Every AFC Team’s Goal (Part 2)

Hi. I’m a guy.

In this post, I’m going to be highlighting each team’s primary goal for the season.

This is part 2 for the AFC.

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AFC West

The Broncos’ goal this season is…

To get Russ back to cookin’.

I don’t know exactly why he fell off last year, but it looked like the Broncos should have traded for Geno Smith instead. Career lows in completion percentage, touchdowns, way too many picks, and altogether, his worst season ever by far.

A hefty amount of blame goes to Nathaniel Hackett, who had easily one of the worst NFL head coaching tenures in recent memory. They replaced him with the flashy hire of Sean Payton, who will hopefully be able to reclaim some of Russ’ former glory.

I have faith in guys like Greg Dulcich, Jerry Jeudy, and Javontae Williams. If the defense remains dominant, Payton brings at minimum decent coaching, and a few guys like K. J. Hamler or Tim Patrick step up, the Broncos could have one of the best bounce-back seasons ever.

But the weight falls immediately on Russell’s shoulders.

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The Chiefs’ goal this season is…

For the tackles to do their jobs well.

To the surprise of nobody, the Chiefs were still dominant this year. However, not everyone expected another Lombardi this soon, especially after Tyreek Hill was traded to Miami. Mahomes made it look like they didn’t even miss him.

In an effort to come right back next year, the Chiefs signed Jawaan Taylor after the departure of Orlando Brown Jr. and Donovan Smith in place of Andrew Wylie. To me, both are somewhat of side-grades. I think I like Taylor a bit more than Brown and Wylie a bit more than Smith.

Regardless of my opinions on their ability, injury history, or adaptability, their play is paramount to returning to the big stage. Last time Kansas City made a back-to-back Super Bowl, injury and poor offensive line play were the main reasons they lost.

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The Chargers’ goal this season is…

To maintain consistency in games.

The Jaguars game was not the only instance this season of a major choke job by the Chargers, but it was by far the worst. Jacksonville had won one of the worst divisions in the NFL that season and had no business beating a roster as talented as the Chargers.

Injuries absolutely played their fair share. Returning players like Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack will be huge. A talented draft class should help as well, as well as an offensive coordinator that hopefully won’t play his key players in Week 18 and get them injured before the playoffs for no reason.

As overrated as people claim the Chargers are, their roster is nearly unmatched. Few teams can boast both offensive talent like Herbert, Ekeler, Mike Williams and Keenan Allen with defenders like Khalil Mack, Joey Bosa, Asante Samuel Jr. and Derwin James. Now, if they can be consistent and approximately 80% healthy, they could become Super Bowl contenders.

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The Raiders' goal this season is...

For the rookies to break out.

Let’s face it: the optimism is starting to dry up for the Raiders, who placed themselves in quarterback purgatory only to land on a stop-gap option in Jimmy G. He has playoff experience, but the Raiders’ cast is a step down from the 49ers, who often contend to have the best weapons in the NFL.

We saw the Seattle Seahawks, a team many thought would contend for the #1 overall pick, make the playoffs last year, so it’s not like it’s impossible. But as it stands right now, it definitely looks like things will get worse before they get better.

That being said, the draft brought a lot of hope, primarily in two names: Tyree Wilson and Michael Mayer. Whether the Raiders are tanking, contenders, or somewhere in the middle, it is in their vested interests to develop these players into cornerstone pieces for years to come. They should both start soon, if not immediately, which will give the coaches a lot to work with.

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AFC South

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The Colts’ goal this season is…

To find a stable offensive identity.

In drafting Anthony Richardson, the Colts have essentially made their entire offense boom-or-bust. They have some pieces like Quinten Nelson, Jonathan Taylor, and Michael Pittman Jr., but the offensive line, receivers, and running game outside of those players have been wildly inconsistent.

The good news is that as long as Richardson shows good signs of progress, the Colts could have the #1 pick this season and still have a clear direction for their franchise. Look at what the Bears got for it last season.

What they can’t have is an offense that is so out of sorts that it puts up 3 points in one half and blows a 33-point lead.

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The Jaguars’ goal this season is…

To exploit their advantage at quarterback.

The Jaguars won their division because they played against Josh Dobbs in a win-and-in scenario. But they proved against the Chargers and in their fight against the Chiefs that they’ve got more to them then what meets the eye. Now the favorites to win their division, it is Trevor Lawrence’s time to prove why he was #1 pick and out-duel the other quarterbacks in his division.

The Titans and Colts' choices at quarterback are between limited veterans and rookies in desperate need of development. The Texans have C. J. Stroud, who has serious potential even as a rookie, but is on a roster that has much more to prove than the Jaguars, who have just received a certificate of semi-legitimacy in the form of a playoff win.

Even if the Jaguars limp to an 8-9 record, if they can beat most of their division rivals and win the division, that's all it takes to make a Super Bowl run possible. We all saw what happened when the Giants beat the Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI.

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The Texans' goal this season is...

To develop C. J. Stroud and Will Anderson.

Imagine it's 2017: after taking Myles Garrett, the Browns trade up to take Patrick Mahomes, trading away their next first-round pick.

Now answer me this: do you think the Browns would take another awful season if it meant they could have both Patrick Mahomes AND Myles Garrett?

The Texans did just that, but in the 2023 draft: they gave up their next first-round pick to select both the second-best quarterback and the best edge-rusher according to mock boards. Even if they suck this year, the potential upside is enough to turn this franchise into the next Super Bowl contender.

I have faith in DeMeco Ryans as head coach, but even so, the Texans still have holes on the roster (primarily in receiver and defensive line depth). The best hope for Stroud and Anderson is that the coaches acclimate them well and that their talent shines in spite of the teams’ shortcomings.

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The Titans’ goal this season is…

To take weight off of Derrick Henry.

The Titans have proven that they do not have the ability to shift their offensive gameplan easily, which shows when teams adapt to them. The offense broke down two years ago against the Bengals when they relied on Tannehill and it broke down this year when they relied on Derrick Henry. They need to change.

Does that mean giving carries to rookie Tyjae Spears and Hassan Haskins to create a diverse rush attack? Does that mean coaching Malik Willis and Will Levis to find a more dynamic option at quarterback? Does that mean Treylon Burks breaking out to provide a solid receiving option other than Chigoziem Okonkwo?

If the Titans want to compete, they will need to find creative ways to utilize their newer weapons. If they can’t, then they will either be confined to tanking for new foundational players or putting up with the same mediocrity they have been for years.

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Next post will be something else, then onto the NFC.