Denver Broncos
Love - Manning to Welker Bromance
I absolutely believe that Peyton Manning can make just about any receiver look like a Pro Bowler. I mean, look at how Eric Decker and Demaryius Thomas came out of nowhere to become [fantasy] household names last year. Just imagine what he and a vengeful Wes Welker may be able to do this season after the Patriots let Welker walk all the way to their biggest QB rival. Defenses everywhere are already shaking in their cleats about this impossible coverage situation; Manning and Welker are two of the fastest no huddle executioners that have ever played the game.
There's still a very reasonable possibility that Peyton Manning will play at an insanely high level this year, masking any and all team deficits and pulling off that minimum 12 wins he seems to do every year he's not having a neck transplant. But sooner or later, the ageless wonder may in fact age to the point that he can no longer out-throw the many defenders he's outsmarted over the years. What's more, the Broncos' defensive squad has a few more wrinkles too now that Elvis Dumervil is in Baltimore and Champ Bailey has grown another ring around his trunk. Is it a matter of time before this Manning-era team burns out? 2013 will tell.
San Diego Chargers
Love - Anyone But Norv Turner
Poor Norv. I do sincerely hope he finds new traction in Cleveland since he was regarded as a QB guru once upon a time before mucking things up in San Diego. But the Chargers needed to shake up their terribly lackluster management with a new GM and head coach, and they finally followed through. If ex-Denver OC Mike McCoy could get Tim Tebow to the playoffs and Peyton Manning to 13 wins out of the gate, who's to say what he can do with Philip Rivers and a decent set of receivers? Coaching changes aren't always what they're cracked up to be, but the San Diego faithful should be thrilled at the possibility of reopening that playoff window without Norv dragging them down.
Hate - Te'oing
Now that Tebow is back in the spotlight again, maybe I'm overblowing what's to come for Manti Te'o during his rookie year, especially if it's a mediocre debut. But if Te'o ends up having an exceptionally good or bad year, you better believe we'll be hearing all about it in Skip Bayless stock narrative form for months. I'm sure it's already prewritten and waiting in the wings like Lindsay Lohan's obituary: "Look at how Te'o overcame all of the scrutiny/adversity to find a real pro identity" OR "Look at how all of this scrutiny/adversity is destroying Te'o's chance of redemption in the NFL." And then we'll all have to suffer through repeated agonizing criticisms about the media's obsession with Te'o from people like me. And he'll just be sitting there on the sidelines with his bug eyes pretending like everything's cool until his agent props up a new love interest for the tabloids destined to go toe to toe with Chad Ochocinco on Dancing with the Stars.
Kansas City Chiefs
Love - An Overhaul Worth Rooting For
There isn't a soul outside of the rest of the AFC South who didn't love the Colts' rise against the odds in 2012. So it feels only natural after a miserable 2012 season on and off the field for the Chiefs that they can be that feelgood story in 2013. With esteemed outcasts Alex Smith and Andy Reid teaming up with big chips on their shoulders and a talented surrounding cast, the Chiefs should be more than motivated to become contenders in a pretty weak division. I'd love to see them at least split the series with Denver this year.
Hate - The Possibility of Eagles 2.0
Andy Reid may have gotten just the fresh start he needed to get back to his winning ways in Kansas City. Even so, you have to be more than a little nervous about how he handled things with a stockpile of talent in Philly over the past couple of years. Dude just hasn't looked the same since Donovan McNabb went the way of the dinosaur, which means Reid has a lot to prove about his true coaching ability before we can crown him for another turnaround success story. Plus, even though Alex Smith greatly surpassed my expectations under Jim Harbaugh's care in San Francisco, he had the comfort of an elite defense and running game to fall back on. The rest of the Chiefs are not the rest of the 49ers.
Oakland Raiders
Love - Charles Woodson Returns Home
It's probably not what Charles Woodson had in mind after closing out a top-notch contract period in Green Bay, but the Black Hole will welcome its prodigal son home with open arms until the day he retires. From the look of things, the Raiders are probably not going to be contenders by a long shot this year, but I bet Woodson still has a few highlight-reel tricks up his sleeve. And at the very least, he can remind Peyton Manning about how awesome it was that he got the 1997 Heisman twice this year.
Hate - The Al Davis Apple
If anyone thought a results-oriented change was gonna come when tyrannical Raiders owner Al Davis passed away in 2011, your acceptable window of delusion is officially over. The Raiders haven't had a winning record since their 2002 Super Bowl run, and they still appear to be going nowhere fast under the leadership of Al's satanic bowl-cutted spawn, Mark. Junior's tenure has been so riddled with public and messy front office ousters that there's a pretty sophisticated analogy to the plot of Tommy Boy worth your reading. It's not even based on how crazy Mark Davis looks, but also, yech:
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