AFC WEST - DENVER BRONCOS

2006 PREVIEW

The Broncos ran away with the division last year finishing at 13-3, but we expect more of a challenge from Kansas City this season. Still Denver has the far superior defense between those two teams, and that should make the difference as the Broncs defend their division title.

The offense was not too shabby last year either, but a case can be made that quarterback Jake Plummer had a career year, passing for 3366 yards and throwing just seven interceptions vs. 18 touchdown passes. While we do expect a bit of a fall-off, we will give him the benefit of the doubt for now, especially since Plummer will be facing some weak defenses inside the division. Besides he now has a nice new target in wide receiver Javon Walker, who has more speed than any of the Denver receivers from last year. As for the running game, it has been said that the Bronco offensive scheme under Shanahan can turn just about anyone into a 1000-yard rusher, and that theory will be tested again this season after Mike Anderson signed with Baltimore as a free agent. This leaves the Broncos with the speedy but small Tatum Bell and the career bust Ron Dayne. If these guys can step up a bit behind an excellent offensive line, the offense should be very efficient.

The defense won a lot of games last season as it finished 13 th in the NFL in total yards allowed, and most importantly teams could not run on the Broncos, managing just 85.2 rushing yards per game. There is little turnover in that unit this season, so we look for some excellent numbers yet again. We look for Denver to win the West again, however it could be in for a surprise if it draws Jacksonville as a wild card in the first round of the playoffs, which would be the case if our projections are accurate.

2006 Prediction: 1 st Place AFC West