AFC West Quarterback Rankings

Chargers fans get to see this matchup twice a year now.

No position can be as big of a game changer as quarterback. How well a quarterback plays often determines who wins and loses. Here is the breakdown on the starting quarterback situations for each AFC West team.

1) San Diego Chargers

There is no doubt that Rivers is the cream of the crop in the AFC West. I know that Peyton Manning has been added, but until we know for sure how he throws in a game situation, Rivers is still the best. Last season was a rough one for Rivers, but it happens. He may have the best supporting cast in the AFC West around him too. The offensive line will return all of the pieces that protected him so well at the end of last season. Better yet, they added quality depth to the line. Look for Rivers to have 2 great duals against new Bronco Peyton Manning and return to form.

2) Denver Broncos

Peyton Manning is the guy that Elway wanted. Tebow got thrown under the bus and now Peyton is in charge. If he fully recovers from the neck surgeries, look out. He may not have the best supporting cast around him, but he will have control of the offense like he had in Indy. With young developing players like Eric Decker and Demaryious Thomas to work with, Manning isn't in a talent vacuum.

3) Oakland Raiders

Carson Palmer is a real unknown. What does he even have left? He was all over the place last year, so a full off-season with the team can certainly help. His supporting cast is not very strong at all, especially at tight end, but he is a veteran with good experience. It will be interesting to see how this pans out with a full season. It is critical that Mcfadden stays healthy all year.

4) Kansas City Chiefs

How many more chances is Cassel going to get? He has been hit and miss the last few years, and is most likely on a short leash. He does have great talent around him with Baldwin, Bowe, and company. Cassel has to show that he can be the franchise quarterback he was thought to be. Expect the pressure to be on him from the get go.

ESPN Power Rankings: Where is San Diego?

ESPN has put up the first power-rankings of the new year. San Diego came in at 15th overall. Here is a link to the ESPN article.

 http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/56065/espn-coms-nfl-pre-draft-power-rankings

How does the AFC West stack up in ESPN's power rankings?

Some of the rankings have me a bit confused, like with Carolina and Kansas City being ranked higher than Cincinnati,  but I think that San Diego is checking in about where they should be. This isn't to say that they are worse than the Broncos (8th), Eagles (12th), or Dallas (14th), or that we are any better. Rather, with all of the losses San Diego has suffered and the uncertainty that comes with signing free agents, these rankings are rough. As the draft approaches and teams continue to address issues, expect these ranking to fluctuate. San Diego still controls the division, but Denver is going to be a handful if Manning stays healthy.

Here is how the AFC West stacks up.

8) Denver Broncos
15) San Diego Chargers
17) Kansas City Chiefs
26) Oakland Raiders