This is the third of an eight part installment covering my opinion of each NFL division’s all-time team. When I go through the divisions, I tend to spell “NEWS” in order to keep my thoughts straight. That means today’s post concerns the AFC West (and by that I mean all teams currently in the AFC West, regardless of where those teams were at other points in history). I am writing this series while recovering from back surgery and taking several narcotics. I don’t know how this impacts most people, but I’ve never even had a beer, so my world is effectively a chimerical fever dream right now. It’s precisely because of this I thought it would be fun to try to write a guest series while Chase takes a break.

A quick reminder of the series rules before jumping into the content:

1. I write everything before my painkiller prescription runs out,
2. I write it completely off the top of my head and don’t do any research,
3. I don’t have to proofread this when I finish it, and
4. Chase doesn’t edit my nonsense out of the article (so parts may read like a Raider Joe rant). ^[1]Roster construction is as follows: 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 2 TE, 2 T, 2 G, 1 C, 2 DE, 2 DT, 2 OLB, 2 MLB/ILB, 3 CB, 2 S, 1 K, 1 P, 1 HC.

AFC North
AFC East

Without further ado, here’s the AFC West:

Offense

Quarterback – John Elway

Len Dawson was the AFL’s most efficient (but not best) passer, but he played for an insanely talented team and a creative head coach. Dan Fouts set and re-broke his own volume records, and his 1982 pace over a full season would probably make people raise their jaws from the floor just a tad when discussing Marino’s 1984 magnum opus. However, Fouts also played with a bevy of great receivers under the tutelage of an offensive mastermind. Elway, on the other hand, had to wait a long time before playing on a great offense. He also had to undermine his coach just to run plays that actually worked for his team.

Running Backs – LaDainian Tomlinson and Marcus Allen

Tomlinson is a no-brainer, an inner circle HOFer who was a size-speed freak. He could run around or over defenders, and he was a decent enough receiver. I have written extensively on Allen, a natural runner who could run actual receiver routes and block like a fullback.

Wide Receivers – Lance Alworth, Tim Brown, and Charlie Joiner

Alworth is a Rushmore level wideout whose dominant peak is nigh peerless. Brown started as a reliable third down virtuoso before perfecting his route tree and finding ways to get open against any coverage. He was always a threat after the catch. Joiner was a bit of a compiler, but he was all you could hope for in a possession receiver: a superb route runner with soft hands and an innate sense for the first down markers. He retired as the NFL’s receiving yardage king.

Tight Ends – Tony Gonzalez and Kellen Winslow

This part drove me crazy. Sure, Gonzo and Winslow are two of the very best ever to play, but leaving off Shannon Sharpe, Antonio Gates, and Dave Casper (and even Todd Christensen and Fred Arbanas) feels like a crime. Getting back on track, Gonzo holds all the important career records for the position, while Winslow is often credited for reinventing the position (though if as many people reinvented their positions as legends hold, the game would look like Quidditch by now). Whether he revolutionized anything is up for debate, but it is undeniable that he dominated the position as a pure receiver in a way few have before or since.

Tackles – Ron Mix and Art Shell

Mix is the top tackle from the AFL. A disciplined and effective pass blocker with superb strength and uncommon intelligence. Shell wasn’t the lockdown pass protector you’d expect from a legendary left tackle, but that wasn’t really as important for his team. He may be the best run driving tackle in history, with Boomer Brown as his only serious competition.

Guards – Gene Upshaw and Will Shields

With Shell and Otto, Upshaw was part of the most dominant left side in history. His ability to pull and clear a path for ballcarriers was second to none. Shields was a mainstay for one of the most consistently excellent lines in recent history, and he seemed to have a rare ability to avoid putting his offenses behind schedule with dumb penalties.

Center – Jim Otto

Otto entered the league on the small side but accumulated plenty of bulk by the time he hit his prime. He never lost the chip on his shoulder or the nasty streak that helped him succeed as an undersized player.

Defense

Defensive End – Howie Long and Tombstone Jackson

Long played all across the line and excelled at every assignment. He harassed passers without sacrificing run responsibilities, and he never gave up on plays. Tombstone played with unbridled power, often emasculating hapless tackles trying to protect their quarterbacks. Honorable mention to Earl Faison, who was neck and neck with Jackson.

Defensive Tackle – Buck Buchanan and Curley Culp

Paired together for Stram’s Chiefs, this duo painted a hellscape for opposing linemen. Buchanan was a massive figure who disrupted passing lanes an enveloped backs, while Culp was probably the greatest nose tackle ever to play.

Outside Linebacker – Bobby Bell and Junior Seau

With all due respect (and there is much due) to QB killers Von Miller and Derrick Thomas, Bell and Seau are the clear choices here. Bell is one of the true athletic freaks the game has seen and, for my money, is the best non-pass-rushing outside linebacker in history. Seau also has a claim to that title ^[2]As do Jack Ham and Derrick Brooks, of course., and he was particularly adept at creating negative plays for offenses. Honorable mention goes to Ted Hendricks, who I’ll discuss more in the next article.

Middle/Inside Linebacker – Randy Gradishar and Willie Lanier

Linebacker is clearly a strength for the AFC West. Gradishar is one of the top coverage backers in history, a top five MLB, and the most glaring remaining snub for the Pro Football Hal of Fame. It’s possible that his probably-exaggerated tackle numbers have left a bad taste in the mouths of some voters, but film study shows a guy who should’ve donned a gold jacket years ago. Lanier, for his part, looked roughly as good on tape as much more celebrated contemporary Dick Butkus.

Cornerback – Charles Woodson, Willie Brown, and Mike Haynes

In a position that requires highly calibrated instincts, Woodson’s were in a league of their own. His versatility was a valuable asset, as he could track receivers, excel in zone, cover or blitz from the slot, tackle like a linebacker, and even play safety. Brown mastered bump and run coverage, while Haynes was the first cornerback to play with such smoothness and grace that his coverage didn’t suffer from the Mel Blount Rule. Special mention to Denver greats Champ Bailey and Louis Wright, both of whom displayed uncanny man coverage skills.

Safety – Johnny Robinson and Deron Cherry

Sorry to hard-hitting Steve Atwater and versatile Eric Berry, but this one’s going to the rangey safeties. Robinson is on the shortlist of great cover safeties, with names like Reed, Christiansen, Cromwell, and Thomas. Cherry was also excellent in coverage and had a knack for anticipating routes and sensing how plays would develop.

Special Teams and Head Coach

Kicker – Nick Lowery

Chase has waxed poetic about Lowery’s greatness before. I see no need to add fuel to this fire.

Punter – Ray Guy

Guy is the standard by which all punters are measured. His hangtime was otherworldly, and he did an excellent job limiting returns (an often overlooked part of a punter’s job). Tip of the cap to Mike Scifres who never made a Pro Bowl but, unlike a contemporary AFC West punter, had remarkable control and mitigated both returns and touchbacks.

Head Coach – Hank Stram

John Madden inherited a great team and boasted an absurd winning percentage, and Sid Gillman created organization standards that influenced future generations of coaching and management. Stram built a juggernaut, won titles, helped legitimize the AFL, and crafted both offensive and defensive innovations that influenced decades of play design.

Parting Shot

That’s it for part three. The next post marks the end of the AFC portion of the journey. Prepare yourselves for an underwhelming defense.