The AFC West might just be the best division in football in 2022. The Las Vegas Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs made the playoffs last season while the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos are loaded with talent. The Raiders have been the punching bag of the division since 2002 but things are changing. The silver and black could be building a powerhouse in Las Vegas if Josh McDaniels proves to be the right head coach.
There are some reservations about McDaniels considering his previous failed tenure in Denver. However, he’s learned a lot over the years and is already familiar with the division. The Chiefs are the kings of the division right now as they’ve won the division in each of the last six years. The hope is that McDaniels can help take the title away from Andy Reid.
While the Chiefs and Raiders are bound to have some fierce battles over the next several years, Reid is excited about competing with McDaniels.
“He’s a heck of a football coach,” Reid said of McDaniels at the NFL Combine, via the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “Great offensive mind, very organized. I look forward to the challenge of playing against his team.”
Though the AFC West was already tough last season, Reid thinks it could be even tougher going forward.
“I think it’s great competition,” Reid said. “I thought those teams were getting better as the year went on. But again, they made changes and I’m glad that it looks like they brought in good coaches. I think it will be tremendous. That’s why we’re in this thing. We love the competition. I look forward to it.”
So far, no coach has been able to consistently match wits with Reid in the AFC West over the last six seasons. McDaniels could be the strongest offensive mind to join the division in years.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid calls new Raiders coach Josh McDaniels “a great offensive mind.” #NFLCombine
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Chargers GM Praises Dave Ziegler & McDaniels
While everybody in the AFC West is chasing the Chiefs right now, the Raiders and Chargers rivalry could get really heated in 2022. Las Vegas could’ve sent Los Angeles to the playoffs last season had they just accepted a tie. Instead, the Raiders kicked a game-winning field goal in overtime to send the Chargers home packing.
Despite the rivalry, Chargers general manager Tom Telesco had praise for McDaniels and new Raiders general manager Dave Ziegler. The three men share a connection as they all attended John Carroll University.
“Dave Ziegler is a really good guy. He’s going to be an excellent GM,” Telesco said. “And we’ve seen what Josh can do. So it’s great for the John Carroll Alumni Association.”
Can Raiders Dethrone the Chiefs?
At some point, the Chiefs’ supremacy over the AFC West will have to come to an end. However, it’s going to be difficult to dethrone them anytime soon. Patrick Mahomes isn’t going anywhere and either is Reid. The team did show cracks in their armor during the 2021 season but were able to figure things out.
There’s no doubt they will be favorites to win the division this upcoming season. That said, McDaniels is likely cooking up plans to stop Kansas City. It’s no accident the Raiders hired Patrick Graham as defensive coordinator. Last season, when he was the defensive coordinator for the New York Giants, the defense held them to just 20 points. Things could finally start to get interesting in the AFC West.
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Andy Reid Has Strong Words for Raiders HC Josh McDaniels