Hacking the grid #8

FHM’s resident NFL enthusiast unravels the mysteries of gridiron/American football so he isn’t the only Saffer waking up at 1am to watch the Superbowl in February.

We wrap up our look at the AFC with an in depth look at the conference’s West division. Although they’re not quite as glamorous as their East, North and South Conference mates, this is still a hotly contested division that always produces a playoff team.

Denver Broncos

Hometown Denver, Colorado  

Stadium Invesco Field at Mile High  

Head Coach Josh McDaniels

The Broncos are going into the 2009 season with many uncertainties – which have mostly been brought on by new coach Josh McDaniels. When McDaniels came into the team to replace the legendary Mike Shannahan, he had a problem with franchise QB Jay Cutler and then subsequently ran him out of town and farmed him off to the Chicago Bears. This has not only upset the balance of the squad, but also their star WR Brandon Marshall who is also plagued by off-field drama. Success for the Broncos depends heavily on how new QB Kyle Orton adjusts to the system and then how McDaniels can get the team to gel.

If you’re a South Park fan, you probably would’ve noticed that Stan is a big Broncos fan. Like Stan Marsh, Bronos fans are passionate about Colorado heritage and even more passionate about the Broncos. This once mighty giant in the NFL has been ravaged by inner turmoil much like Italy’s Juventus.

Kansas City Chiefs

Hometown Kansas City, Missouri  

Stadium Arrowhead Stadium  

Head Coach Todd Haley

The Chiefs really don’t have much to be optimistic about except that they’ve invested a lot of money in acquiring the services of former Patriots QB Matt Cassel. What Cassel did well last season was step in for the injured Tom Brady and kept them in the hunt for a post-season finish. The difference between Cassel at the Patriots and Cassel at the Chiefs is simply a proven championship winning offense. It would be great to see the young QB succeed in Kansas, but addressing their need at QB was only half the Chiefs battle won.

The Chiefs have rarely exceeded expectations in the NFL and their legion of fans know it. They’ll always back themselves though, kinda like Springs and their beloved Valke.

Oakland Raiders

Hometown Oakland, California  

Stadium Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum  

Head Coach Tom Cable

The mighty Raiders are far removed from the juggernaut they once were when OJ Simpson wore the iconic black jersey. Ageing RBs and an unproven QB in JaMarcus Russell plus under performing WRs mean that things look bleak for the men in black. But there’s enough heart in the team to be able to compete especially now that they’ve added veteran QB Kerry Collins to help motivate Russell if he gets complacent.

Dark times for LA’s team. The Raiders are still passionately supported because of their location but it’s kinda like being the Mighty Elephants in the Eastern Cape when the Warriors are doing so well in cricket.

San Diego Chargers

Hometown San Diego, California

Stadium Qualcomm Stadium

Head Coach Norv Turner

Another team that’s built on the back of a strong defense that is led by the phenomenal Shawne Merriman. Injuries to their key players like Merriman and RB LaDanian Tomlinson saw the Chargers stutter a bit last season, but with these players fit and ready for 2009 and then QB Philip Rivers signing a lucrative extension on his contract, it seems that the Chargers are on the way back. T

he Chargers are a very dynamic team that is bubbling under in the race for the Superbowl. A true AFC powerhouse with passionate fans who love nothing more than seeing an opposing QB flat on his back. New Zealand’s Hurricanes Super 14 franchise is very near to the culture in San Diego.

That's all for now sportsfans, next week we'll start on the NFC.