Keys to Success: AFC West
Posted: Saturday July 25, 1998 01:59 PM
The War Room offers up five keys
to success in the 1998 season for all 30 teams. Here's a look at the AFC
West: Denver Broncos  - 1. Players must keep hunger alive in
1998, after winning it all ... no post-Super Bowl letdown!
- 2. Need a
better pass rush from defensive front four ... Broncos were semi-soft in
the middle last year.
- 3. Denver must feed off John Elway's final
season and play inspired football.
- 4. Broncos must subtly get "bigger"
on defense, while utilizing successful late-season 97 blitz package.
- 5.
Very productive, but aging, OL must hold together and stay healthy for
another Super Bowl run.
Kansas City Chiefs  - 1. Chiefs must figure out way to
establish ball-control offense and shorten games for defense to dominate.
- 2. Great defensive coaching job must continue with even more talent in
'98 ... the "D" carries this team.
- 3. Marty Schottenheimer may have his
most talented team ever ... the Chiefs must "peak" in playoffs.
- 4. OL
must hold together for another year ... OTs must have career years ...
inside trio may be the NFL's best.
- 5. Talented new veterans DT
McGlockton, WR Alexander, DE O'Neal must fit in and play hard all year.
Oakland Raiders  - 1. Big group of underachievers must
buy into Coach Gruden's philosophy and play hard in 1998.
- 2. A lot of
weapons are ready on offense ... OL is unstable and it must jell in a hurry
to be effective.
- 3. Aging secondary must be retooled & not forced to
make big plays ... Heisman winner Woodson will impact at cornerback.
- 4.
No depth at LB ... must develop starters as effective pass rushers & space
players and remain healthy.
- 5. Gruden must be patient, as Raiders deal
with salary cap problems & weeding out personnel problems ... it may be a
long process.
San Diego Chargers  - 1. Chargers must find some offensive
weapons to help rookie QB Leaf move the ball and score points.
- 2.
Revamped OL must jell quickly under "guru" Bugel and key run game while
protecting rookie QB.
- 3. Head coach Gilbride must relate to players
personally and they must buy into his system.
- 4. Defense in 1997 was
horrible in terms of no pass rush and points given up ... must improve
dramatically.
- 5. Chargers must establish some type of ball-control
offense to keep defense off the field.
Seattle Seahawks  - 1. Pressure is on Coach Erickson and
staff ... Seahawks need a quick start and explosive offense.
- 2.
Seahawks must improve on horrible special-teams performance in 1997 ... and
not lose games.
- 3. They must stay healthy on defense and keep scheme
simple to let players make plays.
- 4. With a lot of changes in coaching
staff and front office consistency needs to be emphasized to team.
- 5.
RB Ricky
Watters must not become a locker-room distraction... he is key to
offensive versatility.
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