ESPN AFC West Blog

Posted by ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson

Kansas City activated running back Kolby Smith off the physically unable to perform list as expected. Smith should get some action Sunday against Jacksonville as he backs up Jamaal Charles. Charles is starting due to a one-game suspension being served by Larry Johnson.

Should Charles and/or Smith play well against Jacksonville, Johnson’s role with the team could lessen.

To make room for Smith, Kansas City waived veteran receiver Bobby Engram. Engram was signed in the offseason to be a veteran leader, but he had little impact. Engram, 36, played in five games and had just five catches this season.

• Ty Law may play Monday against Pittsburgh, 48 hours after signing with Denver.
• Denver defensive lineman Ryan McBean was ruled out of the Pittsburgh game with a knee injury. LeKevin Smith will start in his place.
• Oakland had a visit with defensive lineman William Joseph on Friday. Joseph has bounced on and off the Raiders’ roster this year.

	Getty Images
	Josh McDaniels and Mike Tomlin, two of the youngest head coaches in the league, face off on Monday night in Denver.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson

When Josh McDaniels and Mike Tomlin face each other Monday night for the first time as head coaches, the football world will watch two of the game’s brightest young coaches at work.

Observers will also see two men who took strikingly similar paths.

McDaniels and Tomlin are bright, engaging men who worked their way up from being small-school athletes to Super Bowl-winning, coveted assistant coaches. Both took over for Super Bowl-winning legends in cities steeped in football tradition.

“These are two similar guys,” said retired safety John Lynch, who played under both McDaniels and Tomlin during his career. “Both Mike and Josh are highly intelligent, strong-minded football men. They really are similar.”

As we prepare for a pivotal AFC matchup in Denver, let’s look at the career paths taken by these 30-somethings who look as if they will be roaming the sidelines for a long time:

Age

McDaniels: 33 (33 when hired).

Tomlin: 37 (34 when hired).

The playing field

McDaniels: The son of a legendary high school coach in Canton, Ohio. He went to John Carroll, where he was a receiver.

Tomlin: Grew up in Newport News, Va. Tomlin was a standout receiver/tight end at William & Mary.

Reputation

McDaniels: A great quarterback coach who uses an energetic, friendly personality. But he’s not afraid to hurt feelings for the greater good of the team, and can be stern when needed. He’s a detail-oriented coach who has a firm grasp of the X's and O’s part of the game.

Tomlin: A high-energy, never-say-die defensive-minded coach whose brain is like a sponge. He craves football knowledge. He is not afraid to challenge stars to be better.

The other side of the ball

Last week, I spoke with Gary Horton of Scouts Inc., who said he was impressed by McDaniels’ ability as a defensive coach. McDaniels has a strong knowledge of defenses, Horton said, enabling him to prepare his offensive players for what to expect. McDaniels has experience coaching on defense and Tomlin has some history coaching on offense.

McDaniels: He was a defensive assistant in New England for 2002-03. He worked with the defensive backs in 2003.

Tomlin: In 1995, he was the receivers coach at VMI and in 1997, he coached the receivers at Arkansas State.

Highlights as an assistant

McDaniels: He was with the Patriots during all three of their Super Bowl-winning seasons. He was the offensive coordinator when the team went 16-0 in the regular season and set an NFL record for scoring.

Tomlin: Tomlin was Tampa Bay’s defensive backs coach when it won the Super Bowl in the 2002 season. In 2006, he turned around Minnesota’s defense in his one season as a coordinator.

Highlights as a head coach

McDaniels: The Broncos won their first six games this season despite being expected to be a bottom-feeder in McDaniels’ first season. Denver is 6-1 and McDaniels is a favorite for the NFL Coach of the Year award.

Tomlin: Taking over for Bill Cowher, Tomlin cemented his own name in Pittsburgh’s history by winning the Super Bowl last year in just his second season as a head coach.


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Posted by ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson

I am headed to Denver for Monday night’s game against Pittsburgh.

Coming off a 23-point loss at Baltimore, the 6-1 Broncos will need to show they can bounce back. This will be a very intriguing game in which Denver will have to play very well in to win.

Sunday, I will have coverage from the Chargers’ trip to the New York Giants in which Philip Rivers will face Eli Manning for the first time (the two were the centerpieces of a 2004 draft-day trade) and the Chiefs’ game at Jacksonville.

The Chiefs are playing without running back Larry Johnson, who is serving a one-game suspension by the team after he made gay slurs. The Raiders are on a bye.

Please check back Sunday for pre, in and post-game coverage.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson

To make room for 35-year-old cornerback Ty Law, Denver jettisoned 24-year-old cornerback Jack Williams. Williams played in all seven games this season. He was splitting time as the nickel cornerback with rookie Alphonso Smith. Williams was a fourth-round pick in 2008.

Law

The move reunites Law with new Denver coach Josh McDaniels. McDaniels worked with the defensive backs early in his tenure in New England and he worked closely with Law.

Denver is very happy with starting cornerbacks Champ Bailey and Andre Goodman. But the nickelbacks have struggled some. So, Law was brought in to help in nickel and dime packages.

Still, the release of Williams is somewhat risky. The team only has four cornerbacks and three are over 30. If Denver suffers an injury at the position, it could regret releasing Williams, who likely will garner interest on the waiver wire Monday.

There’s no doubt Law is a better player than Williams right now and this move shows that McDaniels is serious about fixing problems. Denver’s pass defense had one bad game, last week at Baltimore, and McDaniels made a move.

That’s admirable. McDaniels is clearly comfortable with Law and he felt Williams wasn’t getting the job done. It’s another reminder that McDaniels has a short leash with players from the Mike Shanahan era. He’s going to try to win on his terms.

So far, it’s worked so it's difficult to criticize. But there’s a risk factor here.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson

We’re starting a new video series. This week, we’re trying a video mailbag.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson

Denver defensive lineman Ryan McBean may not play Monday night against Pittsburgh with a knee injury. LeKevin Smith is set to start in his place.

In Kansas City, safety Jon McGraw is doubtful to play Sunday at Jacksonville with a thigh injury and guard Mike Goff is questionable with a shoulder injury.

Kansas City coach Todd Haley explains a sign that has made headlines this week.

San Diego linebacker Shawne Merriman sits down for an interesting interview with the San Diego Union Tribune.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson

Nick Hardwick will not play Sunday at the New York Giants, after all.

The San Diego Chargers have declared the standout center out for Sunday’s game. There was some thought that Hardwick could play for the first time since Week 1 when he practiced some with the first team offense this week. He started practicing lightly last week.

Yet, Hardwick didn’t practice Friday. He could have a chance to play Nov. 15 at home against Philadelphia. Hardwick had ankle surgery after being hurt in the season opener at Oakland.

Meanwhile, starting inside linebacker Kevin Burnett is questionable to play Sunday with ankle injury that kept him out of the past two games. He didn’t practice Friday. His backup, Tim Dobbins, is doubtful with a knee injury he suffered last week.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Posted by ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 9.

	Kyle Terada/US Presswire
	Philip Rivers goes head to head with Eli Manning on Sunday.

Rivers-Manning I: When does a San Diego crowd treat an opposing quarterback worse than a New York crowd would? When he spurns them. There is little chance Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers will be booed Sunday like Giants quarterback Eli Manning was booed when he played in San Diego in 2005. Rivers will likely just get the usual treatment an opposing star gets from Giants fans. New York doesn’t hold anything against Rivers. It was Manning’s reluctance to play in San Diego that spurred the draft-day trade in 2004 that sent Manning to New York and Rivers to San Diego. Manning was the No. 1 overall pick and Rivers was the No.4 pick. Manning has been a public enemy in San Diego since, while Rivers has grown into the face of the franchise. This will be the first time in the NFL these two players started against each other.

Run Jamaal, run: The Chiefs are just looking for a reason to lessen Larry Johnson’s load. Jamaal Charles could be the reason. Charles will likely get several carries Sunday in Jacksonville while Johnson sits out during a one-game team suspension. Charles played well in the Chiefs’ last game, Oct. 25 against San Diego. The second-year player is a speedster who is intriguing. With Johnson’s situation tenuous, Charles could increase his work load the rest of the season with a good performance Sunday.

Can Chargers benefit from the curse of Antonio Pierce? Ever since Pierce blasted the Raiders, the Giants have been awful. Call it the Curse of Pierce. The Chargers are hoping it lasts another week. The Giants have lost three straight games, twice by more than 20 points, since beating Oakland 44-7. After that game, Pierce said playing the Raiders was like playing a “scrimmage,” and he was amazed by how listless Oakland’s players were. The words offended several Oakland players and the Giants haven’t won since.

Tough test for Denver tackle: Denver right tackle Tyler Polumbus will make his first start Monday night against Pittsburgh. His first challenge: LaMarr Woodley, who had 11.5 sacks last season. Polumbus probably also will see some of reigning NFL defensive player of the year James Harrison. Good luck, kid. Polumbus got a taste of life in the NFL last week when he subbed for the injured Ryan Harris. Polumbus had to deal with Baltimore’s Terrell Suggs, and did decently. Polumbus could be in the lineup for three weeks.

Tough stretch for San Diego begins: The Chargers got back on the winning track with wins over lackluster Kansas City and Oakland teams to improve to 4-3. Now, life gets a little tougher as the Chargers start a stretch in which they play at New York, host Philadelphia and then at Denver. If the Chargers are going to get back in the AFC West race (Denver leads San Diego by two games), they will have to play well during this stretch.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson

Josh McDaniels has often said he has modeled his head-coaching career from the New England Patriots way.

Friday, he gave another example of how he lives life the Patriot Way.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting veteran cornerback Ty Law will sign a contract with the Denver Broncos. Law was with McDaniels in New England. McDaniels coached the defensive backs, and Law, in his early years in New England.

New England coach Bill Belichick always loved bring in veteran players and McDaniels is gearing up for the second half of the season by bringing in the savvy Law.

It remains to be seen how much Law can help. He hasn’t played all season and he is 35. But Law always takes good care of himself and he could help down the stretch.

Expect Law to play in nickel-and-dime defensive packages. With Law, Denver has an awesome leadership in the secondary to go along with cornerback Champ Bailey and safety Brian Dawkins.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson

We have a consensus winner in this week’s “You pick it” feature.

Readers liked the story that saw receiver Chris Chambers be cut from San Diego on Monday and claimed by division rival Kansas City on Tuesday. The other storylines were Kansas City running back Larry Johnson being suspended for one game by the team for using gay slurs and allegations by women that Oakland coach Tom Cable physically abused them in the past.

While the Johnson and Cable stories could potentially develop further, I agree with the readers that the Chambers’ story is the tale of the week. I always like it when the big story is related to the field and this was big for both San Diego and Kansas City. The Chiefs have desperately been looking for veteran receiver help, and perhaps Chambers, who struggled this season, will be the answer.

Below are some of your responses. Thanks to everyone who participated.

Jason from Kansas City: It’s the Chambers’ story. Chris Chambers being cut from the Chargers and picked up by AFC West rival Kansas City is big. He could be the answer we’ve been looking for all season at the position.

Brad from KC: The Larry Johnson story is big because he may have played his last down as a Chief. There is a chance the team will handle this like the Eagles handled Terrell Owens his last year there.

Steve Sibiski from Oceanside, Calif.: Chambers to KC is the story of the week. Can he repeat what he was able to accomplish in SD? He brought stability and good work ethic that helped in the development of the SD wr's.

Nick from Nebraska: This week's headline would have to be Chambers going to Kansas City, because he could be a big-play wideout that the Chiefs desperately need. I know most people will probably say the Cable allegations, but I don't see much coming out of those because it isn't something that just happened. All that happened was we found out about it.

	Jeff Lewis/Icon SMI
	Chargers receiver Vincent Jackson has established himself as one of the top weapons in San Diego’s offense.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson

Nnamdi Asomugha was one of the last Oakland players to leave the visitor’s locker room Sunday after a loss to San Diego. While putting on the finishing touches to his designer outfit, Asomugha discussed the talents of one of the best players on the field that day.

“I really like Vincent Jackson,” Asomugha said. "I just like his game. He plays with a lot of confidence. He knows he’s going to make a play. I think he is on his way [to becoming an elite receiver]. If he continues to work hard, he’ll get there.”

Asomugha’s praise is high. The astute cornerback is probably the best in the NFL and is also a top-flight student of the game.

Jackson has been one of the most productive receivers in the NFL this season and the fifth-year veteran is becoming dominant. He gave Oakland fits Sunday, catching seven passes for 103 yards. He had five catches, including a touchdown, on one series.

At 6-foot-5, 240 pounds with excellent speed for a receiver, Jackson can be hard to contain. He can take over games. He is San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers’ favorite target and the two have become one of the best tandems in the NFL. Jackson is superior in both the possession game and in the deep game.

With Jackson’s size, speed and production, Rivers believes the 26-year old Jackson deserves to be considered one of the game’s brightest receivers.

“He’s as good as there is in my opinion,” Rivers said. “He’s right up there with anybody in the league at going to attack the football down the field … You want to get him as many opportunities as you can.”

Jackson, who has 13 catches for 245 yards in the past two games, is third in the NFL in receiving yards with 664 yards on 37 catches. He has five touchdowns. He has converted first downs on 32 of his receptions. His 86.5 first-down percentage rate is the highest in the NFL among players who have 31 or more catches. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Jackson, a second-round pick from tiny Northern Colorado, is fourth in the NFL among receivers with three plays of 40-plus yards. He also does not have a dropped pass this season.

Jackson thrives on being a complete receiver.

“I try to be as dynamic a receiver as I can be,” Jackson said. “I don’t want to be known as just a big guy who is going to go catch the 40-yard bomb. I want to be a third-down guy, a possession guy. I think I had a couple catches on third down the last couple weeks, some slants and stuff like that. They can move me around and put me anywhere and match me up. I think that really helps us out as an offense.”

Jackson’s effect on the offense is wide-ranging. He has become a focal point as the Chargers have become much more of a passing team than a running team. He also has taken pressure off of Pro Bowl tight end Antonio Gates. Gates is facing a lot more single coverage now that Jackson has exploded.

Opposing teams are noticing Jackson for many reasons. Foremost is that he is a pending free agent. If there isn't a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), Jackson will be a restricted free agent. If there is a new CBA, Jackson will be an unrestricted free agent. San Diego has several pending free agents, but Jackson is becoming the team’s biggest free-agent priority.

Whatever happens, Jackson is sure to break the bank. He probably will get a contract north of the six-year, $48 million deal Atlanta’s Roddy White signed in August.

But don’t expect Jackson to talk about his contract push. He doesn’t talk about much.

In an era of the diva receiver, Jackson is a throwback. He doesn’t make waves and he’s known in the organization for his study habits and solid blocking in the running game. He is not Ochocinco or T.O.

Jackson doesn’t feel as if he’s missing anything by straying from the norm of today’s big-talking receiver.

“And I’m OK with that. I enjoy that,” Jackson said. “Staying under the radar is not a problem when we have so many big-name guys on this team and very talented football players. I’m just doing my job, blending in, staying even keel and having fun out there.”

ESPN legal analyst Lester Munson and the San Francisco Examiner's Art Spander discuss Tom Cable's future in Oakland.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson

San Diego linebacker Kevin Burnett practiced some Thursday, which may be a sign he can play Sunday against the Giants. Burnett has missed the past two games with an ankle injury. The Chargers are thin at inside linebacker and could really use Burnett on Sunday.

• Denver defensive lineman Ryan McBean did not practice Thursday with a knee injury.
• Kansas City safety Jon McGraw didn’t practice with a thigh injury. He may have difficultly playing Sunday, which would weaken an already thin safety crew. Speaking of safeties, here is a look at the resurgence of Bernard Pollard in Houston. It seems the Chiefs may regret giving up on him so soon.
• San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers talks about his short time as a member of the New York Giants in a radio interview.
• Here is an interesting chart that looks at the strength of every AFC team’s remaining schedule.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson

The National Organization for Women is calling for Oakland head coach Tom Cable to be suspended while the team investigates abuse allegations.

This ratchets up the pressure on both the Raiders and the NFL to do something about this. Both the team and league are reviewing the allegations. But as long as the court of public opinion chimes in, this story will not go away.

Greg Garber has an excellent piece on the Jacksonville Jaguars’ attendance woes on ESPN.com. If you look at it, the Raiders aren’t much better off.

The Jaguars have suffered four blackouts this season and they are averaging 45,000-plus fans a game. In three of their four home games, Oakland has been blacked out. The Raiders sold out their opener, but have had fewer than 46,000 fans for their other home games, including a crowd of 38,000-plus in their last home game.

Because of the Raiders’ poor record, there is a chance the team will have to deal with a local television blackout for the rest of the season. The Raiders have a solid fan base and they likely won’t leave Oakland again, but the Raiders aren’t in much better shape than the Jaguars are as far as attendance goes.

There is talk that former Baltimore coach Brian Billick could end up in Oakland next season if there is a coaching change. If Oakland could get a coach of the caliber and experience of Billick, it needs to jump at the chance. I think Billick may get a better offer, though.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson

These fans are not alone. There is a petition against Johnson making the rounds.

Kansas City Chiefs fans have spoken about running back Larry Johnson and they don’t have much good to say.

This week’s sound-off question asked if the Chiefs fans wanted the team to cut ties with Johnson or give him another chance. Johnson is serving a suspension this week after using gay slurs and questioning Kansas City coach Todd Haley’s credentials. Johnson has also had off-field issues in the past while with the Chiefs.

Nearly every Chiefs fan who responded wants him to be shipped out of town. Not only has Johnson been a distraction off the field, but Johnson, who’ll turn 30 this month, has slowed down on the field. These fans are not alone. There is a petition against Johnson making the rounds.

I understand why fans feel this way. The combination of Johnson’s off-field issues and on-field lack of production doesn’t make him very attractive in Kansas City.

Below are some of your responses. Thanks to everyone who responded:

Eric from Kansas City, MO: Larry Johnson has got to go. I cannot stand the thought of him becoming the Chiefs' all-time rushing leader this season. I have gone through my boys' closets and threw the two Johnson jerseys that were hanging there in the trash after his latest outburst/whine. This guy has been nothing but problem #1 in the clubhouse since he was drafted. If the Pioli/Haley regime is serious about 'character' of players then he should never play another game for this once-proud franchise.

Mike M from Omaha, NE: It is time to let go of the Larry Johnson era in K.C. this guy has been nothing but a problem for the Chiefs the past few seasons with all of his off the field issues. It is one thing if you are voicing your displeasure and putting up numbers but this guy is doing nothing of the sort. All that being said I do not think that we have a better option at RB but the ends doesn't meat the means at this point.

Eric Owens from Orange, TX: Pioli & Haley need to send this cancer packing! His off the field behavior has been appalling, and his on the field performance does not come anywhere near justifying the headache (or his paycheck). LJ still has a chance to be productive somewhere behind a significantly better O-line, but given the weakness of the Chiefs' line, they'd be better served by somebody like Charles who seems to have the capability to be more elusive rather than LJ's plodding style.

Rob from Union, NJ: Hi Bill. As a life-long Chiefs fan, I believe that they have to move on from Larry Johnson. Johnson gave the team some good years, but his time has passed, and his attitude doesn't help his case. I think the Chiefs owe it to the fans to move on, so that they can evaluate the young running backs already on the roster. Thanks.

John O from Dallas, TX: I hope LJ never plays another down KC. I'm sick of his antics, his attitude, and they way he falls down and plays dead in front of every defender like he's sliding into first base. He's been worthless since he got the big payday.

Clint from KCMO: If larry could run the ball as much as he runs his mouth maybe he could be more productive than 2.5 yards a carry and would at least have a touch down by now. I say dump him let see what Jamaal Charles can do given an adequate opportunity.


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