Kansas City Chiefs: 2019 predictions for the rest of the AFC West
By Cullen Jekel
The start of the 2019 NFL regular season is just around the corner. When the season kicks off, the Kansas City Chiefs will be looking for more than just the organization’s fourth straight AFC West title.
First things first: again capturing the AFC West. To do that, the Kansas City Chiefs must conquer a regular season schedule that begins with three of four games on the road before it wraps up with two of four on the road.
Soon, the staff here at KC Kingdom will be publishing an article in which we take a game-by-game look at the Chiefs schedule. While on the last page of this article, I’ll unveil my end-of-the-season standings for the AFC West, I’ll be focusing the rest of the pages on the other teams in the AFC West.
Each of the other three AFC West teams all have potential, but also massive question marks at the most important position on the team.
- In Oakland, will the triumvirate of head coach Jon Gruden, general manager Mike Mayock and owner Mark Davis stick with Derek Carr as the team leaves for the bright lights of Las Vegas? It probably depends on how he–and the team–fare in 2019. Anything less than a postseason appearance may spell the end of Carr’s tenure with the Raiders.
- In Los Angeles, how long can Philip Rivers, who turns 38 in December, keep going? Dude’s an iron man, never having missed a start since taking over for Drew Brees after 2005. Last year represented a renaissance for Rivers. With no other viable option at the position, the Chargers gig is unquestionably his, but age is a concern. And as football fans have observed for years, the end for quarterbacks isn’t a gradual thing–it’s sudden.
- In Denver, how much rope will new starting quarterback Joe Flacco receive? And if it’s a short rope, is rookie quarterback Drew Lock truly the answer? Of all the AFC West teams, the Broncos look to be the one with a brewing quarterback controversy. 2019 figures to be very interesting for the franchise, and especially for John Elway, whose once iron grip on the organization seems to be loosening, even if just a little.
With the quarterback questions out of the way, it’s time to get down to predictions!