09-05-2021 Ravens Preview - Flipbook - Page 27
NFL2021
AFC West
KANSAS CITY
CHIEFS (16-3)
Projected 2021 win
total: 12
LAST YEAR: The Chiefs won a fifth
straight division title and second
consecutive AFC championship but
failed to defend the Lombardi Trophy
with a humbling 31-9 loss to Tampa Bay
in February. QB Patrick Mahomes had
one of his worst performances in the
game behind a patchwork offensive line
dominated by the Buccaneers’ pass rush.
The Chiefs’ own pass rush was ineffective
and a lack of talent in the secondary was
exposed by Bucs QB Tom Brady.
IMPORTANT ADDITIONS: LT Orlando
Brown Jr., LG Joe Thuney, C Austin Blythe,
DT Jarran Reed, RB Elijah McGuire, CB
Mike Hughes, RB Jerrick McKinnon, TE
Blake Bell, FS Will Parks, LB Nick Bolton, C
Creed Humphrey, DE Joshua Kaindoh.
IMPORTANT LOSSES: LT Eric Fisher, RT
Mitchell Schwartz, WR Sammy Watkins,
CB Bashaud Breeland, TE Deon Yelder, DE
Tanoh Kpassagnon, CB Antonio Hamilton,
RB Damien Williams, DT Mike Pennel.
NOTES: Kansas City failed to land a
playmaking CB in free agency or the
draft and could look for a veteran to push
Charvarius Ward and L’Jarius Sneed for
playing time. The Chiefs also need a
WR to step up opposite Tyreek Hill after
losing Watkins to the Ravens in free
agency. Mecole Hardman and Demarcus
Robinson have played the past couple
seasons but neither has proven he can
handle the load of a No. 2 wide receiver.
EXPECTATIONS: As long as Mahomes
is at quarterback and Andy Reid is the
coach, the expectation is a Super Bowl
championship. GM Brett Veach did a
masterful job in rebuilding and upgrading
the offensive line, though few changes
on defense means the current group
will have to improve. DE Frank Clark has
yet to live up to his big contract and has
dealt with legal problems throughout the
offseason, and Jones has yet to prove he
can provide a pass rush from the outside.
FS Tyrann Mathieu has been a star but is
seeking a contract extension while the
rest of defensive backfield needs to show
significant improvement.
LOS ANGELES
CHARGERS (7-9)
Projected 2021 win
total: 9
LAST YEAR: The Chargers found their
franchise quarterback with Justin
Herbert, who was the NFL Offensive
Rookie of the Year after setting rookie
records for touchdowns and 300-yard
games. Injuries on the offensive line and
in the secondary played major roles in
their squandering double-digit leads
in four losses, and seven defeats came
by eight points or less. Los Angeles won
four straight to end 2020, but it wasn’t
enough to save coach Anthony Lynn’s
job. Rams defensive coordinator Brandon
Staley was hired on Jan. 17.
IMPORTANT ADDITIONS: C Corey
Linsley, Gs Matt Feiler and Oday Aboushi,
TE Jared Cook, QB Chase Daniel, OT
Rashawn Slater, CB Asante Samuel Jr.
IMPORTANT LOSSES: TE Hunter Henry,
DE Melvin Ingram, C Dan Feeney, OT Sam
Tevi, G Forrest Lamp, S Rayshawn Jenkins,
LB Denzel Perryman, CB Casey Hayward,
G Trai Turner.
NOTES: Staley and his coaching
staff accomplished a lot of the early
installation of the new offense and
defense during offseason workouts, but
there still is plenty of work ahead. The
offensive line will have four new starters
with only RT Bryan Bulaga being the
holdover. First-round pick Rashawn Slater
will need to get up to speed quickly at left
tackle. The defense is switching to a 3-4
scheme with plenty of questions about
depth at linebacker and the secondary.
S Derwin James has played in only five
games the past two seasons due to
injuries suffered during training camp.
EXPECTATIONS: A second straight
losing season prompted GM Tom Telesco
to hire his third coach. The Chargers have
plenty of talent at the skill positions, but
depth issues the past couple seasons
prompted 5-11 and 7-9 records after they
made the playoffs in 2018. After Herbert’s
record-setting season last year, the
Chargers have high expectations, but
will need to stay healthy as well as show
that this new coaching staff can adapt to
challenges.
LAS VEGAS
RAIDERS (8-8)
Projected 2021 win
total: 8
LAST YEAR: The Raiders got off to a
promising start in their first season in
Las Vegas with a 6-3 record, including a
win at Kansas City, before faltering down
the stretch. The Raiders lost five of six
during a late-season slide thanks to a
porous defense that finished 30th in the
league allowing 29.9 points per game and
an offense that had the fourth-highest
turnover rate in the NFL. QB Derek Carr
set career bests in several categories but
still is seeking his first appearance in a
playoff game since entering the NFL in
2014.
IMPORTANT ADDITIONS: DE Yannick
Ngakoue, CB Casey Hayward, S Trevon
Moehrig, RT Alex Leatherwood, WR John
Brown, RB Kenyan Drake, DT Quinton
Jefferson, DT Solomon Thomas, CB Rasul
Douglas.
IMPORTANT LOSSES: WR Nelson
Agholor, C Rodney Hudson, RG Gabe
Jackson, RT Trent Brown, DT Maliek
Collins, S Jeff Heath, S Erik Harris, RB
Devontae Booker.
NOTES: The Raiders need to rebuild
a defense that has allowed the most
points per game and second-most yards
per play in three seasons since coach
Jon Gruden returned. Coordinator Paul
Guenther was fired late last season and
Gus Bradley came in during the offseason
to implement a simpler system the
Raiders hope will lead to better results.
Ngakoue and Jefferson should help
bolster a weak pass rush.
EXPECTATIONS: The return of Gruden
in 2018 has led to little success so far with
the Raiders failing to post a winning record
or earn a playoff berth in any of his three
seasons. The excuses are running out
as the team has had a bevy of high draft
picks and free-agent additions to rebuild
the roster, and anything short of a playoff
berth would be hard to be viewed as any
sort of success. But unless the defense
takes a big step forward and the offense
cuts down on turnovers, competing in a
top-heavy AFC won’t be easy.
27
While everyone continues to
look up at Mahomes and the
Chiefs, Chargers and Broncos
made offseason moves that
may test Kansas City’s grip
on the division.
DENVER
BRONCOS (5-11)
Projected 2021 win
total: 7.5
LAST YEAR: The Broncos extended their
playoff drought to five seasons since
winning Super Bowl 50, a record dry spell
after a championship. They lost both the
heart and soul of their team when OLB
Von Miller (ankle) got hurt just before
the opener and WR Courtland Sutton
(knee) went down in Week 2. The Broncos
hobbled through another trying season
marked by more poor quarterback play,
coronavirus crises — one of which led to
them having no quarterbacks for a game
against New Orleans — and a rash of
injuries, especially in the secondary.
IMPORTANT ADDITIONS: GM George
Paton, QB Teddy Bridgewater, CB Patrick
Surtain II, RB Javonte Williams, CB Ronald
Darby, CB Kyle Fuller, CB RB Mike Boone,
DL Shamar Stephen, OL Quinn Meinerz,
LB Baron Browning, S Caden Sterns, S
Jamar Johnson, LB Jonathon Cooper,
executive director of football operations
Kelly Klein, the highest-ranking woman in
football operations at an NFL club.
IMPORTANT LOSSES: RT Ja’Wuan
James, RB Phillip Lindsay, OT Elijah
Wilkinson, TE Nick Vannett, DL Jurrell
Casey, CB A.J. Bouye, DE DeMarcus
Walker, S Will Parks, LB Joe Jones, OLB
Jeremiah Attaochu, longtime trainer
Steve“Greek”Antonopulos, who retired
after 45 years with the franchise.
NOTES: Health was top of mind for
the Broncos this summer as Miller and
Sutton try to return to their pre-injury
stardom. They are joined by Pro Bowl OLB
Bradley Chubb, who underwent ankle
surgery over the summer shortly after the
Broncos picked up his fifth-year option
that guarantees him a $12.716 million
salary for the 2022 season.
EXPECTATIONS: No matter who’s barking
out the offensive play calls, the Broncos are
hopeful their half-decade playoff drought
will end thanks to a superb secondary that
Paton rebuilt by loading up on cornerbacks,
signing franchise-tagged safetyJustin
Simmons and re-signing safety Kareem
Jackson.
— Associated Press