AFC West- Week 10

By: Colin Cook

Denver Broncos:
Okay, I apologize for any bias I show here, but after having Peyton Manning in my division for nine years, I'm not the most objective of men on his recent...success. I do have to give the man props, however, for making this Broncos team look like a Super Bowl contender finally. He had a slow start, sure, but now it seems that Manning is back to form, throwing the ball perfectly and allowing his receivers to be the only ones able to catch his throws. I'm sure that after Tebow, Manning is like going from bologna to porterhouse.
The Broncos play the Panthers this week, heh heh. We all know where this is going, but we also know that Andy Dalton had his way with the Broncos last week, and if not for the Superman-like qualities of Peyton Manning to pull wins out of dark places, the Bengals had that game won. I'm not saying Cam Newton is Andy Dalton (Dalton, of course, has A.J. Green), but you never know. The Panthers may just get lucky! Or, you know, Manning's shoulder could start giving out. Hey, NINE years, people!

Kansas City Chiefs:
Man, I wish the Chiefs had done a lot better this season. They have had so many primetime games, I wish they weren't all blowouts, though, you could argue they almost, maybe, kind of had the Chargers for a little bit there for a second last week. I won't bring up their faults, because doing so would require an entire article, but turnovers and giveaways have been atrocious; and they have YET to lead a single seconds this season! That's unheard of! Oh my goodness!
I think the only reason to watch their home games is to hear the announcers bring up the airplanes with anti-Chiefs banners flying over the stadium. Maybe it isn't the coaching staff, or the owners, but something should be changing...and nothing is. Get a head start before the offseason, I suppose, and just figure out what's wrong with this team.

Oakland Raiders:
The most schizophrenic team in the league? Maybe. If you look at the stats on the Raiders, their offense is pretty amazing, with the exception of the running game, and their defense is pretty good, with the exception of allowing the Bucs' Martin to set a rookie record. If you saw them play the undefeated Falcons, the Raiders won that game. The UNdefeated Falcons! Yet the Raiders continue to lose, despite a dramatic decrease in penalties, a consistent offense, a nice defense; it's as if the Raiders are trying to lose sometimes.
The Raiders play a heavily injured Ravens team...in Baltimore. Across the country in the lion's den...or the raven's nest, whatever; the Raiders will get a lot of slack as far as the passing game is concerned, but Flacco and Rice will be looking for some points after a close game last weekend...against the Browns. If Carson Palmer loosens up, makes only one interceptions (he'll throw one a game, let's be honest) and gets it down the field, they'll have a nice chance. Oh, and get Palmer doing his audibles! That's when the Raiders come a rockin'.

San Diego Chargers:
Eh, Philip Rivers hasn't had such a good season. Heck, the Chargers as a whole haven't had a good season. Their record is pretty good, yes, but it probably should be a lot better. San Diego lost three huge games; games they should have won. They lost to the Browns, they lost a 24 point lead to the Broncos, they lost against the Saints. Those are three losses they needed in the other column, and the Chargers seem like a shell of their former selves. Besides facing Kansas City twice, the Chargers haven't had a hot game at all.
An away game against Tampa Bay will certainly test their defense. With Josh Freeman and 'Muscle Hamster' both on a hot streak, the Chargers defense will need to step its game up. Rivers will also need to keep good control of his throws, lest the Buccaneers' secondary takes in a pick-six!