greatest success with drafting quarterbacks (E.g. Brock Osweiler, Chad Kelly, Tim Tebow, Jay Cutler, etc). That said, Drew Lock has the prototypical height that most GMs look for in a potential franchise QB. It'll be very interesting to see if Lock can break the 'curse' that continues to haunt Elway and their fans.

Defensively, this team is stout. But it won't be enough to compete with Kansas City and Los Angeles. The offensive line isn't the great, either. I'd give Denver another season or two before I think they'll be ready to return to their 2015 Super Bowl-winning form.

#4 Oakland Raiders: 6-10

Derek Carr

The Raiders did make major improvements this offseason. However, their offensive line worries me greatly, and I'm not sure if Derek Carr is the QB of the future. The receiving corps has been drastically upgraded with household names like Antonio Brown and Tyrell Williams.

For me, this team has too many question marks defensively, despite making major upgrades at pass rusher and both safety spots. Their linebacking corps, depth at corner, and depth at pass rusher are just a few of my many concerns. Clelin Ferrell, whom the Raiders selected #4 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft, can't accumulate 30-plus sacks all by himself.

I believe Jon Gruden will improve slightly in his second season as Oakland's head coach, but similar to Denver, they're not built to compete with the Chiefs or Chargers. Before the Raiders can return to their 2016 form, they need to start improving the little things first, like accumulating more than just 13 sacks in one season.