The Number Two Seed in the AFC Will Be…

Now that Tom Brady is back with the New England Patriots, everybody seems to be picking the Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers as the two best teams in the AFC, maybe even the NFL. The Steelers will once again be the best team in the AFC, but the Patriots will not have the second best record in the conference in 2009.  The team that will be the second best team in the AFC this season had only eight wins last season and has a coach that is known for making idiotic decisions (drafting Heath Shuler). Why do I think so highly of a team that started out last season with a 4-8 record? This team just happens to have a quarterback that is playing for an extension, a star linebacker that is finally healthy, an underrated rookie linebacker and they happen to play in a division that they should go undefeated against.

If you are still confused, I am talking about the San Diego Chargers. It really pains me to speak so highly of a team that is coached by Norv Turner, but even he can't screw this season up. Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers saw the huge contract that Eli Manning received and Rivers will want to have a very strong season to make sure he is paid the same as the guy he was traded for on draft day. New York Giants fans will argue that Rivers doesn't have a Super Bowl ring like Manning won in 2007. Rivers might not get that Super Bowl ring this year, but he is the better quarterback. The former N.C. State quarterback threw for 4,009 yards and 34 touchdowns last season. We expect similar numbers this year and Rivers might just end up winning his first ever MVP.

Shawne Merriman played in only one game last season with a torn LCL/PCL. The linebacker led the NFL with 39.5 sacks from 2005-2007 and his knee is expected to be 100 percent by the middle of September. He might not be 100 percent when the Chargers open their season by playing on the road against the Oakland Raiders on Monday Night Football, but we love the depth that the Chargers added in the offseason. Former Tennessee linebacker Kevin Burnett is expected to start at linebacker for the Chargers and Burnett could have his best season playing next to linebackers like Merriman and Shaun Phillips. Another addition to this defense that we like is linebacker Larry English. The Chargers drafted the former Northern Illinois defensive end in the first round and English is a perfect spot-starter for this defense. English missed the Chargers first preseason game, but the Chargers drafted him for depth and to possibly replace Merriman in the future. English is an explosive linebacker that should be a great addition to this already great pass rush.

The main reason that we see the Chargers as the two seed in the AFC is the fact that they play in the AFC West. As long as referee Ed Hochuli doesn't blow another important call in a division game against the Denver Broncos, the Chargers should go 6-0 in the AFC West. The Broncos also finished 8-8 last season, but they will be one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL this season. The Broncos thought it was a smart decision to replace Jay Cutler with Kyle Orton. Cutler threw for 4,526 yards and 25 touchdowns last season while Orton has never thrown for 3,000 yards in his three-year career. We expect a big rookie year for Knowshon Moreno and the Broncos have two good receivers in Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal. The problem is that the Broncos have an egotistical coach in Josh McDaniels that thinks it is a great idea to work Marshall on the scout team. Did I mention that a junior member of the team's P.R. staff told players not to express too much joy or emotion about Marshall's acquittal on battery charges? The Oakland Raiders will not be improved with JaMarcus Russell at quarterback and a coach that thinks it is a good idea to break the jaw of an assistant coach. The Kansas City Chiefs were supposed to be improved under Todd Haley, but there are rumors that Matt Cassel might get benched for Brodie Croyle. Tom Cable, Todd Haley and Josh McDaniels will find a way to make Norv Turner look like a genius, and that is very hard to do. The Chargers will finish with 12 wins and will finish behind the Steelers as the second best team in the AFC.