WEST DIVISION
San Diego
2010: 9-7, 2nd in West
Last year in playoffs: 2009
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AFC preview capsules
A look at each team in the conference; listed in predicted order of finish in each division.
Running back Arian Foster and the Texans appear to be capable of replacing… (David J. Phillip / Associated…)
Rewind: Gaudy statistics alone won't get it done. The Chargers were reminded of that last season when they missed the playoffs despite finishing No. 1 in the league in total offense and defense.
Play: The Chargers have one of the league's best quarterbacks in Philip Rivers, and they did him a big favor by re-signing two of his favorite targets: Vincent Jackson and Malcom Floyd. The Chargers parted ways with long snapper David Binn, their longest-tenured player.
Fast-forward: In each of their four seasons under Norv Turner, the Chargers have gotten off to painfully slow starts — 1-3 in 2007, 3-5 in 2008, 2-3 in 2009 and 2-5 in 2010. Once again, they say getting off to a strong start is vital, but are they capable of doing it? The schedule sets up well for them, as three of their first four games are at home (but their away game is very tough: at New England in Week 2).
Kansas City
2010: 10-6, 1st in West
Last year in playoffs: 2010
Rewind: The Chiefs were mostly dominant at home last season, winning their first seven games at Arrowhead Stadium. Their last two appearances there were forgettable, though: stompings by the Oakland Raiders (31-10 in the regular-season finale) and Baltimore Ravens (30-7 in the first round of the playoffs.)
Play: Kansas City has added some targets for quarterback Matt Cassel, using its first pick on Pittsburgh receiver Jonathan Baldwin and signing former Arizona Cardinals standout Steve Breaston. But the Chiefs, who led the league in rushing last season, still intend to be a ground-and-pound offense. Cassel took a beating in the preseason.
Fast-forward: This schedule will be anything but a breeze for the Chiefs, who face six of last season's playoff teams and four of them on the road. What's more, they play each of the 2010 conference title game participants in a row; in order, Steelers, Bears, Jets and Packers.
Oakland
2010: 8-8, 3rd in West
Last year in playoffs: 2002
Rewind: The Raiders made history last season, becoming the first team in the modern era to finish 6-0 in division games but still miss the playoffs. Their promising performance wasn't enough to save the job of Tom Cable, who was replaced by Hue Jackson.
Play: Oakland wants to start working the passing game back into its offense. The team finished second in rushing last season, rolling up an average of 155.9 yards on the ground. But the onetime "vertical stretch" franchise was 23rd in passing (198.8), one of 10 teams that failed to crack 200 yards passing per game. The question: Is Jason Campbell the quarterback to get them where they want to be?
Fast-forward: Once dominant on "Monday Night Football," the Raiders have lost three of those Monday season openers in the last five years. They get another chance this year at Denver.
Denver
2010: 4-12, 4th in West
Last year in playoffs: 2005
Rewind: No wonder the Broncos brought in a defensive specialist as a head coach in John Fox. They gave up more yards than anyone last season, had an NFL-low 23 sacks, and were tied with Indianapolis for the fewest interceptions in the AFC (10).
Play: Rebuilding the defense is a priority, but Denver has a lot of questions to answer at quarterback too. Is Kyle Orton the long-term solution? Is the Tim Tebow experiment going anywhere, or did the franchise waste a first-round pick on him? The lockout certainly didn't help in Tebow's development.
Fast-forward: For the first time in seven seasons, the Broncos will open the season at home. There aren't a lot of breathers on their schedule, which includes a game against Green Bay at Lambeau Field and one against the New York Jets on three days' rest. One to circle: Jay Cutler's return to Invesco Field, when the Chicago Bears play there Dec. 11.
NORTH DIVISION
Pittsburgh
2010: 12-4, 1st in North
Last year in playoffs: 2010
Rewind: The Steelers moved to the brink of a seventh Super Bowl title but couldn't quite close the deal. With 13 players eligible for free agency at the end of last season, they had a lot of work to do to keep some key players once labor was settled. They hung on to two key ones: linebacker LaMarr Woodley and cornerback Ike Taylor.
Play: A key position to watch is left tackle, where journeyman Jonathan Scott is protecting Ben Roethlisberger's blind side. The Steelers would be deep at receiver, but Hines Ward is easing back from thumb surgery and Emmanuel Sanders is coming off foot surgery.
Fast-forward: The Steelers open at Baltimore in perhaps the league's most physical matchup. That will be a test for both teams, as the short summer had clubs scrambling to get up to speed, and the new labor agreement allowed for less hitting in camp.
Baltimore
2010: 12-4, 2nd in North
Last year in playoffs: 2010
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