NFC: East | Central | West    AFC: East | Central | West

With realignment looming, ESPN The Magazine bids farewell to the AFC West (as we've known it).

THE DEAL

1. Denver Broncos: You know what? Maybe Mike Shanahan really is a genius. Grade: B

2. Oakland Raiders: If Gannon's cannon is fully mended, they just might win, baby. Grade: B+

3. Seattle Seahawks: At least Holmgren realizes that the new millennium really did start this year. Grade: B

4. San Diego Chargers: Surprise team of the AFC? Wouldn't surprise us one bit. Grade: C+

5. Kansas City Chiefs: The next retirement party will need something a little stronger than champagne. Grade: C

THE DIVISION

Motto: Where the Scoreboards Do the Work.

What It Was: The Wild, Wild West, shootouts and all. With roots and rivalries that stretch back to those down-and-dirty days of the old AFL, these boys set the scoreboards spinning like roulette wheels. And they had nicknames to match: The Mad Bomber, Bambi, The Snake, The Stork, The Hammer. You didn't so much win a game in this division as crawl away hoping there were no bullet holes in your muddy uniform (just ask Kellen Winslow). Biggest winners: the outlaws in Oakland, who also won unanimously for most hated.

What It Is: These AFL refugees still like big numbers, and bring it by land and air. So while tight ends still don't block here (they catch), the runners are stealing the show. That's why Oakland led the league in rushing. That's why every Denver running back is a phenom. That's why Ricky Watters looks so damn good in Seattle. And that's why K.C. and San Diego can't get any love. And no matter what the offensive flavor, the D's are always playing catch-up. Every team seems to employ a liberal off-season catch-and-release program (case in point: Hasn't Chester McGlockton played for every team in the AFC West? No, just three) trying to load up because last season just wasn't good enough. Guess when you empty all your bullets every year, you've got to find more ammo when the shooting stops.

To Rock It: Don't even think about bringing half a team. That Bucs-Ravens stuff just won't cut it here. Denver and Oakland are deep and fast, and you've got to score points just to get in the game. But the measuring stick will be stopping the likes of Charlie Garner, Watters and any RB with a horse on his head. If you can't do that, you're rebuilding.

This preview is excerpted from the September 3 issue of ESPN The Magazine.