So with our final part of this year’s First Look series, we turn our gaze towards the AFC West. As well as the Chargers, who were part of the great entertainment at Wembley Stadium in 2008, NFL UK fans will also keep an eye on this division for the Broncos who will be visiting these shores at the end of October this year.

This was the division that I most accurately predicted last season, correcting stating that the Chargers would win and that the Broncos in second would not make the play-offs. I’d take some credit but really, who saw it any differently?

Let’s see if it’s as straight-forward this year…

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JaMarcus carefully lines up an interception

Really, you at the back? You thought they’d keep him on the books and pay that $6.45 bonus he’s due to warm the bench? Admittedly, he can warm a lot of bench, but still…

Less than two weeks after trading for Washington’s Jason Campbell, the Raiders have released Russell. The #1 selection from the 2007 draft leaves them after taking $39 million for a total of 7 wins.

It’s hard to imagine any team taking any sort of a chance on him now, though I guess stranger things have happened, which means we’ve seen the last of him in the NFL. I, for one, won’t miss him though I guess I do feel for the guy. A bit.

Anyway, wherever he his (my guess is comfort eating in an IHOP) he’s free of the Raiders and they’re free of him.

Image Credit: sgrace

Back in early January I took at look at what new coach Mike Shanahan would need to address during the off-season. Now that the draft has been and gone, let’s take a look and see where we are.

Each in turn…
The Offensive Line
Chris Samuels retirement left a gaping hole on the left side of the line. And let’s be kind, this was a porous line at the best of times. Once the position at draft-time was sorted (see Quarterback, below) then there was very little doubt that the line would be bolstered with the #4 pick and sure enough, it was. Trent Williams comes in to protect McNabb’s blindside. The 7th round also saw us pick up Erik Cook (C, but versatile) and Selvish Capers (G) to give depth in the future. McNabb isn’t the scamperer that he was in years past, so he and our running backs (again, see below) are going to need a solid line.
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It’s been a tough time for former Washington Redskins’ quarterback Jason Campbell. His days were numbered from the moment Donovan McNabb came over to the burgandy side (and I’ll be talking about that another time). He signed his tender, but no-one really expected him to stick around. In fact, the only real surprises have been how long it took and the price that the Redskins got for him.
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So a disappointing season has limped to and end. Back in my First Look articles, from last August, I saw us finishing last but was hoping we’d make a fight of it. It wasn’t really to be.

The likable, but perhaps out of his depth Jim Zorn has gone, in a move that is in no way surprising – he’d probably been emptying his office steadily over the last few months – and Mike Shanahan is in. Not just as Coach, but in an Final Say role that he likes and that the team needs. But there’s a lot to fix, let’s take a look at some of the problems he’s inherited.

The Offensive Line
Make no mistake, this was a terrible unit this year. Whether it was injuries or just bad play it all starts with these guys and a lot of the other issues are direct results of these guys. When passing, there is never any confidence that when Campbell drops back he is going to have any time or space, that the pocket will hold as long as it needs to.

When Running, there’s little confidence that they’ll clear the way or win the battles that they need to The ‘Skins were 27th in rushing yards, with a paltry 94.4 yards per game. That’s something to be addressed. Which leads me onto… … More

Well, it’s all getting a bit silly isn’t it?

In all honesty though, I never saw us doing more than propping up the division so I’m not hugely surprised at our results. Just how bad we are though… that is surprising.

Another scoreless first half, more of the same again and again. I just… really, I don’t know what to say. This season is shot to pieces and if anything we’re being flattered with our 2-4 record. We have no easy games coming up any time soon and could easily be looking at 2-8 when we travel to Oakland in week 14.
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Well, talk about a game of two halves!

First half… well this was just awful. All the same issues cropping up again and again: 4th down calls, Jason Campbell throwing interceptions twice whislt trying to get the ball to Kelly (one bad throw, one bad decision into double coverage), Campbell fumbling to allow the Bucs to score their first 1st quarter points of the season, Clinton Portis getting stuffed at the line, Ladell Betts getting stuffed behind it, penalties on Casey Rabach… it goes on and on.
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Strangely enough, I don’t feel as bad about the 19-14 loss to the Detroit Lions as I did about the 9-7 win against the Rams last week. This wasn’t, after all, the 0-16 Lions. It was the 0-2 Lions, who are barely recognisable in any way from the record setting 2008 variety. Likewise, we’re not the 6-2 Washington Redskins who opened up 2008 so strongly.

So it’s all the same complaints on the offense as last week: bad calls, no running game, Jason Campbell still looking like a deer in the headlights. However, we can compound the offensive problems with some defensive ones too: 99 yard drive for a touchdown? Check. Below average 3rd down performance? Check. This was shocking.

Needless to say, I struggled to find three things I liked this week.

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Oh dear, that was an awful game to watch. Firstly it was a lot closer than it really should have been because… secondly, we showed a complete inability to score and thirdly Dante Hall still doesn’t look very good.

To be fair to Hall, he did OK for most of the game but got beaten for the Rams’ only score. The defence as a whole looked really good though; I love to see Chris Horton making plays and it was great to see Haynesworth getting involved too.
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This was always going to be a difficult week and to be honest I never saw us beating the Giants. Certainly not in New York and doubly so in week 1. However, I was pleasantly surprised with some of the play. The offense always seems to take a game to get into their stride, so I expect better next week. Not just because it’s the Rams visiting either.

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