So says Yahoo's Michael Silver. He sees the Raiders not only winning their division but going as far as the AFC Title game despite Aso and Miller both being gone. http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_y...lver_hue_jackson_right_as_raiders_coach080111
They weren't bad last year and seemed like they were at the start of something good. Then they fired the coach, lost Nnamdi, Miller, and Gallery, and didn't replace Jason Campbell at QB. I wanted to put them in a wild card game, but I don't see how they've improved from last year.
Ehh, if Nnamdi Asomugha and Zach Miller were still playing in Oakland, it wouldn't be too outlandish. I won't be surprised if they win the AFC West. It'll come down to San Diego and Oakland. Denver will suck and Kansas City has to play against more than three good teams this season.
Remove the bolded part and that's a good article. Oakland won't be a laughing stock anymore. They've graduated to mediocrity. Thanks to recent rashes of disastrous general management in Denver and San Diego (each franchise has nose-dived since the Schotty/Shanny years, if you ask me), they can be competitive in that division. AFCCG? No. Just no.
The AFC West will be interesting. I think the Raiders could've won it with Miller and Nnamdi, without them (and they haven't really brought in any suitable replacements yet), I think they might struggle. The Chiefs probably have the most talent, between Cassell, Charles, Jones, Bowe, and Breaston. But if Gates can stay healthy, Jackson has a big year, and/or Mathews breaks out, I think the Chargers can take back the division. Don't think the Broncos will be as bad as everyone's expecting either.
Maybe if the Jets, Patriots, Steelers, Colts, Chargers, Texans, and Ravens are all in the same building and proceed to get nuked. Then it's plausible.
Don't think anybody had the Jets with a rookie QB and coach in the AFC title game 2 years ago. Stranger things have happened.