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Will Shields is going into a hall of fame this year, after all.

Four weeks after being a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Chiefs announced the guard will go into their hall of fame this season.

Shields played for the Chiefs from 1993-2006. He played in 224 games, the most in team history. He played in 12 Pro Bowls.

“On behalf of my family and the entire Chiefs organization, we are extremely proud to announce Will Shields’ election into the Chiefs Hall of Fame,” Kansas City owner Clark Hunt said. “Will was a true ‘iron man’ -- never missing a game in 14 seasons -- and his career and character place him among the greatest in Chiefs history.”

Shields has a strong chance to make it in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the next couple of years.

In other AFC West notes:

If the Raiders do cut pass-rusher Kamerion Wimbley in a salary-cap move, keep an eye on the Chiefs. They could use another pass-rusher and Wimbley played for Kansas City coach Romeo Crennel in Cleveland. Crennel was not with the Browns when they traded him to Oakland two years ago. Plus, Wimbley and Crennel have the same agent.

Baltimore cut cornerback Chris Carr. He could be an inexpensive role player for the Raiders, who have a big need at cornerback. He also has previously played for Oakland.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Chiefs director of college scouting Phil Emery has been hired as the Chicago Bears’ general manager.

The Chiefs had been preparing for Emery’s potential departure. He had been considered a leading candidate in Chicago. He formerly was a scout for the Bears.

This won’t be a crippling loss for the Chiefs, but they will need to quickly adjust. Losing your college scouting director on the day of the Senior Bowl and four weeks before the NFL combine is not ideal. I’m sure Kansas City general manager Scott Pioli has a plan to replace Emery, since the Chicago process was lengthy.

In other AFC West-related news, NFL offensive coordinator opportunities are shrinking for former Oakland coach Hue Jackson. Baltimore didn’t replace Cam Cameron and Schefter reports the Colts are hiring former Steelers coordinator Bruce Arians. Jackson was considered a potential candidate for both jobs.

New San Diego defensive coordinator John Pagano expressed his delight in the fact that his brother, Chuck, became the head coach in Indianapolis on Wednesday. Yet, John Pagano made it clear he has no designs on leaving the Chargers to join the Colts’ staff.

“It would be an honor to work with my brother, but I have the job I’ve always dreamed of,” Pagano said in a statement released by the Chargers. He was promoted to defensive coordinator from linebackers coach earlier this month. Chuck Pagano was the Ravens’ defensive coordinator prior to being hired by the Colts.

Meanwhile, it wouldn’t be a surprise if former Oakland coach Hue Jackson was a candidate to be offensive coordinator in Indianapolis. He worked with Chuck Pagano in Baltimore. Jackson interviewed for the quarterback coaching job in Arizona on Monday.

Meanwhile, new Oakland general manager Reggie McKenzie confirmed the inevitable.

There was an AFC West connection to one of the biggest plays of championship Sunday.

Sterling Moore’s short NFL career started in Oakland.

Moore put himself in the NFL spotlight Sunday when he knocked the ball out of the hands of Baltimore’s Lee Evans in the end zone in the final moments of a New England win. Had Moore, who was beaten on the play, not made the second effort, the Ravens very likely would be playing in the Super Bowl.

Yet, it will be Moore and the Patriots who will face the New York Giants on Sunday.

It will be a wild end to a strange six months for Moore. The SMU product signed with the Raiders as an undrafted free agent. Moore was a training camp star for the Raiders, who were and who still are in need of cornerback help. Yet, Moore ended up on Oakland’s practice squad only to be released from the eight-man squad in September.

New England signed Moore to the practice squad in October and he made his NFL debut in November and has seen a lot of action at both safety and cornerback.

It would be easy to say the Raiders made a mistake with Moore, but he won’t be the last NFL player to find success after being cut. Still, if Oakland had a chance to revisit the Moore decision perhaps it would have kept him.

Philip Rivers will have two more familiar weapons at his disposal in the Pro Bowl on Sunday.

San Diego receiver Vincent Jackson and running back Ryan Mathews have been named to the AFC Pro Bowl team. Jackson replaces New England’s Wes Welker and Mathews is subbing for Baltimore’s Ray Rice.

Jackson had 60 catches for 1,106 yards and nine touchdowns. Mathews had 1,091 rushing yards and six touchdowns.

San Diego safety Eric Weddle and tight end Antonio Gates are also on the team. It will be interesting to see how many times Rivers, Mathews, Jackson and Gates will be on the field at the same.

There’s Winston Moss.

The Green Bay linebackers coach had been considered the frontrunner to be the next coach of the Oakland Raiders since fellow former Raiders linebacker Reggie McKenzie took over as Oakland’s general manager earlier this month.

However, Moss’ name has been absent from the interview list in Oakland – until now. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Moss actually interviewed last Saturday, the day before the Packers lost to the New York Giants.

There have been several reported interviews or planned interviews in Oakland. Joining Moss on the list are New Orleans offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael, Denver defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, Philadelphia offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg, former Miami interim coach Todd Bowles and Chicago offensive coordinator Mike Tice. Denver offensive coordinator Mike McCoy backed out to concentrate on the Miami job he ended up not getting.

Schefter reports that Mornhinweg is a candidate to keep an eye on. The Bay Area native was the head coach in Detroit early last decade.

Meanwhile, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen is reporting that Baltimore offensive coordinator Cam Cameron is not expected back. A natural replacement could be former Oakland coach Hue Jackson. He is a former Baltimore assistant.

When Willis McGahee was cut by Baltimore this past summer, he was simply looking for a situation where he could contribute.

He found a perfect situation in Denver, where the Broncos were looking for a veteran complementary back. McGahee said in camp he was looking forward to a new start and he joked that he had so few carries in recent years that not only did he have plenty of tread on his tires as he neared his 30th birthday, he didn’t even need a "tire rotation."

Fast-forward five months later and McGahee -- who turned 30 in October -- has been the driving force in the Broncos’ surprising playoff push.

With quarterback Tim Tebow struggling to provide a consistent passing game in recent weeks, Denver’s primary chance to move the ball Sunday against visiting Pittsburgh in an AFC wild-card matchup will be on the ground. Denver had the No. 1-ranked run game in the NFL this season.

It all starts with McGahee.

McGahee has been one of the best free-agent acquisitions in the NFL this year. He has easily been Denver’s MVP in a surprise turnaround season for the franchise. A first alternate to the Pro Bowl, he had 1,199 yards and averaged 4.8 yards per carry. In 2010, he had 380 yards on 100 carries for the Ravens.

McGahee’s resurgence has been stunning. In the two previous seasons, he had a combined 209 carries for the Ravens. Usually, running backs slow down when they turn 30. McGahee has been revitalized.

McGahee has been the best running back in Denver since training camp started. He was signed to help 2009 first-round draft pick Knowshon Moreno. However, McGahee performed better than Moreno from the start of camp and was soon the No. 1 back. And when Moreno was lost for the season with a torn ACL, the Broncos didn’t look back.

It was McGahee who sparked the offense when Tebow took over. McGahee adjusted to the option offense with Tebow at quarterback and had seven 100-plus-yard games this season.

According to ESPN Stats & Information, McGahee has been especially dominant up the middle. He is averaging 5.3 yards per carry up the middle, which is the fourth-best average in the NFL. He converted 26 first downs and had five carries of 20-plus yards.

As part of Denver’s varied offense with Tebow running the show, McGahee also has been effective out of the shotgun formation. According to ESPN Stats & Information, he has the second-most rushing yards out of the shotgun this season with 388.

Expect the Broncos to force a heavy dose of McGahee against Pittsburgh in all running situations as they try to build a comfort level for Tebow and try to kill the clock.

McGahee’s teammates know what a key he has been and how important he will be against the Steelers. The nine-season veteran has earned his teammates' respect for being a grinder.

“He rarely gets tackled by one person,” Broncos tight end Dante Rosario said. “You always see his legs churning and he’s always trying to get that extra yard.”

McGahee has dealt with several nagging injuries this season. He did miss one game, but he has kept coming back for much more work than he was originally tabbed for this season.

“The guy works hard,” rookie tackle Orlando Franklin said. “He’s always here; he’s doing rehab all the time. He’s doing treatment. He’s always looking to get better, whether it’s in the ice tub, whether it’s watching film, whether it’s running extra gassers. He definitely works hard, and he proves it on the field. It’s definitely paying off for him.”

The Broncos’ top-ranked run game will face off against the NFL’s No. 1-ranked defense (and the No. 8-ranked run defense). Pittsburgh allowed an average of 99.8 yards per game. McGahee has often said he feels that he gets stronger as the game progresses. That will need to happen Sunday if the heavy-underdog Broncos (8-8) are to have a chance of beating the Steelers (12-4).

Broncos coach John Fox hopes McGahee can win a battle of attrition against the Steelers.

“There’s a wear-down effect on your opponent, as well,” Fox said of McGahee’s impact on opponents earlier in the season. “It’s like body blows in a heavyweight fight. They might take their toll, maybe not in the first five rounds but in the last five rounds. Part of that’s just a culmination of sticking to it and pounding it until you open it up.”

That has been the story of McGahee’s unexpected success all season.

Denver kicker Matt Prater was named the AFC special teams player of the month for December.

He was 5-of-6 on field-goal tries in the month and he made both of his attempts from 50-plus yards. Both of those field goals came late in an overtime win over Chicago. He made all four of his attempts in the fourth quarter or in overtime. He is 28-for-29 in those kicks in his career.

In other AFC West nuggets:

Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. ranks the 12 offenses and defenses in the playoffs in an Insider piece. The Broncos didn’t do real well.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter looks at some of the obstacles the Raiders may be facing. The San Francisco Chronicle looks at whether the Raiders improved in 2011 after another 8-8 season in 2010.

The San Diego Union Tribune looks at the chances of the Chargers signing free-agent receiver Vincent Jackson to a long-term deal instead of giving him the franchise tag.

San Diego returner Richard Goodman was named the AFC special teams player of the week. He had a kick return for a score over Oakland on Sunday.

San Diego general manager A.J. Smith discusses the recent turn of events in San Diego.

Denver receiver Demaryius Thomas talks about the Broncos’ challenge Sunday against Pittsburgh in a radio interview.

The Raiders likely asked permission to talk to the Ravens’ Eric DeCosta about their general manger opening. Green Bay’s Reggie McKenzie reportedly interviewed Wednesday. Oakland is expected to interview several other candidates.

Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said he suffered “a little setback” in his recovery from an ankle injury when he played against Cleveland on Sunday.

"I had a little setback early in the third quarter," Roethlisberger told reporters in Pittsburgh on Wednesday. "We’re working really hard with the trainers and doctors to get back to even where we were before the Cleveland game. I felt pretty good going in and moved a little bit at the beginning of that game. It’s a little setback but we’ll get moving."

Roethlisberger and the Steelers play at Denver in a wild-card game Sunday. The 12-4 Steelers are heavy favorites against the 8-8 Broncos, who have lost three straight games. Yet, the Steelers are already playing without running back Rashard Mendenhall and safety Ryan Clark. With Roethlisberger still gimpy, perhaps the home team has some hope.

There’s no doubt Roethlisberger's play has been affected by the injury. Since the injury he has completed 56 of 96 passes (58.3 percent) for 729 yards. He has thrown one touchdown and four interceptions for a 68.4 passer rating.

In other AFC West news:

• Baltimore linebacker Terrell Suggs takes some shots at Denver quarterback Tim Tebow and the Raiders.
• ESPN’s John Clayton looks at the potential quarterback options for Denver in 2012 if the team moves away from the struggling Tebow after the playoffs.
• There wasn’t a big AFC West representation on Clayton’s All-Pro team.
• ESPN columnist Ashley Fox looks at the Chargers’ decision to keep Norv Turner as coach.
• Denver linebacker Von Miller has dropped on ESPN.com’s rookie watch. Miller has been essentially playing with one arm because he is wearing a cast after undergoing thumb surgery in late November.

A look at a dominant victory for the surging San Diego Chargers:

What it means: The Chargers are not dead yet. They have now won three straight games and are in the midst of yet another late-season charge. This was impressive because the Chargers knocked around an elite AFC team. This is the Chargers’ team we’ve been waiting to see. San Diego has outscored its last three opponents by a combined score of 109-38. San Diego is now 7-7. It trails Denver by a game and the Broncos own tiebreakers over the Chargers, but the Chargers are alive in the division and wild card race. The Chargers are now 20-2 in December and January games under Norv Turner since 2007.

Barnes storms: San Diego pass-rusher Antwan Barnes had himself a night. He had four sacks and the Chargers dropped Ravens’ quarterback seven times.

Rivers stars again: After struggling for the first 10 games, Rivers has been outstanding for the past month. He hasn’t thrown an interception in his past four games after throwing 17 in the first 10 games. Rivers he was 17 of 23 for 270 yards and a touchdown Sunday.

Mathews misses 100: San Diego running back Ryan Mathews had 90 yards on 26 carries. It broke a streak of three straight games of him rushing for 100-plus yards.

What’s next: The Chargers play at Detroit on Saturday in the final AFC West-NFC North making of the season. Both teams have playoff hopes.

Just how long can this Denver Broncos circus act last?

It is officially time to wonder what kind of damage the Broncos could administer if they actually get into the playoffs -- and how they match up against the best teams in the AFC.

After going 7-1 with Tim Tebow as the quarterback and riding a six-game winning streak (including the past four games in which they trailed in the fourth quarter, only the second time in history that has happened), the Broncos are on pace to win the AFC West and be the No. 4 seed. Denver -- which has a 78.8 percent chance of making the playoffs, according to ESPN.com's Insider Playoff Predictor -- leads Oakland by one game in the AFC West. If Denver beats Kansas City at home in Week 17, the Raiders will have to finish with a better record than the Broncos to win the division because of tiebreakers.

The Broncos will face their greatest challenge of the Tebow run Sunday, when they host 10-3 New England. In the most anticipated game of Week 15, we stand to find out a lot about the Broncos, who are winning with a wicked combination of Tebow’s late brilliance, the league’s best running attack, timely, stiff defense and clutch special teams play, all guided by first-year coach John Fox and his staff in one of the best coaching runs in the NFL this season.

Denver doesn’t necessarily have to win this game to win the division, but if the Broncos can stick with the Patriots, it could send quite a message about their readiness for January football. Because Denver is winning with complete football, it is taking on the look of a team no one wants to see on the same side of the playoff bracket.

“My head says it will end this week, but my heart says they have a real shot,” Gary Horton of Scouts Inc. said. “I think it’s going to end every week, and then it just goes on. I talk to a lot of smart football people every day and no one has any answers for it. But we’re buying in. I think this game against New England should be the end, but I can also see Denver pulling it off.”

Part of the phenomenon that has been the Broncos' season is the evolution of expectations for them. After a 45-10 drubbing by Detroit on Oct. 30 in Tebow’s second start, the Broncos were 2-5 and had the look of a team that would be picking in the top five and looking for a new quarterback in the offseason. Analysts gave the Broncos no chance. And they weren’t alone: I remember talking to several people in the Broncos’ organization that day, players included, and despair hovered over the team.

Since that day, however, the Broncos have mesmerized the league and caused several analysts to change their tune. ESPN analysts and previous Denver skeptics such as Merril Hoge, Steve Young and Trent Dilfer all said on the air this week that they are buying into what Tebow and his teammates are doing. When asked on ESPN this week if he could see Denver ending up in the Super Bowl in less than two months, analyst and former NFL head coach Herm Edwards responded this way: “I can’t say no."

Beyond the comebacks, the Broncos are answering a lot of questions. Against Oakland (a 38-24 win) and Minnesota (35-32), they proved they can outscore teams. Against Chicago, Denver proved it can win when Tebow has to throw 40 times. And Denver is 5-0 on the road with Tebow as the starter. What might make Denver tough to beat in the playoffs is that it is playing at a high level in all areas, as this ESPN Stats & Information post explains.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick said he is not taking the Broncos lightly going into Sunday’s game.

“They’re a good football team and they’re playing great,” Belichick told reporters this week. “They’re well-coached; solid team. Defensively they do a lot of things well. They run well. They have good pass-rushers, cover well. They’ve made a lot of big plays, third-down stops, short-yardage, goal-line, red area, turnovers. They’ve made them all at the right times. They’re real good on special teams, good coverage team, good kickers and good returners. Offensively they do a good job of running the ball, getting it down the field. They have a lot of long passes. Again, they’ve made the big plays when they had to in critical situations at the end of the game, fourth quarter, overtime, third down, all those kind of things. They’re at the top of their game.”

How Denver hangs with New England should provide some gauge of its playoff hopes. But what about against other AFC big hitters -- Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Houston?

“It’s like the Patriots, I don’t like their chances,” Horton said. “But then again, I do like their chances because of what the Broncos have done in the past six weeks. I think Denver’s strategy in every game will be to keep it low.”

Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. doesn’t think Tebow could win in the playoffs against the Ravens, Steelers or Texans.

“I can’t say I see Tebow doing well at all against any of these three defenses,” Williamson said.

Haven’t we been saying that for weeks?

“I’m dumbfounded," Horton said. “But I’m not going to underestimate Denver anymore. Maybe they won’t do anything if they get to the playoffs, but did you ever think we’d even be talking about them having a chance at the playoffs this late in the season?”

The great flex fight that held two AFC West teams hostage has been resolved.

CBS gets to keep its Tebow fix. NBC and CBS were fighting for the right to show the New England at Denver game on Dec. 18. NBC wanted to flex the game, even though it never protected the game. The deadline for the decision was 12 days before the game.

While the deadline was broken, it was announced Wednesday that the Baltimore at San Diego matchup will remain the primetime game in Week 15. Denver-New England will stay at a 4:15 p.m. ET start.

ESPN’s "SportsCenter" is planning to dedicate an entire hour-long program to the Tim Tebow phenomenon. Barring major breaking news, the show from 2-3 p.m. ET Wednesday will be dedicated to the young Denver Broncos quarterback. Tebow has brought his team into the playoff mix by winning six of seven starts this season and five games in a row.

Here are some of segments that are planned for the show:

• Highlights of Tebow’ comebacks.
• Josina Anderson reports live from the Broncos facility.
• Jerry Rice will break down Tebow’s development as a passer.
• Steve Young will discuss Tebow’s future and how the Broncos should handle him.
• An Ed Werder feature: “Winning the Tebow Way."
• The debate over Tebow with Skip Bayless.
• The top-10 Tebow moments, which will include his Florida days.
• An examination of Tebow’s impact on fantasy football.

Meanwhile, Fox and CBS are reportedly battling over broadcasting Denver’s game against visiting New England on Dec. 18. NBC wants to flex the game to the Sunday night game. The game is currently set to start at 4:15 p.m. ET on CBS. The current night game is Baltimore at San Diego.

However, CBS and the Patriots are reportedly fighting the flex. The deadline is 12 days before the game. However, the Ravens tweeted the final decision will be made Wednesday.

According to ESPN’s playoff predictor, which is an Insider piece, the Denver Broncos are in line to make the playoffs, while the Oakland Raiders are not.

The two teams are tied for first place in the AFC West at 7-5. Denver has a 61 percent chance to make the playoffs are projected to be the No. 4 seed. Oakland has a 38 percent chance to make the playoffs and is projected to be on the outside looking in. It is exactly how the current standings look. If the playoffs started today, because of tiebreakers, Denver would win the division and the Raiders would not qualify for a wild-card spot.

Oakland entered Week 13 in great shape with a 67 percent chance of making the playoffs, but after getting steamrolled in Miami, the Raiders could be in trouble. Still, Oakland can get right back on track with a big win at 12-0 Green Bay on Sunday.

There is still a quarter of the season remaining. Anything is possible.

In other AFC West nuggets:

Denver quarterback Tim Tebow is earning a nice bonus.

Baltimore expects legendary linebacker Ray Lewis to return from a toe injury that has kept him out for three weeks in Week 15 at San Diego.

The Raiders looked at a couple of linebackers.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that defensive lineman Trevor Pryce is visiting the Raiders.

Pryce and the Raiders are expected to talk about a contract; the right deal could land Pryce with the team soon.

Pryce is 36 and he was last with the Jets last season; he previously starred for Denver and Baltimore. He is a leader and has a lot of experience. He’d fit in Oakland’s locker room. He was in Baltimore when Oakland coach Hue Jackson was an assistant.

Pryce would play both defensive end and defensive tackle for Oakland in a rotational situation. It might be a stretch to think he is a full-time player at this point, but he can help. The Raiders defense has struggled badly this season, so adding Pryce could be worth it.

In other AFC West news Thursday night:

Denver rookie starting right tackle Orlando Franklin practiced Thursday after the death of his younger brother Wednesday. He was excused from the team Wednesday, but the fact he was back at practice Thursday is a sign that Franklin is on pace to play Sunday. He has started every game for Denver this season.

Kansas City left tackle Branden Albert is not a fiery guy. But he took on a leadership role when his team needed him the most, during Sunday's victory over Minnesota, the Chiefs' first of the season.