Notes from the Sports Desk by Tyler Julson

 

I’m back. It has been awhile since my last column and there have been a lot of sports happenings since.

The high school spring and summer seasons have come and gone. The Twins are miraculously (knock on wood) hanging on to the AL Central lead with less than 60 games remaining. And, of course, the NFL is right around the corner with the first preseason game being played Thursday night.

On the topic of the NFL, I thought, what better way is there to bring myself back into the column game than by starting my annual division-by-division predictions for the upcoming NFL season?

I’ll start in the division that contains the 2020 Super Bowl champions. Sorry, Viking fans, it’s not the NFC North. No, I’m all in on my guys this year, the Kansas City Chiefs.

With that being said, I think we can all agree the Chiefs’ potential success almost all falls on the shoulders of one player, Pat Mahomes. If Mahomes can pull off the same magical season as last year, the Chiefs should be favored in every single game they play this season. There are so many offensive weapons on the field at the same time. Travis Kelce is the best tight end in the game and Tyreek Hill is a top-five wide receiver. Add them on top of guys like Sammy Watkins, Demarcus Robinson, Damien Williams and Carlos Hyde — is there any defense in the league that can have all of that covered?

The offensive line is continually improving and the defense, after being a liability last season, has drastically improved with the addition of Tyrann Mathieu. The Chiefs are going to be a dangerous team this season.

The Chargers are going to be good again. Melvin Gordon’s recent request to be traded is going to throw a bit of a wrench in things, but this defense is going to be the real deal. Also, I know I’ve said it a million times, but I love Phillip Rivers. I hate that he’s in the AFC West and plays the Chiefs twice a year. Even though I don’t want them to win the division, I’ll still be rooting for them to clinch a wild card spot.

The Raiders were one of my shocks last season. I thought the addition of Jon Gruden would establish them as contenders in the league. Will Antonio Brown give them a boost on offense? A little, but I don’t see it being enough. Derek Carr needs to establish himself as a reliable quarterback. We’ve seen flashes of it in seasons past, but it needs to be more consistent.

I recognize two names on the defensive roster. Granted, I can’t stay as focused on just one sport like I used to be able to do in my youth, but you’ve got to have at least a few big names to be taken seriously.

The Broncos — my arch nemesis. My heart says they finish 0-16. My head isn’t too far off from there.

Von Miller leads the defense and that speaks for itself. That man has the capability to add to their win total himself. However, that offense leaves little to be desired. They picked up Joe Flacco in the offseason, which isn’t a terrible move. But, the next best weapon they have is Emmanuel Sanders. That’s not enough. Another reason to despise the Broncos: Josey Jewell and Noah Fant — two former Hawkeyes. Yuck.

 

Final AFC West predictions

1. Kansas City Chiefs 12-4

2. Los Angeles Chargers 10-6 (wild card)

3. Oakland Raiders 7-9

4. Denver Broncos 5-11

 

Tyler Julson is the Tribune’s sports reporter and can be reached at tyler.julson@albertleatribune.com.