Four of the Biggest Questions in the NFL: AFC West Edition

Denver Broncos: Is Drew Lock the Guy?

It seemed like QB Drew Lock was going to emerge as the franchise quarterback for the Denver Broncos, but after a subpar 2020 season, many have put that into question. Guys like Aaron Rodgers, Deshaun Watson via trade, or even the draft were options for Denver, but they did not go after those options but instead traded for Teddy Bridgewater to create a QB competition. Lock’s big issue is taking care of the ball, while Bridgewater is safer with less of an upside. Denver is going to have to choose who their guy is for this year, with the hopes that Lock takes a big step forward.

Kansas City Chiefs: Will the O-Line Reinforcements Work?

Since QB Patrick Mahomes became the starter, the Kansas City Chiefs became the class of the AFC, and it did not change last year. Unfortunately, they lost the Super Bowl, which showed a glaring hole for the Chiefs: the offensive line. Mahomes was running for his life as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had their way in the trenches. This offseason alone, the Chiefs added LG Joe Thuney and LT Orlando Brown, bolstering that side of the line. They also get RG Laurent Duvernay-Tardif back, who opted out for COVID-19 in 2020. The Super Bowl is the bar for the Chiefs, as they will look to get back there for the third straight year in 2021.

Los Angeles Chargers: Can the Chargers Finally Take the Next Step?

The time is now for the Los Angeles Chargers. After another disappointing season in 2020, the Chargers hired Brandon Staley to be their coach and revamped their offensive line with C Corey Linsley and with the draft pick of Rashawn Slater to help protect prized young QB, Justin Herbert. The Chargers have a loaded roster and they are ready to make serious noise in the AFC and give the Chiefs a run for their money in the AFC West.

Las Vegas Raiders: What is the Identity of the Offense?

After another disappointing season for the Raiders, they will face even more challenges in 2021, as their division keeps getting better. The Raiders have a suspect defense, a questionable offensive line, but most importantly, they do not have an identity as an offense. Vegas has two running backs in Kenyan Drake and Josh Jacobs while having speed on the outside with WR Henry Ruggs and TE Darren Waller. If the Raiders want to be successful, they should play their offense through their running game, but this is a useless point if they do not have good blocking. It is up to the coaching staff to figure out what the identity of their offense is going to be, which is so important when creating chemistry for your team.

Info from profootballreference.com and espn.com

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-By: Richie Dordas