AFC West confidence index: Chiefs rivals are cautiously optimistic
By Matt Conner
The Chiefs’ rivals in the AFC West are each cautiously optimistic heading into 2020.
Heading into the 2020 season, no team has a higher confidence level than the Kansas City Chiefs and rightfully so. The defending Super Bowl champions have brought back the bulk of the cast that lifted the Lombardi Trophy last winter, and the offseason theme of “run it back” has been taken seriously by all involved.
Unfortunately for the Chiefs, history is not on their side. The last team to repeat was the New England Patriots all the way back in the 2005 season—the only team since Y2K. Parity is the name of the game, which means the Chiefs are going to face a steep climb to live up to their expectations.
If the Chiefs are going to win back-to-back championships, their journey begins in the AFC West. They’ve won four straight division titles and the path is clear to a fifth, but that doesn’t mean their rivals are going to take things lying down. In fact, each franchise has good reason for optimism in 2020—yes, the same season that the Chiefs are believing once again.
We recently asked experts who cover each team for their level of confidence in 2020. Below are their responses and how each statement sounds to us.
Denver Broncos
Sayre Bedinger, Predominantly Orange: It’s somewhere right past the middle of pessimism and optimism. Everyone realizes the Broncos could still experience growing pains, but this is a team that should be able to win while they grow. They may not have perfect chemistry right away, but I think this is a team that will get better as the season goes along. There’s plenty of cautious optimism among the fan base.
Our take: Agreed. The Broncos defense has some very impressive pieces and the offense has more firepower than any season since Peyton Manning was under center. If Drew Lock can build on last season, the West could become a lot tougher in 2020 and beyond.
Las Vegas Raiders
Brad Weiss, Just Blog Baby: This is a franchise that has been to the playoffs only once since the 2002 season, so expectations are always a bit tempered heading into the season. However, some of the fan base think they can win 10 games and possibly challenge Kansas City in the AFC West. The team is ready to take the next step, no doubt, as they had a three-win improvement in 2019, but they did lose five of their last six to finish with another losing season.
I believe the team feels it can win—and win often—in 2020, and has fixed a lot of the holes on their roster. This is a group that has bonded together during the move to Vegas, and it really is playoffs-or-bust in the first season in the desert.
Our take: The Raiders added some speed on offense and their defense should be better with developing young talents and some nice veteran imports at linebacker. Still, a franchise is built on a successful tandem of coach and quarterback and both are still question marks at this point. The Raiders’ optimism is likely misguided in 2020.
Los Angeles Chargers
Jason Reed, Bolt Beat: There are a lot of Charger fans who are confident that this will be a playoff team and most of the Bolt Beat staff is along that line of thinking. Personally, I am a bit more pessimistic. This feels like a season where the Chargers will beat who they should beat but won’t really take that leap to beat a team like the Kansas City Chiefs or New Orleans Saints. I envision an 8-8 record for the Bolts, which will put them in the Wild Card discussion, but I doubt they get in at 8-8.
Our take: It’s not surprising to hear the pessimism and optimism. The Chargers were once a clear No. 2 in the division with a ton of impact talent on both sides. Last season, however, they bottomed out and were the surprise losers in the league. With a new franchise quarterback, no one has any idea what to think—including Chargers fans.