AFC West projections: San Diego Chargers...CHARGE!

Chargers: 14-2 (6-0) As almost anyone reading this probably knows, I hold a special place in my heart for the Chargers, so it's possible that my outlook on their season is tainted ever so slightly by the powder blue lens on my sweet-ass imaginary half-charger/half-eagle sunglasses. I see precisely 4 games they should realistically have a chance of losing: @Pittsburgh and @NYG, which I have them losing, in addition to @Dallas and @Tennessee, which I do not. Even if they lost all four and found a couple other losses, they'll roll over the AFC West in their sleep. Come playoff time, though, they better hope Shawne Merriman is at the top of his game and not injured or in prison. He's their only pass rusher worth a damn and the key to making their secondary a nightmare for QBs as opposed to Charger fans.

Raiders: 6-10 (2-4) I'm not even really that comfortable with giving them 6 wins, seeing as they're the Raiders and all, but if their players are healthy, they should be able to eke these wins out: DEN, KC, CIN, NYJ, WAS, @CLE. When you look at it that way, I'm not giving them a whole hell of a lot of praise, even if they are in 2nd place.

Chiefs: 5-11 (2-4) If this division isn't the best argument I've ever seen for re-aligning on a yearly basis to even shit out, I don't know what could be. I wonder if we could convince anyone at the league office to just give the Chargers the division title and first round bye now and save LT, Sproles and Gates the wear and tear. I'd say something about the Chiefs, but they're a terrible team whose biggest offseason additions were Mike Vrabel and a backup quarterback.

Broncos: 3-13 (2-4) Of course, the Broncos' biggest addition was the subtraction of Jay Cutler, which, from a likability standpoint, is a huge improvement. Jay Cutler is a punk and, according to sources in the Chargers' locker room, he watches "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman." I hate to say it but I can't even list Brian Dawkins, quite literally my favorite player of all time in any sport, as an addition. His limited effectiveness over the last season and a half he spent in Philly was almost entirely a product of Jim Johnson putting him in the precise spot he needed to be in to make a play. He just can't move around well enough to be an effective safety in the passing game anymore. It looks to me like Brandon Marshall better get an XBox Live account because it's gonna be 1 vs. 53 all year for him.