Predict which/how many teams from the AFC West make the playoffs?

[The Red King]

Thought this might be a fun exercise.  We're at a point where any (and all, since we have three Wild Cards now) of the four certainly could make the playoffs, but playing each other twice each will scatter around some Ls.  So, looking around at the rest of the AFC, how many teams from the West do you predict will actually make it, and bonus points for who you think they are.  Who survives the bloodbath?

 

Me?  Eesh, not an easy question.  Gotta go with my gut and say the Raiders will not make it.  I think the Chargers take the division, they're a lil further along in their rebuild, and KC is falling, but they're hard to count out.  Denver could very much be a Cinderella team.

 

Alright, my prediction is this...Chargers take the West.  Chiefs and Broncos are locked in a deathmatch with other potential AFC Wild Card teams, coming down to Week 18 games and tiebreakers and such to untangle the absolute mess.  When the dust clears the Broncos somehow edge the Chiefs, but both nab Wild Card spots.  No idea if we're talking #5 and #6 seeds, or #6 and #7.

 

What do you all think?  Remember, this isn't just predicting how the AFC West ends up, it's predicting which/how many actually make the playoffs.

[NewEra]

Two

[716er]

Chargers and Chiefs

[DJB]

Zero

[LyndonvilleBill]

One.

 

Chargers.

[Mr. WEO]

2

 

Chargers not the Div winner.

[TBBills]

None... that's right. They all beat each other up and cannot get enough players to play a full game.

[TampaBillsJunkie]

Going off the deep end here to say Chargers Division winner and Broncos with Wilson come in as a wild card.

LA 11-6

Denver 11-6 WC

KC 10-7

Vegas 9-8

 

 

[Awwufelloff]

All 4 

[RalphWilson'sNewWar]

AFC NORTH has the cupcake schedule…so really just need to see how many games Watson is suspended for.

 

Ravens and Bengals may be playing in the AFC title game…

 

but if it’s too many games suspended then I would say THREE AFC WEST TEAMS.

[Bill Lewes]

only chiefs - all the other pretenders will beat themselves up and require another year to dethrone the reigning division

champs

[HappyDays]

3 hours ago, LyndonvilleBill said:

One.

 

Chargers.

 

This is my prediction as well. I think the Chiefs without Hill are a very different team. Hill opened up their entire offense. The Raiders are not good enough to compete in that division. The Broncos would be 2nd for me but I think they lack a true game changer on offense and bad pass protection does not mix well with Russell Wilson. The Chargers have the best mix of talent across the board.

[GunnerBill]

I think the Chargers will make it. I suspect one of the Chiefs and Broncos will make it as a wildcard too. I dunno maybe this is a down year for KC and they miss. I don't think it would signify the end of an era or anything, and I guess they'd bounce back to the post season in 2023, but I think they have lost two big personalities from the locker room in Mathieu and Hill. This might just be a small step back year. 10-7 and miss the playoffs. 

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

AFC West plays the NFC West so no easy task there, though is a bit easier with the Russel Wilson trade.  Also play the AFC South  which has 2 good to decent teams.  If Lawrence figures things out, could be 3 good teams. The AFC also has the 17th game on the road so that won't help any of them.

 

So having said all that I'll go with 2 teams as somewhat of a tough schedule and they will beat each other up.

[Rc2catch]

I’m gonna go ahead and say KC takes the division and their offense transforms into a more run heavy misdirection kinda scheme. Denver keeps it interesting. Vegas floats at 500 and the chargers as great as they are never play an actual game all together and finish with a losing record and a very lengthy injury report. 

Edited April 10, 2022 by Rc2catch

[djp14150]

Only the division winner makes the playoffs.

 

The other division fees have improved but this idea that all 4 make the playoffs is absurd.

 

they play nfc west…top to bottom a strong division. AFC south will be better. Both jacksonville and houston can be near 500 teams next season.  It all depends on team confidence and how the early season schedule is.  
 

irt see AW teams go 3-3 in division. 4-4 against te two divisions with one going 5-3.  Then it’s the non common games.  
 

the advantage in non common games gives to denver. Here they can go 3-0 vs others going 1-2.

 

I think denver wins the division. 
the 2nd place team may or may not make the playoffs ..it depends on tiebreakers.  
 

expect to see KC vsLAC in week 18 where winning means WC spot if things go their way, but loss means out.

[The Jokeman]

Two, KC as don't think Raiders/Broncos defense can keep up with them as Reid build offenses in Philly with subpar WRs. The Chargers feel like a more complete team with Khalil and Jackson. 

[billybrew1]

2.

[Rochesterfan]

4 hours ago, RalphWilson'sNewWar said:

AFC NORTH has the cupcake schedule…so really just need to see how many games Watson is suspended for.

 

Ravens and Bengals may be playing in the AFC title game…

 

but if it’s too many games suspended then I would say THREE AFC WEST TEAMS.

 

I don’t care what happens - I do not see Ravens/Bengals playing for the AFC title.

 

I think Bills, Chargers, Tennessee, Cincinnati are division winners.

 

I think Denver, Baltimore, Indy - are the Wild Cards - so I guess 2 AFC West teams.

 

I think the Hill trade hurts KCs offense significantly and doesn’t help Miami enough to make the playoffs.  There are trades that both teams win - I think this is a trade where both teams lose.  
 

 

 

 

[wppete]