Afc Team Previews

AFC WEST

San Diego

Last year: Won first six games, then finished 11-5 to win division. … Beat Miami, 22-21, then upset Pittsburgh, 17-13, on road to go to first Super Bowl, where it lost to 49ers.

Strengths: Grittiness of quarterback Stan Humphries. … Offensive line. … Running back Natrone Means. … Pro Bowl defenders Junior Seau at linebacker and Leslie O’Neal at defensive end.

Weaknesses: Lack of depth. … Wide receiver. … Secondary, where loss of safety Stanley Richard and injury to cornerback Darrien Gordon has left them thin. … Linebackers, other than Seau, after death in auto accident of David Griggs.

Outlook: It’s hard to see the Chargers going back to the Super Bowl. … But they’re well run and well coached and should contend for the playoffs.

Kansas City

Last year: Made it to playoffs at 9-7, losing to Miami, 27-17, in wild-card game that turned out to be Joe Montana’s last.

Strengths: Impact defensive players in Derrick Thomas at linebacker and Neil Smith at end. … Leadership of Marcus Allen. … Solid young offensive line. … Linebackers overall.

Weaknesses: Quarterback, where Steve Bono replaces Montana. … Wide receiver, running back, where Greg Hill takes over for Allen, 35. … Secondary.

Outlook: A team on the decline - Montana would have stayed had he thought it might be going somewhere. … Either GM Peterson or coach Marty Schottenheimer is likely to go at the end of the season and full-fledged rebuilding likely to begin.

Oakland

Last year: Favored to represent AFC in Super Bowl, finished 9-7, missed playoffs. … So coach Art Shell was fired, replaced by Mike White. … Team left L.A. to move back to Oakland.

Strengths: Long-range passing game with Jeff Hostetler throwing to Tim Brown and the less consistent James Jett and Rocket Ismail. … Overall defense, particularly line featuring Anthony Smith and Chester McGlockton.

Weaknesses: Offensive line, if center Don Mosebar’s ailing back doesn’t allow him to play. … Running game, unless rookie Napoleon Kaufman emerges as an every-down back.

Outlook: “Oakland Raiders” has always sounded better than “Los Angeles Raiders” and the fan backing is certainly better there. … But owner Al Davis, known to messenger orders to the sidelines, must allow White to coach and the players to play. … If that happens, this is a playoff team with talent to go far.

Denver

Last year: Improved the offense and began as a division favorite. … Lost first four games, finished 7-9 and coach Wade Phillips was fired and replaced by Mike Shanahan, offensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers and a former Denver assistant.

Strengths: John Elway, when healthy, and receivers Shannon Sharpe and Anthony Miller. … Beefed-up defensive line with Michael Dean Perry and James Jones.

Weaknesses: Offensive line. … Running back.

Outlook: Patrick Bowlen, the owner, gets a little more desperate each year that Elway ages and looks for the quick fix before he’ll be forced to find a new quarterback. … This year’s fixes may get them to the playoffs, but probably not much further.

Seattle

Last year: Finished 6-10 and coach Tom Flores was fired, replaced by Dennis Erickson from the University of Miami.

Strengths: Budding quarterback in Rick Mirer and defensive standout in tackle Cortez Kennedy, a defensive player of the year in 1992, when Seahawks were 2-14. … RB Chris Warren.

Weaknesses: Cornerback … Offensive line. … Wide receiver if rookie Joey Galloway doesn’t develop quickly and Brian Blades’ play is affected by his involvement in the shooting death of his cousin.

Outlook: There’s potential here, but it’s developing slowly. … There seem to be too many distractions - including a potential move to Los Angeles - to get the team over the .500 mark. … Too many holes.

AFC CENTRAL

Pittsburgh

Last year: Won division at 12-4 and had home-field advantage for AFC playoffs. … Beat Cleveland 29-9 but was upset, 17-13, at home by San Diego in conference title game.

Strengths: Overall defense, led by linebackers Greg Lloyd and Kevin Greene and defensive backs Rod Woodson and Carnell Lake. … Running game with second-year-man Bam Morris running behind one of league’s more cohesive offensive lines.

Weaknesses: Continued questions about quarterback Neil O’Donnell. … Inconsistent receiving. … Lack of experience at tight end, where Eric Green left for Miami.

Outlook: Bill Cowher has been no worse than 9-7 in his three seasons as head coach and never missed the playoffs. He won’t this year either, playing in a division with three of the NFL’s weakest teams. … A good shot to make it where they should have been last year - the Super Bowl.

Cleveland

Last year: Made first big jump in coach Bill Belichick’s fourth year - from 7-9 to 11-5. … Beat New England 20-13 in first playoff game but lost, 29-9, in Pittsburgh, third loss of season to Steelers.

Strengths: Three deep-threat wide receivers with Andre Rison added to Michael Jackson and Derrick Alexander. … Overall defense, Belichick’s specialty with pass rushers Rob Burnett and Anthony Pleasant. … Defensive backs Eric Turner and Antonio Langham. … Running back depth, with Leroy Hoard, Lorenzo White and Tommy Vardell. … Offensive line, led by center Steve Everitt.

Weaknesses: Aging linebackers in Pepper Johnson and Carl Banks. … Lack of breakaway runner now that Eric Metcalf is in Atlanta. … Vinny Testaverde’s inconsistency at quarterback. … Middle of defensive line, where Michael Dean Perry and James Jones are gone.

Outlook: Like Pittsburgh, an almost sure playoff team because of weak schedule. … Getting deep into playoffs depends on Testaverde and health of key players.

Cincinnati

Last year: 3-13 as they lost first eight, then won two straight as third-string quarterback Jeff Blake, forced into action because of injuries, led the way.

Strengths: Potential of Dan Wilkinson, last year’s No. 1 pick but a disappointment as a rookie. … Wide receivers Carl Pickens and Darnay Scott.

Weaknesses: Offensive line. … Quarterback, unless Blake proves he wasn’t a fluke or David Klingler, lost for first eight weeks to injury, suddenly comes out of career-long funk. … Running back, now that Ki-Jana Carter is lost with a knee injury. … Secondary.

Outlook: The early schedule isn’t hard, so a 3-3 start could propel them to great things, like 5-11 and save Shula’s job for the whole season. … But the reputation for losing cost them Alfred Williams to San Francisco, and the front office doesn’t inspire much hope for the future.

Houston

Last year: Collapsed to 2-14 after seven straight playoff appearances, losing nine of first 10 to get Jack Pardee fired. … Then won final game against the Jets to give Jeff Fisher his first victory after five losses and allow him to keep his job.

Strengths: Middle of offensive line with center Mark Stepnoski, signed from Dallas, and Bruce Matthews, a perennial Pro Bowler at guard. … Secondary led by Cris Dishman and Daryll Lewis.

Weaknesses: Everything but the above. … Journeyman Chris Chandler is the quarterback until Steve McNair, the prize rookie, learns the system. That’s probably not this year. … Receivers have to adjust to change from run-and-shoot. … Gary Lewis is OK as running back but injury prone. … Linebackers are aging and defensive line is too young, other than Ray Childress.

Outlook: Weak in the front office and weak on the field. … May not even beat out expansion Jacksonville.

Jacksonville

Last year: Tom Coughlin stayed in his bunker grinding away, getting ready for first year.

Strengths: Quarterback, where Steve Beuerlein and Mark Brunell are as good as those on some established teams, like Houston. … Defensive linemen Jeff Lageman and Kelvin Pritchett, OK elsewhere, are stars here.

Weaknesses: Just about everything you’d find on an expansion team - rejects or failed high draft picks like Eugene Chung, Desmond Howard and Derek Brown.

Outlook: The consensus is that the Jaguars may do better than Carolina because they’re in a weaker division. … Long-term, however, there are questions about Coughlin, who never was more than a position coach in the NFL, handling both coach and general manager responsibilities. … There also are questions about his methods, but those will be proven on the field.

AFC EAST

Miami

Last year: Won division at 10-6; beat Kansas City, 27-17, in wild-card game; lost 22-21 in San Diego when Pete Stoyanovich missed field-goal attempt on the final play.

Strengths: Dan Marino’s passing to a receiver corps led by Irving Fryar and massive tight end Eric Green, obtained from Pittsburgh. … Upgraded defensive line led by second-year-man Tim Bowens plus linebacker Bryan Cox, talented but volatile. … Offensive line led by Keith Sims and Richmond Webb

Weaknesses: Running game if Terry Kirby and Keith Byars don’t come back all the way from last year’s injuries.

Outlook: There’s enough talent to go all the way in a season that’s viewed as a last shot for Marino and coach Don Shula, who still seems to have Jimmy Johnson looking over his shoulder. … Injuries and bad breaks have killed the Dolphins the last two years - they might have hosted the Super Bowl last year had the snap not been off on Stoyanovich’s field-goal attempt at the end of the playoff game in San Diego. … They should win the division.

New England

Last year: Improved from 5-11 to 10-6, winning last seven games, then lost wild-card game 20-13 in Cleveland.

Strengths: QB Drew Bledsoe, who’s only beginning to reach his potential. … Pass rushing of linebackers Willie McGinest and Chris Slade. … Breakaway potential of David Meggett, the big free-agent pickup. … Tight end Ben Coates.

Weaknesses: Lack of size on the defensive line. … Run-stopping, particularly if inside linebacker Vincent Brown remains troubled by a knee injury. … Running game, where there’s no durable back to take pressure off Bledsoe.

Outlook: No question the Patriots are a coming team, but they may have to take a step backward before they move forward again. They can make playoffs, but need more beef to get farther.

Indianapolis

Last year: Went 8-8, a four-game improvement from 1993 despite a sputtering offense that ranked last in the league.

Strengths: Running of second-year-man Marshall Faulk, who gained 1,282 yards as a rookie last season. … Unsung middle of defensive line, Tony McCoy and Tony Siragusa. … Pass-rushing potential of linebacker-ends Tony Bennett and Trev Alberts. … Ray Buchanan, who had seven interceptions in final seven games.

Weaknesses: Receiving, where Sean Dawkins has yet to emerge. … Offensive line, which is average at best.

Outlook: A team that most people think will move up. … But it’s still badly owned by Robert Irsay, a negative, and has been see-saw since 1991 - 1-15, then 9-7, 4-12, 8-8 under Ted Marchibroda.

Buffalo

Last year: After four straight AFC titles, slipped to 7-9 as Jim Kelly was hurt and age started catching up.

Strengths: Pass rush with free agents Bryce Paup and Jim Jeffcoat added to Bruce Smith and Cornelius Bennett. … Veteran savvy of Kelly at quarterback - if he stays healthy. … Thurman Thomas’ running, with health again playing a factor.

Weaknesses: Age at key positions - Kelly, Thomas, Jeffcoat and Andre Reed in particular are at the age when the drop is quick. … Offensive line, tight end and wide receiver, where Reed must get help.

Outlook: A team in transition. … There are a lot of promising young players. The veterans must come through for the Bills to have a shot at the postseason.

New York Jets

Last year: Were 6-5 and in playoff contention before losing last five. … Coach Pete Carroll was fired after one season and replaced by Rich Kotite, the third coach in three seasons.

Strengths: Tight end, where Kyle Brady, the No. 1 draft choice, joins Johnnie Mitchell. … Linebackers, led by Mo Lewis, but they need a healthy Marvin Jones, who was injured in camp.

Weaknesses: Wide receiver, where returning players had 16 catches last year. … Offensive line. … Running back. … Quarterback, if Boomer Esiason doesn’t rediscover the form that’s disappeared as his left elbow has gotten sorer.

Outlook: A team that’s spinning its wheels. … Will probably go down before it goes up.