K.C. chief concern in AFC West
Top 10 things to watch for during season's second half
By Jim Armstrong
Denver Post Staff Columnist
Article Last Updated:11/07/2006 10:27:05 PM MST
Darrent Williams was standing in a locker room in Pittsburgh, but his mind was two or three time zones away in the wild, wild AFC West.
"We've got to stay hot like everybody else in our division," Williams said. "I feel we've got the hardest division in football, by far. All the teams, week in and week out, can beat you. You've got to really go out and keep winning games if you want to keep pace."
With the NFL at the midway point of its season, there's little doubt that the AFC West is the league's strongest division. The West, among its other attributes ...
* Is the only division in the league with three teams above .500.
* Is home to the NFL's highest-scoring team.
* Has one team ranked second in the league in overall defense, and another that allowed two touchdowns in its first six games.
* Has one team riding a three-game winning streak, another that has won four out of five, and another that has reeled off six out of seven.
Oh, and did we mention the lowly Raiders rank ninth in the league in defense, six notches up from the Broncos?
"Everybody is getting better in our division," Champ Bailey said. "We've got to get better and better every week. That's the only way you're going to win this division."
While the Broncos and San Diego Chargers have dominated the division for most of the season, there's no guarantee either will win it. Don't look now, but Kansas City has moved to within a game of the co-leaders. With the midway point upon us, the Chiefs' continuing resurgence leads The Post's list of the top 10 things to look for in the second half of the season.
Here's a quick glance at the top 10:
NO. 1: The Chiefs continuing their winning ways
Give them their due. They've kept it together in the absence of quarterback Trent Green, who went down with a severe concussion on opening day. His replacement, Damon Huard has gone Earl Morrall on the league, throwing 11 touchdown passes and one interception for a 105.2 passer rating, second only to Peyton Manning's 106.0. The Chiefs' three-game winning streak could be seven straight before you know it. Their next four games are at Miami, Oakland at home, the Broncos at home, and at Cleveland.
NO. 2: Bears play someone
The Bears made it look easy in winning their first seven games, but there have been recent signs of trouble in Chicago. The Bears made six turnovers against Arizona and Miami. Now comes the litmus test: a three-game road trip to the Meadowlands, where they'll play the Giants and Jets in the next two weeks, and to New England.
NO. 3: Tiki Barber's retirement tour
Maybe Tiki Barber (above) ought to wear a Jim Brown retro jersey for the rest of the season. He could become the first back since Brown in 1965 to lead the league in rushing in his final NFL season. Brown had 1,544 that year to win his eighth rushing title in nine seasons. Barber has yet to win one, but his 830 yards lead LaDainian Tomlinson by 2.
NO. 4: Peyton's pace
Once again, we find ourselves asking the question: Is this the year Peyton Manning (left) finally wins the big one? The Colts are 8-0, two games ahead of the pack in the AFC, so they figure to get home-field advantage in the playoffs. But then, they've been there, blown that. They've had records of 12-4, 12-4 and 14-2 in the past three seasons, with nothing to show for it. Oh, and did we mention they rank 32nd in run defense?
NO. 5: The retirements
Joe Gibbs (above) didn't come out of retirement to coach a 3-5 team. And frankly, he's lucky the Redskins aren't 2-6. Then there's Bill Parcells. The Cowboys at 4-4 wouldn't make the playoffs if the season ended today. If they don't turn things around, both could walk away. Brett Favre? Call it a hunch, but he could come back in 2007. Favre began the season with 396 touchdown passes. He threw 11 more in the first half, giving him 407. At that pace, he would finish the year with 418, three away from breaking Dan Marino's record of 420.
NO. 6: Pouncing back
Excuse us, but weren't the Carolina Panthers in the NFC championship game? You wouldn't know it from the way they've played this season. The latest red flag came two weeks ago when they jumped ahead of the Cowboys 14-0, then allowed 35 consecutive points. Now for the ugly part: Jake Delhomme on third down is 26-of-68 for 257 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. The Panthers, who rattled off a six-game winning streak after a 1-2 start in 2005, are way too talented to keep this up.
NO. 7: Broncos' O is clicking
Broncos fans don't need any reminder of how bad it was in the team's first six games. Now for the good news: Jake Plummer (above) and Co. have scored 62 points in the past two games. That matches their total for the Broncos' first five games.
NO. 8: Coaching carousel
The coach on the hottest seat as we speak? What, you mean other than Dennis Green (above)? Any way you spin it, the Cardinals have regressed under his watch. They were 6-10 in his first season, 5-11 last season and stand 1-7 this season. But things are different in Arizona these days. The Cardinals, thanks to their new stadium, are selling out, which will put more pressure on the Bidwill family to make a change. Other coaches who could be on the way out: Romeo Crennel, Jeff Fisher and Bill Cowher, who is expected to resign and move to the Raleigh- Durham area in North Carolina, where his wife and daughter have moved into a $2.5 million home.
NO. 9: Men under center
Have you noticed all the quarterbacks coming and going? Ten teams - Miami, Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Oakland, Dallas, Tampa Bay, Tennessee, Seattle and Arizona - have replaced their opening-day starters at one time or another because of injury or ineffectiveness. Ben Roethlisberger (above) is the poster child for this bunch. He opened the season on the bench after undergoing an appendectomy, and could return there if he doesn't snap out of it. The Steelers are 1-6 with Big Ben starting, and his 14 interceptions - five more than last season - lead the league. Two other candidates to hit the pines: Buffalo's J.P. Losman and Washington's Mark Brunell.
NO. 10: Seattle getting healthy
The Seahawks are 5-3 and leading the NFC West despite the loss of 2005 MVP Shaun Alexander (left) and two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. Both are expected back in the next few weeks. And trust us, the Seahawks need every able-bodied offensive star they can get. Their defense, even in the aftermath of Monday night's shutout against the Raiders, has allowed 177 points, the most of any division leader.
