SB Nation - Colin Brown

State of the AFC West Week 10

Sam (sdsuaztec4) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:32:00 -0000

Those standings look a little strange don't they? First of all, it's kind of funny that the top two and the bottom two teams have the same records. Second of all, it's starting to resemble last year's standings more and more. For the second year in a row, it looks like the division will come down to the second match-up between the Chargers and Broncos. The game will be played in Denver this season but the momentum of the teams in certainly the same. The Chargers have won 4 in a row and the Broncos have lost 3 in a row. This season there will still be games to be played but the losing team will essentially have to win out to win the division. The Raiders and the Chiefs will actually play a big part as potential spoilers; the Broncos play the Chiefs twice and the Raiders once more. If the Broncos lose on Sunday they will have to sweep those three games and I don't expect those two teams to roll over with a big chance to play spoiler against a division opponent. The Chargers play the Chiefs once more at Qualcomm after the Broncos game which will be their last divisional game.

Click the jump to see where all the teams are at

AFC West Standings

	W	L	PF	PA
Denver	6	3	167	151
San Diego	6	3	237	202
Oakland	2	7	88	217
Kansas City	2	7	142	215

(updated 11.17.2009 at 1:16 AM PST)

Kansas City Chiefs: Things aren't getting any better for the Chiefs. As you have probably already heard, WR Dwayne Bowe was just suspended four games for testing positive for PEDs. Bowe is probably the Chiefs' best player and losing him is going to be a big blow to their already meager offense. You have to wonder if the Chiefs knew this was coming when they claimed Chris Chambers. Matt Cassel will probably have even more trouble completing passes now. But hey, at least they beat the Raiders and got their first rushing TD of the season right? It doesn't get any easier for the Chiefs as their next three games are vs. Steelers, @ San Diego, vs. Denver. Their next divisional game is @ San Diego for which there are still 7,000 tickets remaining. With both games left against Denver and one more against San Diego the Chiefs will surely try to play spoiler within the division so they still have a big chance to decide the division.

Kansas City Chiefs Injuries

Probable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Jamaal Charles	leg	11/16/2009

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Mike Vrabel	knee	11/16/2009
Dantrell Savage	ankle	11/16/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Devard Darling	knee	09/01/2009
Jarrad Page	calf	11/04/2009
Mike Goff	shoulder	11/11/2009
Jackie Battle	shoulder	10/14/2009
Colin Brown	undisclosed	09/05/2009

Oakland Raiders: So the Raiders have lost 7 straight at home against the Chiefs, no big deal right? Well, since the middle of the 2007 season, no team in the NFL has been worse than the Chiefs. On a good note, the Raiders did have a fantastic day on the ground, especially RB Michael Bush who had 119 yards on 14 carries. I still really wish the Chargers had ended up trading for him. The routine stayed the same for the Raiders; Jamarcus Russell played poorly compounded by constant drops by rookie WR Demetrius Heyward-Bey. Russell was benched again in favor of Bruce Gradkowski who played even worse. Head coach Tom Cable, who probably won't be head coach much longer, hasn't yet announced who will be his starter this Sunday. Maybe it will be Charlie Frye. Hey at least P Shane Lechler kicked for 531 yards right? Now they get to play the Bengals, Cowboys, and Steelers. Their next and last division game is week 15 against the Broncos.

Oakland Raiders Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Tommy Kelly	ribs	11/16/2009

Doubtful

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Javon Walker	hamstring	11/16/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
John Bowie	knee	09/30/2009
Oren O'Neal	ankle	10/14/2009

Denver Broncos: Mr. Hyde showed his face last Sunday when the Broncos lost to the Redskins. Losses against the Ravens and Steelers are understandable but the Redskins are really, really bad. Another thing happened on Sunday that hadn't happened in Bronco land all season, injuries. RT Ryan Harris is already out for this Sunday's game and QB Kyle Orton injured his ankle and is questionable for this Sunday's game vs the Chargers. From what I've heard and read they are basically going to play it by ear and see how much he can practice if it all. It's not out of the question that he plays after not practicing all week, they need to win this game and they know it, especially coach McDaniels. Back-up QB Chris Simms had an awful time after Orton left the game and while I'm sure he'd be better after a week of practice he certainly isn't Tom Brady. During their game on Sunday, on that fake punt, the Redskins did everything to show that a trick play was in the works. The Broncos still couldn't stop it. Clearly the Broncos have strayed pretty far from where they were after beating the Chargers. Their next division game is this Sunday against the Chargers; if they lose it will probably be too late to get back on track to win the division. I'm not sure SBNation's injury widget is very helpful....

Denver Broncos Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Ryan McBean	knee	11/16/2009
Josh Barrett	hamstring	11/16/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Nick Greisen	knee	08/05/2009

San Diego Chargers: The Chargers were able to establish a running game and stop the run in one game on Sunday, which is something they will need to continue if they want to succeed going forward. Unfortunately, the run defense came at the expense of the pass defense, although that was also a function of the defensive game-plan against QB Donovan McNabb as well as the lack of a great pass rush. The Chargers had a great pass-rush over the previous games; injuries to Shawne Merriman and Shaun Phillips probably didn't help things. Hopefully they are feeling better this Sunday and getting pressure on whomever is the Broncos QB; the Broncos quick WRs can do crossing routes just as well as the Eagles WRs. If C Nick Hardwick is able to return this Sunday it will be a huge upgrade on pass and run blocking. If we get ahead early I think LT will have another big day and will soften up the Bronco's secondary when we need to pass the ball. The Broncos have given up a huge amount of rushing yards in their last 4 games and I still think the Chargers are at their best when LT is pounding the ball up the middle. After this Sunday against the Broncos, the Chargers have their last divisional game against the Chiefs, and then a game against the Browns which should be nice. As far as injuries, it looks like Jeromy Clary and Tim Dobbins will be able to play, and hopefully Travis Johnson, too, since the DL by committee thing has worked out pretty well so far.

San Diego Chargers Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Travis Johnson	leg	11/16/2009
Jeromey Clary	ankle	11/16/2009
Tim Dobbins	knee	11/16/2009

Doubtful

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Nick Hardwick	ankle	11/16/2009
Jyles Tucker	ankle	11/16/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Ryon Bingham	arm	09/05/2009
Jamal Williams	triceps	09/19/2009
Antwan Applewhite	hamstring	10/20/2009
Brandon Hughes	knee	09/02/2009

Poll

Which team is more dysfunctional right now?

Chiefs

53 votes

Raiders

414 votes

467 votes | Poll has closed

Grading the Chiefs Rookies At The Halfway Point, Part Three

Matt Conner — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:00:35 -0000

More photos » by Alex Brandon - AP

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Finally, here's Part Three of our Grading the Rookies series. Previously, we looked at more high-profile picks like Tyson Jackson, Alex Magee and then middle round picks Donald Washington and Colin Brown For today, we take a closer look at the end of the draft that rounded out our roster and practice squad while also giving us a surprising kicker that we hope solves our woes at the position from the last few years.

To get a good idea of measurement, we'll take a look at three things:

*The half-season stat totals

*What was being said at the time of the draft

*What we can tell at this early stage of their career

The details can all be found starting with Quinten Lawrence after the jump:

Quinten Lawrence, Sixth Round Pick (175 overall)
Meaningful Stats: None

What Was Said: "Quinten has incredible speed. More often than not, he was the fastest player on the field. If he gets behind you, forget about it. So if he doesn't make it as an every-down wideout, he'll have a great future as a kick returner. He has good size at 6'1". He showed off his strength at the NFL combine, placing in the top ten for wide receivers in the bench press." -Sports Anchor Tom Annino

What We Can Tell: One of two rookies currently on the Practice Squad, Lawrence has yet to see any game time. He's flashed speed at times, so the Chiefs have kept him around, bouncing him to the PS recently. Definitely a WR project on a team needing significant help at the position.

Javarris Williams, Seventh Round Pick (212 overall)
Meaningful Stats: None

What Was Said: "He has a great heart. He will do whatever it takes to make it. He's got a burning desire to play in the NFL and has for a long time. He's just got some hurdles he has to prove he can get over. I'm not saying he can't get over them, but that he will have to prove that he can. Breakaway speed is that one thing, but there are NFL backs that don't have that same speed either. He was fun to watch, that's for sure, because of that tackle breaking ability." -Sportswriter Mike Organ, The Tennesseean

"Williams has a short, thick build and is quick enough to turn the corner. He lacks the elite speed to hit the home run." -ESPN

What We Can Tell: Besides serving as fodder for rookie hazing, Williams also has yet to get into a game and display any of the traits that we heard about come draft time. Then again, he's a seventh round pick sitting on the Practice Squad. What else is there really to say?

Jake O'Connell, Seventh Round Pick (237 overall)
Meaningful Stats: None

What Was Said: "O'Connell has good speed and good catching ability. He's athletic and did very well in all the workouts and at his pro day. He'll help fill in for the Chiefs after the loss of Tony Gonzalez." -NFL.com

"O'Connell possesses prototypical size, the ability and top-end speed to create decent separation on underneath routes. He needs to put a lot of work in to become usable in blocking situations." -Scouts, Inc.

What We Can Tell: The biggest enigma from the Chiefs draft class, at least if you care to analyze it down to this level. O'Connell hasn't found the field in any game since Week 2 against the Raiders, and even then he didn't put up any stats at all. The intangibles of the Miami (OH) product were supposed to be great and everyone noted his ability to catch the ball. On a team starved at the TE position, you'd think he'd find some time on the field.

Ryan Succop, Seventh Round Pick (256 overall)
Meaningful Stats: 8/11 FG, 11/11 XP (Long: 53-yard FG)

What Was Said: "Succop can handle both punting and kicking duties. He played extremely well at times for the Gamecocks. He could solve what has been a problem area for Kansas City in recent years in the kicking game." -NFL.com

What We Can Tell: Not much was said pre-draft about Succop, who earned some SEC honors at South Carolina but didn't turn heads at the national level for the most part. Still, he's been nothing short of a pleasant surprise for the Chiefs. His only NFL misses in the kicking game have come from longer distances and the NFL level doesn't seem to rattle his nerves at all. It seems, at this early stage, the Chiefs might have their long-term answer at kicker. You can't ask anything more of the last pick in the draft.

Grading the Chiefs Rookies At The Halfway Point, Part Two

Matt Conner — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:00:34 -0000

Welcome to Part Two of our Grading the Rookies series. If you've missed Part One, you can find it here. We'll finish things up tomorrow by looking at the Chiefs late round draft choices. For today, we take a closer look at the middle rounds of the draft that offered up a surprising choice in the fourth round and a project in the fifth.

To get a good idea of measurement, we'll take a look at three things:

*The half-season stat totals

*What was being said at the time of the draft

*What we can tell at this early stage of their career

The details can all be found starting with Donald Washington after the jump:

Donald Washington, Fourth Round Pick (102 overall)
Meaningful Stats: 3 total tackles, 0 interceptions, 0 pass defense

What Was Said: "Washington is a tall corner but lacks exceptional speed. He came out a year early, plays well in coverage and had an outstanding three-cone time. He may have been better served to stay in school because he's unpolished in certain areas. He may struggle early until he learns the pro game." -NFL.com

What We Can Tell: Thus far, we've been through three rookies and again, we can't tell much. Although in the quote noted above, this was quite expected. Even the people we interviewed around Ohio State couldn't tell me much about Donald Washington. The skills and athleticism might be there, but we've yet to see those translate to anything meaningful in the pro game.

And there's really been no chance so far. Those three tackles all came in the Cowboys game in Week Five and then he's been inactive for every contest ever since. It'd be nice to see him get even some junk time, but hey, I'm not the coach.

The thing about this pick, to me, is how surprising it was. A project like this is usually reserved for the fifth round or later. After all, in perspective, this pick was sitting right outside the Top 100. And I had a hard time finding anyone thinking Donald Washington was one of the 100 best players available in the draft. With so many obvious positions of need on the Chiefs, this was the draft's curveball on my end. That's not say that Washington won't pan out at all, it's more the factors surrounding the choice.

Colin Brown, Fifth Round Pick (139 overall)
Meaningful Stats: None

What Was Said: "The Chiefs add a promising young tackle to their rotation with the selection of Brown. The former Tiger will provide quality depth for the team as a potential swing-tackle prospect." -NFL.com

"Fifth-round choice Colin Brown, who played center, guard and tackle over his career at Missouri. He's athletic, having been a McDonald's All-America nominee and all-state performer in basketball at Braymer (Mo.) High School. He made 28 starts at right tackle with the Tigers very productive pass offense, so he knows how to protect the quarterback. He's not just tall at nearly 6-8, but he's big boned and could probably add more weight. The Chiefs see him as a right tackle." - NFLDraftScout.com

"He doesn't have much experience blocking within a prototypical NFL running game. Missouri almost exclusively ran zone running plays where backs would take a delayed handoff out of the shotgun, pick a hole along the line and go from there. I wouldn't say this makes for a weakness, but Brown just doesn't have recent experience within a pro-style offense." -Sportswriter Dave Matter, Columbia Daily Tribune

What We Can Tell: There's not much to be said for a guy who's yet to play any minutes, even on an offensive line as needy or broken as the Chiefs. Then again, Brown was described as a project by virtually everyone around him. Still those we interviewed around draft time from his alma mater believe his combo of size and raw power were worth taking a risk on. Perhaps not in the fifth round, but really how can you tell this late in the draft.

More to come in Part Three

State of the AFC West Week 9

Sam (sdsuaztec4) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:15:45 -0000

Well well well, here we are after week 9, a week I'd been looking forward to for awhile. I had a crazy day on Sunday which of course had a perfect ending. Last night's game was the proverbial "icing on the cake". The Chargers are now 1 game back at the halfway point of the season with 8 games to go. The Broncos still have the advantage with the 1 game lead and a win over the Chargers as a potential tiebreaker. As far as the schedules, of the 8 games remaining, 3 are easy division games (2 KC 1 OAK), but 4 are against tough teams (SD, NYG, INDY, PHI) and their game this week at Washington. On the other hand, the Chargers get the Browns and Titans, don't have to play Indy, but they only play the Chiefs one more time. As far as momentum, it is clearly on the side of the Chargers who have capped their three game winning streak with an emotional win at the Meadowlands. The Broncos on the other hand are riding a two-game losing streak that included two disappointing second halves. Oakland and KC are still out of the picture.

Jump the break for individual teams.

AFC West Standings

	W	L	PF	PA
Denver	6	2	150	124
San Diego	5	3	206	179
Oakland	2	6	78	201
Kansas City	1	7	126	205

(updated 11.10.2009 at 1:30 AM PST)

Oakland Raiders: The Raiders had a quiet bye week getting healthy and trying not to lose any football games. Running back Darren McFadden, wide receiver Chaz Schilens, left guard Robert Gallery and right tackle Cornell Green returned to practice Monday and are expected to play against the Kansas City Chiefs this week. So that's good news. Although Tom Cable won't be charged criminally, the NFL is evaluating the situation and sending out people to determine if Cable should attend anger management classes. The National League of Women (NOW) and other women's rights groups are calling for Cable's job. The Raiders next division match-up is this week's pillow-fight of the week in Oakland. Let the battle to determine the most dysfunctional team begin, too bad nobody will see it because it will likely be blacked out.

Oakland Raiders Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Cornell Green	calf	11/09/2009
Tony Stewart	chest	11/09/2009
Gerard Warren	toe	11/09/2009
Jon Alston	shoulder	11/09/2009
Ricky Brown	ankle	11/09/2009
Robert Gallery	fibula	11/09/2009
Tommy Kelly	elbow	11/09/2009
Chris Johnson	groin	11/09/2009
Chaz Schilens	foot	11/09/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
John Bowie	knee	09/30/2009
Oren O'Neal	ankle	10/14/2009

Kansas City Chiefs: The Chiefs played a close game against the Jaguars which inevitably ended in another loss. As the Chiefs march toward another top 5 draft pick, the big story is still the rapid fall of Larry Johnson which ended in his release from the Chiefs. Although they will probably end up paying him a lot of money since I doubt anyone will pick him up, this gives Jamaal Charles more opportunity to play and gets rid of a clubhouse cancer. Chris Chambers seem to have rejuvenated their offense, at least for the moment, with two TD passes. The addition seems to have helped the Chiefs and the Chargers at the same time, and Chris will probably be happier too. As already mentioned, the Chiefs next division game is at Oakland which I'm sure will be terribly exciting.

Kansas City Chiefs Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Jon McGraw	thigh	11/09/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Devard Darling	knee	09/01/2009
Jarrad Page	calf	11/04/2009
Jackie Battle	shoulder	10/14/2009
Colin Brown	undisclosed	09/05/2009

Denver Broncos: Will the real Broncos please stand up? Are they the 6-0 team or the 0-2 team? Are they the second-half juggernaut or the second-half duds? Is Kyle Orton the QB who threw one INT in 7 games or 3 INT's in one game? Are they a punishing opponents on the lines or the team that didn't get ONE rushing first-down against the Steelers? The answer is probably somewhere close to the middle. Teams are starting to key on the Broncos weakness and adjusting their game-plans as such. Kyle Orton looks nervous as opposed to the pillar of strength he looked like earlier in the season. Either way, the Broncos are much better than everyone thought but they still aren't an elite team. The Steelers were clearly the superior team last night, even at Mile High. The Broncos have lost some momentum going forward but they are still healthy and still have the advantage over the Chargers. Now is the time for Josh McDaniels to adjust to the adjustments that other teams are making. Going forward, we will see if the Broncos and McDaniels are studs or duds. The game at Washington this weekend may tell us a lot about the Broncos. Their next division match-up looks to be a huge game with playoff implications at Mile High against the Chargers.

Denver Broncos Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Ryan McBean	knee	11/10/2009
Peyton Hillis	other-excused	11/10/2009
David Bruton	groin	11/10/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Nick Greisen	knee	08/05/2009
J'Vonne Parker	knee	08/08/2009

San Diego Super Chargers: The Bolts are flying high after an emotional victory at the Meadowlands and gaining the momentum in the AFC West race if not the advantage. They are finally getting healthy, emotionally and physically, as well and it looks like All-Pro center Nick Hardwick will make his return to Qualcomm Stadium this weekend against the Eagles. The Chargers are still a little banged up at the linebacker position; SP95 was injured in the Giants game and Kevin Burnett and Tim Dobbins are still ailing. It looks like Phillips and Burnett will play this weekend while Dobbins will sit. LB Jyles Tucker is also most likely out this weekend. It looks like the Eagles are having the same problem the Chargers were earlier in the season: inability to keep anyone healthy. If Westbrook is out and the Eagles must depend on the passing game, the Chargers could win big with improved pass rush from Shawne Merriman and Shaun Phillips. The Chargers are also only 2-2 this season and they need to improve their play at home. The game is already sold out so we know it will be loud this weekend. Our next division match-up is Week 11 at Mile High Stadium.

San Diego Chargers Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Tim Dobbins	knee	11/09/2009
Nick Hardwick	ankle	11/09/2009
Kevin Burnett	ankle	11/09/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Ryon Bingham	arm	09/05/2009
Jamal Williams	triceps	09/19/2009
Antwan Applewhite	hamstring	10/20/2009
Brandon Hughes	knee	09/02/2009

Philadelphia Eagles Injuries

Probable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Max Jean-Gilles	shoulder	11/09/2009

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Victor Abiamiri	knee	11/09/2009
Chris Gocong	other-excused	11/09/2009
Akeem Jordan	knee	11/10/2009
Brian Westbrook	ankle	11/09/2009
Quintin Demps	ankle	11/09/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Shawn Andrews	back	09/15/2009
Stewart Bradley	knee	09/01/2009
Omar Gaither	foot	10/22/2009
Cornelius Ingram	knee	09/01/2009
Fenuki Tupou	chest	09/05/2009

State of the AFC West Week 8

Sam (sdsuaztec4) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:59:14 -0000

Good afternoon BFTBers, it's your old pal 'tec. We have 3 of the 4 AFC West teams in action during week 8, including the one inter-division game between the Raiders and our Chargers. The Chiefs had their bye this week, and the Broncos traveled to the east coast to take on Joe Flacco and the Ravens. Of course, we beat the Raiders 24-16, the Chiefs managed not to lose during their bye, and the Broncos are undefeated no more as the Ravens solved the Broncos enigma with a 30-7 beat-down. Let's take a look at the current standings.

AFC West Standings

	W	L	PF	PA
Denver	6	1	140	96
San Diego	4	3	185	159
Oakland	2	6	78	201
Kansas City	1	6	105	181

(updated 11.3.2009 at 1:44 AM PST)

The Chargers are now 2 games back of the Broncos with 9 game to go. As we know, the remaining schedules for both teams favors the Chargers in terms of difficulty. The Chargers are 3-1 in division games (the one loss vs. Broncos) with 2 division games left (vs. Chiefs and @ Broncos). We travel to New York this week to face the Giants. The Broncos are 2-0 in division games with 4 left (vs. Chargers, @ Chiefs, vs. Chiefs, vs. Oakland). The Broncos stay at home to face the Steelers.

Read the rest after the hop!

Kansas City Chiefs: The Chiefs spent the week on their bye after a beat-down by the hands of the Bolts. Of course, it was a pretty eventful week after all thanks to Larry Johnsongate. This has to be a huge distraction for a team that has already had a tough year. The good thing is that there is nowhere to go but up and perhaps suspending Johnson might bring him to his senses and allow the team to come together. (I doubt it). He will be suspended one week. In former Chargers news, it appears that WR Chris Chambers, cut by the Chargers on Monday, was claimed by the Chiefs today. It looks like Chris will play one more game at Qualcomm Stadium this season. The Chiefs travel to face the Jaguars this week. Their next division game is week 10 at the Raiders.

Kansas City Chiefs Injuries

Probable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Branden Albert	ankle	11/02/2009

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Jon McGraw	undisclosed	11/02/2009
Lance Long	concussion	11/02/2009

Doubtful

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Rudy Niswanger	knee	11/02/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Devard Darling	knee	09/01/2009
Jackie Battle	shoulder	10/14/2009
Colin Brown	undisclosed	09/05/2009

Oakland Raiders: The Raiders are another terrible team with additional off the field issues, with ESPN's OTL reporting Head Coach Tom Cable's past nefarious exploits with his lady friends. It is up to the emperor of the Raiders Al Davis, whether he stays or goes, but the Raiders say they will be investigating the allegations. We will have to wait and see how much longer Cable lasts and continue the coaching carousel by the bay. Meanwhile, the actual football team (and I use the term lightly), is taking their bye this week. It is a good time for the team to rest up, as we saw last week they had major injuries, including Robert Gallery who is a big part of their offensive line. WR Chaz Schilens also remains out. It's not like it matters much, since nobody is watching the games; mostly because the poor attendance at the games are creating local blackouts. The Raiders next division game is week 10 vs. the Chiefs. Look at that injury list! Who do they think they are, the Chargers?

Oakland Raiders Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Cornell Green	calf	11/02/2009
Tony Stewart	chest	11/02/2009
Gerard Warren	toe	11/02/2009
Jon Alston	shoulder	11/02/2009
Ricky Brown	ankle	11/02/2009
Robert Gallery	fibula	11/02/2009
Tommy Kelly	elbow	11/02/2009
Chris Johnson	groin	11/02/2009
Chaz Schilens	foot	11/02/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
John Bowie	knee	09/30/2009
Oren O'Neal	ankle	10/14/2009

Denver Broncos: After a 6-0 start, the Broncos are undefeated no more after a 30-7 road loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The Broncos will face another tough team this week, a MNF meeting with the Steelers at home. The Ravens seemed to solve the mystery of beating the Broncos, so we should look at this game in preparing for our second match-up with the Broncos. The Broncos special teams continued to struggle, allowing another kick-off for a touchdown, but we already knew that was a weakness. The Ravens were able to pressure Kyle Orton early, and apparently that threw him off of his game, which spread to the rest of the team. The Broncos seemed to be off all day, not executing like they had been in the rest of their games. The Broncos crossed over into Baltimore territory only 3 times all game, and got into the red-zone only once. The Denver defense is good, but not that good, and eventually they are going to get scored on. The key seems to be being able to disrupt the offense which starts with pressuring the QB. Orton isn't going to make many mistakes, but he's not a world beater either. With the Broncos D giving up 30 points on Sunday, the Colts take over as the best defense in football. The Broncos next division game is week 11 at home vs. the Chargers. The Broncos remain ridiculously healthy.

Denver Broncos Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Renaldo Hill	leg	11/03/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Nick Greisen	knee	08/05/2009
J'Vonne Parker	knee	08/08/2009

San Diego Chargers: First of all, apparently LB James Holt has been promoted from the practice squad. Now, you're going to have to find out from someone else who that is, because I have no idea. Maybe that Sliderockmpc guy, he seems to be pretty sharp. Anyhow, we all know that the Chargers front office pulled off yet another team shakeup, releasing Chis Chambers, who has already been picked up within the division by the Chiefs. These shakeups seem to be working, notwithstanding a closer than expected victory over the Raiders. Like Coach Hoke says, there are no good losses and there are no bad wins. Let's focus on our game this weekend in New Jersey. I bet there's probably at least one person that didn't know we were playing in New Jersey on Sunday. Over their three losses in a row, I've seen two big things about the Giants. First, Eli is still being bothered by his foot, in which he has plantar fasciitis. From what I know, this is not an injury that one gets over easily. Padre fans know that Kyle Blanks got it and was forced to sit out the last part of the season. Eli has been more inaccurate than usual because of the injury, which has been compounded by the fact that the Giants have been unable to get a running game going during the losing streak. Second, the Giants running defense has struggled, especially with runners up the middle. I posted a stat earlier in the week, but during the losing streak the Giants have allowed something like 7.6 YPC up the middle. Unfortunately, both of these weaknesses don't exactly translate to the Chargers strengths. We also have struggled this year with running offense and defense. On the bright side, at least I think LT has shown some substantial progress lately, and Shawne and Shaun also seem to be about to step up their game in a serious way. The Chargers next division game is week 10 at the Broncos. Tim Dobbins is going to be out a few weeks, maybe he'll come back the same time as Nick Hardwick. I'm hoping Kevin Burnett is healthy enough to play on Sunday, but I haven't heard anything.

San Diego Chargers Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Tim Dobbins	knee	11/02/2009
Nick Hardwick	ankle	11/02/2009

Doubtful

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Kevin Burnett	ankle	11/02/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Ryon Bingham	arm	09/05/2009
Jamal Williams	triceps	09/19/2009
Antwan Applewhite	hamstring	10/20/2009
Brandon Hughes	knee	09/02/2009

GO CHARGERS!

Poll

Can the Chargers come back and win the division?

Yes

482 votes

No

155 votes

637 votes | Poll has closed

State of the AFC West

Sam (sdsuaztec4) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:57:09 -0000

Hello Bolts From The Bluers. Most of you know me as " 'tec". Now, apparently, I have a real name that appears next to my previous anonymous user-name. Incidentally, good news everyone!

I had the idea to do a weekly write-up on the state of our conference. For those that don't know, the Chargers play in the AFC West. This division consists of the San Diego Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, and Denver Broncos. What I will be doing is updating everyone on the status of the division: standings, notable good and bad performances, significant injuries, upcoming match-ups, etc. I'm just going to give it a go the first time around; everyone should add suggestions in the comment field below to make this better since site is for the fans!

Catch the rest AFTER THE JUMP!

AFC West Standings

	W	L	PF	PA
Denver	6	0	133	66
San Diego	3	3	161	143
Oakland	2	5	62	177
Kansas City	1	6	105	181

(updated 10.27.2009 at 1:30 AM PDT)

As we all painfully know, Denver is leading the division at 6-0 while the Chargers are trailing behind in second at 3-3, which is 3 games back. With 10 games to go, and both teams done with their bye, there is still significant time left for the Chargers to catchup. Of course, we all know that we came back from 3 games down with 3 games to go last season, so anything is possible. Oakland is only 4 games back and Kansas City is only 5 games back, but nobody expects them to make any noise in the division. (Sorry AP don't ban me).

DENVER BRONCOS

The Broncos were on a bye this week so there isn't much to say except that, if it is even possible, they got even healthier. The Broncos currently have no players on the injury report for their upcoming game against the Ravens. The only downside to their bye is that their schedule get's much tougher from here on out. 5 of their next 7 games are against tough opponents: @Baltimore, vs. Steelers, @Washigton, vs. San Diego, vs. New York, @KC, and @Indianapolis. That is a tough schedule for any team to play, regardless of how well they are playing. It will be tough to get out of that stretch with a winning record and a healthy roster. The Chargers, on the other hand, have a much easier schedule. Here is a look at the Broncos' injury report.

Denver Broncos Injuries

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Nick Greisen	knee	08/05/2009

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

Another team's recent exploits that Charger fans are familiar with is the Kansas City Chiefs. As we saw, the Chiefs aren't doing anything well. Things aren't clicking on offense or defense. Matt Cassel isn't panning out so far to what the Chiefs had hoped; the argument could be made that the players around him aren't very good, but his play isn't helping matters. It appears as if he is the "system QB" that everyone thought he was, surrounded by excellent players. Only time will tell. The running game, with Jamaal Charles and Larry Johnson, isn't doing much either. Add in the "twittergate" message from Johnson criticizing his coach, who knows how much longer he'll be around. This is compounded by injuries to the offensive line. The Chiefs only scored once on Sunday, to WR Dwayne Bowe, the only bright spot on the team it seems. Center Rudy Niswanger was injured during our game last Sunday and looks to be out for week 9. Left tackle Branden Albert had to sit out the game against the Chargers as well. The good thing is, the Chiefs are on a bye this week, so they will have time to rest and heal up. The bad news is, they still have 9 games to play.

Kansas City Chiefs Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Rudy Niswanger	knee	10/26/2009
Jarrad Page	shoulder	10/26/2009
Branden Albert	ankle	10/26/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Devard Darling	knee	09/01/2009
Jackie Battle	shoulder	10/14/2009
Colin Brown	undisclosed	09/05/2009

OAKLAND RAIDERS

The losers of 11 or more games over the past 6 seasons look like they will continue that streak. The Raiders can look decent one game and then look like absolute crap the next. Their game on Sunday represented one of the later. The Raiders got pasted 38-0 playing at home against the New York Jets in a game that was blacked out because they failed to sell out the game. Raiders fans are usually pretty loyal, so it says a lot that the Raiders are so bad that even Raider fans can't watch them. Most of this has to do with the horrific play of former first round draft pick Jamarcus Russell. In fact, he played so poorly in the first half of the game (2 INTs and a lost fumble), he was benched and replaced by journeyman Bruce Gradkowski. Speaking of first round picks, brilliant selection Darrius Heyward-Bey continued his ho-hum season with 2 catches for 28 yards. It isn't pretty on the defensive side of the ball either; the Raiders gave up 447 yards of offense including a whopping 316 yards on the ground. Chaz Schilens, a SDSU product WR whom the Raiders had high hopes for, has been sidelined the whole season, while other injuries to the offensive line have weakened the run offense. However, the Raiders problems run much deeper than injuries, as it is painfully obvious to everyone in the NFL except for a few lone stragglers.

Oakland Raiders Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Cornell Green	calf	10/26/2009
Ricky Brown	ankle	10/26/2009
Chaz Schilens	foot	10/26/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
John Bowie	knee	09/30/2009

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS

I don't need to rehash anything about the Chargers so I will focus on our next division match-up which is of course the Oakland Raiders, this Sunday, at Qualcomm stadium. Of the aforementioned games where the Raiders looked decent, the Chargers game on MNF to open the season was one of them. The Raiders played us tough on both sides of the ball which resulted in numerous Charger injuries and a close call in Oakland. Fortunately, I don't think our 13th straight win over the Raiders will be as tough as the 12th. For one, the Raiders always play us tough at home and struggle at Qualcomm. Second, LT and Sproles are both healthy and the Raiders run defense is struggling mightily. The Chargers are going to continue to use the run game, especially since the Raiders have a decent secondary. Third, I don't think the Raiders will play with the same intensity they did the first time around. This team has been beaten down all season, gotten pushed around at home and on the road, and are coming off the Jets game in which they scored zero points and their starting QB was benched. Additionally, the Charger pass rush and defensive line play has looked much improved over the last two games. Raiders coach Tom Cable has said that Jamarcus Russell will start on Sunday; he is terribly inaccurate with all day in the pocket, if the Chargers put pressure on him I expect a game similar to the one Matt Cassel managed against us last Sunday. For the first time in awhile, the Chargers are mostly healthy except for All-Pro center Nick Hardwick, who is expected back in December.

San Diego Chargers Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Kevin Burnett	ankle	10/27/2009
Buster Davis	other-illness	10/26/2009
Vaughn Martin	hamstring	10/26/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Ryon Bingham	arm	09/05/2009
Jamal Williams	triceps	09/19/2009
Antwan Applewhite	hamstring	10/20/2009
Brandon Hughes	knee	09/02/2009

Kansas City Chiefs Release Bernard Pollard, 12 Others

Joel Thorman — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 22:56:02 -0000

More photos » by Ed Zurga - AP

4 months ago: Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rodney Wright (11) makes a catch while chased by Houston Texans cornerback Glover Quin, left, during the first quarter of their NFL football exhibition game in Kansas City, Mo., Saturday, Aug. 15, 2009. Wright gained 12 yards on the play. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

Browse more photos »

The Kansas City Chiefs have just announced the final round of cuts to get down to the league mandated 53 man roster.

Biggest shocker? Bernard Pollard. Wow.

Offense	Defense
TE Tom Crabtree	CB Jackie Bates
G Darryl Harris	DE Dion Gales
WR Taurus Johnson	DE Bobby Greenwood
WR Ashley Lelie	DT Derek Lokey
RB Javarris Williams	S Bernard Pollard
WR Rodney Wright	LB Zach Thomas
G Colin Brown (IR)	S Ricky Price

After the jump, we take a look at the circumstances surrounding each of the cuts.

The following were released:

S Bernard Pollard

Wow. There were trade rumors recently and apparently they had some legs. This is far and away the most shocking move by the Chiefs.

Frankly, I don't understand this move. This leaves DaJuan Morgan, who was injured for much of last season as a rookie, and Mike Brown, who has been injured much of the last five years, as your strong safeties.

CB Jackie Bates

This shouldn't be much of a surprise. The Chiefs decided to keep five cornerbacks and it was down to Bates or Ricardo Colclough. Colclough has been a return man in the past and provides a little more experience.

TE Tom Crabree

It's not surprising, either. This leaves three tight ends on the Chiefs roster (Sean Ryan, Brad Cottam and Jake O'Connell). Crabtree had a couple of nice plays in last week's game against the Rams but ultimately it came down to a numbers game. Remember, the Chiefs gave up a draft pick in a trade to get O'Connell.

DE Dion Gales

A little surprised here. Gales didn't necessarily separate himself but the Chiefs will be a little low on defensive ends.

DE Bobby Greenwood

See above.

G Darryl Harris

I thought about the best chance he had to make the team was due to the low number of offensive linemen. Harris' name was rarely mentioned and ultimately proved to be expendable.

WR Taurus Johnson

Chiefs had a lot of wide receivers and, for a position where they needed playmakers, he apparently couldn't cut it. It doesn't help that he didn't return kicks and/or punts as well.

WR Ashley Lelie

A little surprising considering he showed a little promise and is one of the few Chiefs receivers with some experience. He's a fast receiver and the Chiefs don't really have that right now.

DT Derek Lokey

He was playing nose tackle behind Tank Tyler and Ron Edwards. It was going to be tough to beat out one of those guys.

S Ricky Price

Again, a numbers game. He couldn't beat out Jon McGraw and starter Jarrad Page.

LB Zach Thomas

Rumored to be injured and looking at retirement. Apparently he was healthy enough for the Chiefs to part ways with him without an injury settlement.

RB Javarris Williams

The Chiefs 7th round draft pick and the only draftee released. He's certainly eligible for the practice squad.

WR Rodney Wright

29 year old player who hasn't shown much thus far.

Placed on Injured Reserve

G Colin Brown

When did he have an injury? Behind Pollard, this is the second most surprising move. There were no indications he was injured. He was the team's fifth round draft pick.

Kansas City Chiefs Roster Cutdown Shakes up Offensive Line

Joel Thorman — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 23:31:08 -0000

Photo courtesy John Sleezer of the Kansas City Star

If we're going to go by the most recent depth chart provided by the Kansas City Chiefs, there are only two offensive tackles on the team following this afternoon's release of eight players.

*Left Tackle*	*Left Guard*	*Center*	*Right Guard*	*Right Tackle*
B. Albert	B. Waters	R. Niswanger	M. Goff	B. Richardson
	W. Smith	A. Alleman	C. Brown
	D. Harris		I. Ndukwe

The final depth chart of the Chiefs 2008 season showed there were four offensive tackles.

*Left Tackle*	*Left Guard*	*Center*	*Right Guard*	*Right Tackle*
B. Albert	B. Waters	R. Niswanger	W. Smith	D. McIntosh
H. Taylor	W. Smith	W. Smith	A. Jones	H. Taylor
				B. Richardson

In reality, however, Ikechuku Ndukwe, acquired from the trade with the Miami Dolphins, has seen some time at right tackle. Colin Brown played the position in college at Missouri but, at least during training camp, has been at guard.

Barry Richardson's performance as a starter at right tackle a couple weeks ago was bland at best. He's young, and the ceiling appears to be high because of some of his physical attributes, but we're concerned with what he can do for the Chiefs right now. And, right now, he may not be the answer.

Unfortunately, as I peruse the roster, he may have to be the answer.

So, do the Chiefs really only have two tackles, maybe three including Ndukwe, on this team?

Wade Smith can play some tackle, in an emergency, but he's lined up as an interior lineman all offseason.

If I were the Chiefs brass, I'd keep tabs on every right tackle in the NFL who might be released or might be available for the right price. Myself, and nearly everyone else on Arrowhead Pride, has been saying that for weeks, months and, for some, years. But after getting a visual of this depth chart, it's becoming increasingly obvious that a change has to be made and, in my humble opinion, likely will be made.

As Josh Looney pointed out earlier today, the Chiefs have released 11 players since establishing their 80 man roster. Of the 11 that were released, five have been offensive linemen. To me, that's an indication that the Chiefs are almost desperately seeking a combination that works.

So, that's five holdovers from the 2008 line and five additions to the 2009 line.

The Chiefs had nine offensive linemen that suited up last season. They have ten right now. So, it's conceivable that, barring any personnel moves, this is the unit that will line up week one at Baltimore. I don't think it's likely, considering Scott Pioli's past history of making personnel moves quickly, but it's possible.

With Roster Cuts Looming, Twelve Chiefs Don't Play Against the Seahawks

Joel Thorman — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 14:00:20 -0000

More photos » by Ed Zurga - AP

Todd Haley aggressively speaking. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

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On Saturday I said we should be looking out for the Kansas City Chiefs that did not enter last night's 14-10 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. I argued that, with five roster cuts having to be made by Tuesday, the coaching staff probably knew who was going to get the heave-ho. Things like injury settlements might preclude Todd Haley from sending an undrafted free agent into the game who was unlikely to make the team in the first place.

Well, 12 Chiefs didn't play against the Seahawks and it's looking like, at least for a few of them, this might have been their last game in a red uniform. Five were due to injury and seven were unexplained.

Brodie Croyle also did not play but I did not include him on this list. His scratch was a predetermined decision by the coaching staff to get Tyler Thigpen more time.

First, the ones we knew were injured and hadn't practiced all week:

RB Kolby Smith
LB Zach Thomas
TE Jake O'Connell

No explanation on any of those injuries. Smith will likely start the season on PUP, Zach Thomas will be ready by Baltimore and Jake O'Connell is an unknown as well.

Then the two surprise injury scratches:

LB Derrick Johnson
FS Jarrad Page

No explanation on either of these either. Derrick Johnson missed a little time late in the week. Jarrad Page practiced all week and there was no indication he was injured.

Now, here's the list of seven other players, a combination of recent draft picks and undrafted free agents, who did not play Saturday against the Seahawks:

WR Terrance Copper
CB Londen Fryar
RB Javarris Williams
OL Colin Brown
DE Bobby Greenwood
OT Cameron Goldberg
OT Herb Taylor

Three names that wouldn't surprise me if they were on the cut list: Fryar, Greenwood and Goldberg.

They're undrafted free agents so they were long shots to begin with. Combine that with not playing in the third game of preseason and their stay in Kansas City appears to be a short one.

Four names that would slightly surprise me if they were cut: Copper, Williams, Brown and Taylor.

Terrance Copper has been running with the first team and, since the inception of the first unofficial depth chart, has been listed as the No. 1 wide receiver. Javarris Williams would be less of a surprise but he's still a '09 draft pick. Same goes for Colin Brown, who was a fifth round pick. He's been seeing time at right guard, the same position to which the Chiefs added more depth with the trade for Andy Alleman. Herb Taylor was drafted two years ago and hasn't developed like many thought he would.

With Tuesday rapidly approaching, and the Chiefs with the rest of the weekend to evaluate tape, keep an eye on these guys. There's a good chance the names on this list will make the majority, if not all, of Tuesday's five roster cuts.

No Changes to Chiefs Unofficial Depth Chart for Seahawks Game

Joel Thorman — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 22:12:12 -0000

More photos » by Tom Olmscheid - AP

Jed Collins: Still your #2 fullback. (AP Photo/Tom Olmscheid)

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The Kansas City Chiefs released earlier today the unofficial depth chart for this weekend's game against the Seattle Seahawks.

(Edit: Funny story, actually. For a short time this morning, the Chiefs accidentally put out the press release from a Chiefs/Seahawks game in 2005. It was quickly replaced but looking at the offensive line depth chart - Roaf, Waters, Wiegmann and Shields - wasn't such a bad thing.)

No changes were made but there will be two, however, by the next depth chart. The arrival of Andy Alleman and Ikechuku Ndukwe mean they'll be added somewhere on the list below.

RG: Mike Goff, Tavares Washington, Colin Brown
C: Rudy Niswanger, Eric Ghiaciuc
LG: Brian Waters, Wade Smith, Daryl Harris

I'm thinking Washington and Brown can fairly easily be jumped. Washington has spent a significant portion of camp in 'No Man's Land' while Brown is just a rookie.

I'll need to wait for a few camp reports before I can decide how the center position might be affected.

Waters, of course, is sticking with the one's but like Washington, Smith has spent some time injured so I can't imagine his spot is secure.

I've got a few more notes on the depth chart after the jump.

Dwayne Bowe on the third team - He's still listed with the third team even though he's clearly been the best receiver on the field in both games. I wouldn't read anything into this - definitely a motivational tool at this point.

Sean Ryan is still ahead of Brad Cottam - We still have no idea where we stand on tight ends. I'm not sure whether to make anything of this.

Damion McIntosh ahead of Barry Richardson - Richardson played with the first team last week and even started Friday's game against the Vikings. He didn't play great, according to more than a few folks, so McIntosh replaced him at the start of the second quarter.

Alfonso Boone ahead of Tyson Jackson - TJ participated with the first team today. He will (hopefully) see a lot more action in game three.

You can view the entire depth chart here.