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The Kansas City Chiefs were interested in Alabama safety Mark Barron, who went four picks before they made their choice in the first round.

In the end, though, the Chiefs may have still gotten a safety from Alabama. The Chiefs took DeQuan Menzie in the fifth round.

He played cornerback at Alabama and did a nice job. But he doesn’t have great speed and may project to safety. He is a smart player who knows how to make plays. I think this could be a player to watch develop in the next couple of years and it is another SEC pickup by Kansas City general manager Scott Pioli, who craves players from that conference.

In other AFC West news:

• The Raiders picked up an extra seventh-round pick when they traded a fifth-round pick (148th overall) to Detroit for the 158th and 230th overall picks. The Lions took small-school cornerback Chris Greenwood at No. 148. Oakland was studying him. Yet, it seems the Raiders want another late pick to add to the bottom of the roster.
• For all new season tickets purchased and paid for in full from May 1 to June 30, the Raiders will donate ten percent of the gross ticket purchase price to the Oakland Unified School District.
• At No. 158, the Raiders drafted Penn State defensive end Jack Crawford. He projects to be a rotational pass-rusher. He fits into both the 4-3 and 3-4 so he will fit the Raiders’ versatile group of front seven players.

In our AFC West chat earlier Thursday, I was flooded with questions about the possibility of Denver pursuing Detroit defensive tackle Nick Fairley in a trade.

I can see why the question was asked.

Defensive tackle is Denver’s greatest need. Denver vice president John Elway admitted that the Broncos considered packaging several draft choices to nab a falling Fairley during the 2011 draft. Fairley dealt with injuries as a rookie and he didn’t make much of an impact. He was arrested this week on marijuana charges.

Again, I get why the question was so popular Thursday. Still, I question if a trade would occur.

The Lions’ coaching staff likes Fairley and it foresees him being part of a dominant front line, so he very likely would be difficult to obtain.

Also, he’d probably be expensive for Denver to get if it wanted him. He was the No. 13 overall pick last season, so I’m sure the Lions would want a first-round pick this year. Would he be worth the No. 25 pick to Denver? Maybe, but again, there would be a lot of obstacles to get over first beginning with the Lions making him available.

I broached the idea with Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. and he didn’t see a great fit.

“It seems strange to me, as Detroit just used a high draft pick on the guy,” Williamson said. “He was hurt a lot last year, so I don’t think we ever saw the true Fairley. But I do think he is a much better interior pass-rusher than run defender. At the right price, sure, but why would Detroit give up on him so quick? And I think Denver needs more of a run plugger.”

Oakland general manager Reggie McKenzie talked to reporters during Stanford’s pro day on Thursday.

McKenzie dropped several nuggets:

Oakland's plan is indeed to move Stefen Wisniewski from left guard to center. That became apparent when the Raiders re-signed guard Cooper Carlisle. He is expected to play left guard and newly signed Mike Brisiel will be the right guard. McKenzie left open the possibility that the team could yet bring in a center — but I’d expect Wisniewski to be the center and for him to do well there.

McKenzie said the Raiders have less than $4 million in salary-cap room. But because Oakland still needs another player or two — and must account for its rookie class — there always could be some more restructured deals.

McKenzie said the Raiders need an outside linebacker. Oakland hopes to get No. 97 as a compensatory draft pick for several free-agent losses in 2011 and that’s where it could look. Manny Lawson, who can play defensive end and linebacker, has also caught the Raiders’ eye.

It sounds like McKenzie is starting to focus on the draft and is looking at free agency to add depth in a few spots. It seems that other than outside linebacker, the Raiders feel pretty set with their starting lineup.

McKenzie indicated that the team will address the backup situations at quarterback and running back at a later date. I would like to see the Raiders upgrade at tight end. Brandon Myers or David Ausberry will likely vie to start at this point.

In other AFC West news:

Kansas City linebacker Jovan Belcher signed his restricted-free-agent tender.

San Diego free-agent linebacker Everette Brown signed with the Lions. He was used little last year and the Chargers had no plans to bring him back.

In a news conference to introduce Robert Meachem, Chargers coach Norv Turner said the former New Orleans Saint is a No. 1 receiver and that’s the plan in San Diego. Meachem was signed to a four-year, $25.9 million deal on Tuesday night, hours after former San Diego No. 1 receiver Vincent Jackson bolted for Tampa Bay on the strength of a five-year, $55.5 million deal.

Meachem was a rotational player in New Orleans, but he has 4.3 speed and he is strong in the vertical game which is a focus in San Diego with Norv Turner and quarterback Philip Rivers. If Meachem can stay healthy, he should make an impact. He is not Jackson, but he can help this team. It's clear Turner is expecting big things from Meachem.

Another cornerback is off the market when Richard Marshall signed with Miami. Opportunities for Oakland are getting fewer. The Raiders do have interest in St. Louis’ Ronald Bartell.

Former San Diego left tackle Marcus McNeill will visit the Lions on Thursday. He was cut because the team owed him a large roster bonus and there were concerns about his neck injury that ended his season prematurely in 2011.

As expected, center Nick Hardwick will play in 2012.

Whether it will be with the San Diego Chargers is up to the team. Hardwick is a free agent and he raised questions about his future late in the season when he said he was considering retirement. Yet, Hardwick, 30, told UT San Diego that he will play in 2012. It would have been a major shock had Hardwick retired.

Hardwick told the paper he wants to stay in San Diego and I fully expect the Chargers to re-sign him.

It appears San Diego will have more continuity on the offensive line than it could have had. The paper reiterated that guard Kris Dielman is expected to play. There was a chance he could retire because of a serious concussion that ended his season early. The team is expected to cut left tackle Marcus McNeill and it could re-sign Jared Gaither or draft a tackle with the No. 18 pick.

In other AFC West news:

The Raiders have a connection to one of the bigger name free agents on the market. New Oakland defensive line coach Terrell Williams coached Detroit defensive lineman Cliff Avril at Purdue. Avril will be one of the best players on the market. Avril, who could be franchised in Detroit, could play linebacker in a 3-4 if the Raiders would be interested in that situation.

Still, other needs and a potential limited salary cap could make Avril a tough get in Oakland.

Former Oakland cornerback Stanford Routt met the media during his visit with Buffalo on Monday and declined to focus on his time with the Raiders. Oakland cut him on Monday. Routt will visit the Chiefs on Tuesday.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The Denver Broncos lost two games by a score of 45-10 this season. They were two lopsided bookends in an unpredictable journey that ended Saturday night.

In between not looking anything like a playoff team during an Oct. 30 home loss to Detroit and a season-ending thumping at the hands of the much better New England Patriots, the Broncos reinvented themselves and became a team with hope for the future.

“It may be hard to see it now after an embarrassing loss,” Denver tight end Daniel Fells said in a quiet Denver locker room Saturday night, “but there is something there. ... We did something this year that was unexpected, and there is something good to look forward to in the future.”

That future very likely will include Tim Tebow.

In a season in which Tebow became a household name in non-sports-centric households and in which he became a sport's lightning rod like we’ve rarely seen before, the Broncos’ season ended with Tebow not being the story.

While Tebow, who was just 9-of-26 passing for 136 yards, didn’t do much to help his team, Saturday night’s game was not a Tebow type of game. The Denver Broncos became an unlikely playoff team this season because they played smart, hard football in all three phases of the game in their victories. It became evident early Saturday that the allure of Tebow would be quickly overshadowed by the sheer brilliance of Patriots QB Tom Brady and the stunning dominance of second-year New England tight end Rob Gronkowski.

Tebowing became a national craze and a phrase used daily. On Saturday, though, the Broncos were sent packing because they were Bradyed and Gronked.

Brady tied an NFL postseason record with six touchdown passes, and his 363 passing yards were a team playoff record. Gronkowski had 10 catches for 145 yards and three touchdowns. TebowMania might be cute, and it might be legitimate in the fourth quarter (and overtime) of close games. But it wasn’t that type of party Saturday night.

Brady and company were bent on letting the rest of the NFL playoff field know they are tired of being considered a postseason antique. They’re hunting for their first Super Bowl victory in seven years, TebowMania be damned.

While Denver’s season ended in a fashion that usually would sting an organization, there wasn’t a sense of despair in the locker room. It seemed the players knew this was a season of progress and it was a success, everything considered.

When Denver introduced John Fox as its coach a year ago Friday, there was no way anyone could have imagined the Broncos would advance to the final eight and beat the defending AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers in the playoffs. This was a team that had the No. 2 overall pick in the 2011 draft. The rebuilding project seemed like it would take years.

That assessment didn’t change when Denver started the season 1-4 before inserting Tebow at quarterback.

“People wanted to close the book on the Broncos,” receiver Matthew Willis said. “But we kept fighting.”

It all changed after the home loss to Detroit when Fox adjusted his offense to Tebow’s skill set and used the option offense. The Broncos’ offense transformed through the season and adjusted on the fly.

Now, the ride is over and the Broncos must look toward the future.

Tebow said Saturday night that he must become more accurate and consistent, and he plans to soon start working on what will be his first full offseason as an NFL player. Legendary Denver quarterback John Elway, who is now the Broncos’ football leader, has said he plans to personally work with Tebow in the offseason, focusing on improving the youngster’s footwork.

Elway was in Denver’s locker room after the game and appeared satisfied with the season. He wasn’t ready to chat about the future and has yet to confirm the Broncos will ride with Tebow as their quarterback in 2012. Don’t be surprised, however, if the Broncos commit to Tebow soon.

That’s the direction the players want the team to take. Several Denver players said Saturday night that they believe Tebow will continue to make strides and he is the answer at quarterback.

“He’s our guy,” Denver rookie safety Rahim Moore said. “Our team jells around him. He is only going to get better.”

That could be said of the entire Denver roster. This is a work in progress. Brady and New England’s offense showed there is still much work to be done in Denver defensively. The Patriots compiled 509 yards of offense and took their foot off the gas in the second half after leading 35-7 at halftime.

Denver needs help on both sides of the ball. But there is no denying this is a well-coached team that tasted unexpected success in a season that might just be scratching the surface of TebowMania, if that’s even possible.

The AFC West-NFC North season slate is over. The two divisions split the season series at 8-8.

In a weird AFC West season, last place Kansas City (6-9) had the best record against the NFC North, highlighted by being the only team to beat Green Bay this season. The Chiefs were 3-1 against the NFC North. Denver was 2-2, Oakland 2-2 and San Diego was 1-3 against the NFC North. Detroit was 4-0, Green Bay was 3-1, Chicago was 1-3 and Minnesota was 0-4 against the AFC West.

Thanks to ESPN Stats & Information, here are some keys statistics in the season series:

The series had a margin of victory of 14.0 points. It was the second highest margin of victory in the inter-conference battles this season next to the AFC South against the NFC South, which had a 16.8 point margin of victory.

The AFC West-NFC North series had the most points per game average of any of the four series at 49.1 points per game.

The AFC West-NFC North matchup had 10 games decided by seven points or less, the most of the non-conference division matchups. The AFC West went 8-2 in those games.

Yet, there were also plenty of blowouts in the series this season. The AFC West-NFC North matchup had five games decided by 25 points or more, tied for most of the non-conference division matchups. The AFC West was 0-5 in those games.

The AFC West plays the NFC South next season.

What it means: The Chargers will not make the playoffs for the second consecutive season. San Diego is 7-8 and has been eliminated from the race. The Chargers were smoked after coming into this game on a three-game roll in which they outscored their opponents by a combined 109-38. San Diego was never in this game as Detroit lead 24-0 at the half.

Are Turner and Smith gone? There was a report in the San Diego Union-Tribune on Saturday that ownership was impressed by the Chargers’ turnaround in December and it was reconsidering whether to fire coach Norv Turner. General manager A.J. Smith is also on the hot seat. But after this poor performance, I think the plans for Turner to be fired are probably back on. Smith could also be entering his final week in San Diego. I think the only way Turner would have been safe, if San Diego didn’t make the playoffs, was if the Chargers could have finished 9-7.

Rivers slips: After not throwing an interception in the past four games, Philip Rivers threw two interceptions Sunday. He has thrown 19 picks this season.

Defense slides: Detroit moved the ball at will and ran away from the Chargers. The San Diego defense never challenged the Lions.

Gates sets record: San Diego tight end Antonio Gates had four catches and became the Chargers’ all-time leading receiver, moving ahead of Hall of Famer and current San Diego assistant coach Charlie Joiner.

What is next: The Chargers can play spoiler next Sunday in Oakland, where the Raiders are trying to make the playoffs as either the AFC West champion or as a wild card. Oakland is looking to sweep the Chargers for the second consecutive season.

The San Diego Chargers will have star receiver Vincent Jackson available as they try to keep their playoff hopes alive Saturday at Detroit.

Jackson is active after not practicing all week with a groin injury. There was concern he wasn’t going to be able to play. Jackson is paramount to San Diego’s offense, which has been surging for the past three games, in which it has outscored opponents by a combined score of 109-38.

San Diego’s offense has dealt with many injuries this season, but it has been clicking in recent weeks with players like Jackson, receiver Malcom Floyd and tight end Antonio Gates healthy. After struggling for the first 10 games, Philip Rivers has flourished for the past month with a healthy receiver crew.

Jackson has 56 catches for 1,036 yards and eight touchdowns. He is 13 catches, 132 yards and two touchdowns from establishing new career highs.

Just as Philip Rivers had all his top receiving options healthy, a potential problem arises.

Star receiver Vincent Jackson did not practice all week with a groin injury and he is listed as questionable to play Saturday at Detroit. The team is worried he may miss the game, although the final decision will be made at game time.

The Chargers are fighting to stay alive in the playoff race. San Diego’s offense has dealt with many injuries this season, but it has been clicking in recent weeks with players like Jackson, receiver Malcom Floyd and tight end Antonio Gates healthy. After struggling for the first 10 games, Rivers has flourished for the past month with a healthy receiver crew.

Jackson has 56 catches for 1,038 yards and eight touchdowns. He is 13 catches, 132 yards and two touchdowns from establishing new career highs.

Meanwhile, linebacker Travis LaBoy is out for San Diego with a knee injury and defensive tackle Antonio Garay is questionable with a toe injury.

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

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 16:

Will the Denver Broncos' playoff hopes get buffaloed again? Good thing there aren’t many players from the 2008 Broncos team still in a Denver uniform. The situation is eerily similar. The Broncos are playing the Buffalo Bills in Week 16, just as they did three years ago. Like that game, Denver can clinch a playoff berth this week against a Buffalo team that has lost seven of eight. In '08, the Bills entered the Denver game having lost seven in a row. What happened in that Week 16 meeting in 2008? The Bills came back and won a close game, preventing the Broncos from being able to clinch a playoff berth. The Broncos couldn’t get the job done and the 14-season run of former head coach Mike Shanahan era was suddenly over. Will the Bills mess with another Denver playoff push this year?

Last AFC West-NFC North game is meaningful: The AFC West’s matchup against the NFC North ends Saturday when the San Diego Chargers play at the Detroit Lions. Both teams are trying to keep playoff hopes alive with a victory. That may be a bad sign for San Diego. It is 1-3 against the NFC North this season, while Detroit is 3-0 against the AFC West. Overall, the AFC West is 8-7 against the NFC North this season. Last-place Kansas City has the best record against the division at 3-1, while Denver and the Oakland Raiders both went 2-2. The AFC West plays the NFC South next season.

Hue can’t get his Haley revenge: We are missing a fun Christmas Eve storyline because the Kansas City Chiefs fired coach Todd Haley last week. Oakland coach Hue Jackson had some words for Haley after a 28-0 Kansas City win in Oakland in October. After the game, Jackson wouldn’t say what his problem with Haley was, but he did say the Raiders would get their second chance against the Chiefs. It was a chippy game the first time, with several players being fined for their actions. Expect tensions to be even higher this time around with both teams trying to keep playoff hopes alive.

Will Dareus get back at the Broncos? Prior to the season, Buffalo rookie defensive lineman Marcell Dareus said he had the Bills’ Christmas Eve game against Denver circled. Dareus was offended the Broncos didn’t draft him with the No. 2 pick and said he wanted to show the Broncos what they missed. Dareus was one of a handful of defensive players the Broncos considered, but they ultimately opted for Texas A&M linebacker Von Miller. Dareus was scooped up by the Bills with the next pick and has been solid. The Alabama product has 38 tackles and 5.5 sacks so far. The Broncos, however, are not second-guessing their choice. Miller has 11.5 sacks and is a major building block for the franchise going forward. He is the favorite to win the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

Chargers' bosses working for jobs: The Chargers have won three straight games to improve to 7-7. Their playoff hopes are still alive, but their odds are not great. Still, because the Chargers have made some noise, people are wondering if San Diego general manager A.J. Smith and coach Norv Turner will be retained even if the team’s playoff push comes up short. While missing the playoffs a second straight season would be disappointing, both Smith and Turner have done good things during their stay in San Diego and this late surge is a reminder of it. Smith has led the Chargers to division titles in five of his eight years with San Diego, and he is five wins from becoming the most successful general manager in team history. Turner has the best regular-season winning percentage (48-30, .615) in team history, ahead of the likes of Sid Gillman, Don Coryell and Marty Schottenheimer.

A look at a devastating loss for the Oakland Raiders.

What it means: This defeat was absolutely crushing for the Raiders. They were poised to pull into a first-place tie with Denver, which lost by 18 at home to New England. However, a late Detroit rally kept Oakland a game behind Denver in the division. It was also a major blow for the Raiders’ wild-card chances. Oakland has now lost three straight games and is 7-7.

A man named Suh: In his first game back from a two-game NFL suspension, Detroit defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh got a hand on a 65-yard field goal attempt by Sebastian Janikowski as time expired. Welcome back, big fella.

Late disaster: We’ve seen the Raiders’ defense collapse like this before. But this was bad. Oakland had a 27-14 lead, but the Lions scored twice in the final 4:59, including a touchdown with 49 seconds to go. It culminated a 98-yard drive that started with 2:11 remaining in the game.

Palmer mostly good: The good news for the Raiders is quarterback Carson Palmer had a bounce-back game. He couldn’t extend a late drive, but he had a real nice day. Palmer completed 32 of 40 passes for 367 yards. He did not throw an interception. He went into the game with 13 this season.

Big day for receivers: Detroit receiver Calvin Johnson (who caught the game-winning touchdown) had nine catches for 214 yards. Oakland’s Darrius Heyward-Bey had eight catches for 155 yards. Heyward-Bey needs to be more consistent but he is capable of good things.

Penalties a plenty: We knew this was coming. Oakland came into the game leading the NFL in penalties and Detroit was fourth. Oakland committed 10 penalties for 86 yards and Detroit was flagged nine times for 72 yards.

What’s next: Oakland plays at Kansas City on Saturday. The Chiefs beat the Raiders 28-0 in Oakland in October.

The Raiders placed cornerback Chris Johnson on the reserve/non-football illness list Saturday. Johnson’s sister was shot to death and his mother was wounded in an attack in Texas recently; Johnson has been traveling back and forth from California.

The Raiders signed defensive end Mason Brodine to the 53-man roster to fill Johnson's spot.

In other AFC West news:

The Patriots ruled out Deion Branch, Patrick Chung, Shane Vereen, Brandon Spikes and Sebastian Vollmer for Sunday’s game at Denver.

Denver signed safety Kyle McCarthy and cut fullback Quinn Johnson. McCarthy was cut earlier in the week. The Broncos are banged up at safety — starter Brian Dawkins is questionable with a neck injury that knocked him out of the Chicago game and held him out of two days of practice.

Detroit safety Louis Delmas has been downgraded to out for Sunday’s game at Oakland.

Offensive coordinator Bill Muir is back to the press box to call the game as the Chiefs shift from the Todd Haley regime to the Romeo Crennel regime.

Gunther Cunningham, who spent many years in the AFC West before landing in his current gig as Detroit defensive coordinator, is looking forward to going back to the Black Hole on Sunday with the Lions.

Major kudos to Oakland quarterback Jason Campbell for continuing to be a stalwart in the community after being injured. It’s been a tough season for Campbell, but he’s handled the situation with immense class.

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

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 15:

Tebow in the fourth quarter: The most compelling storyline of the Denver Broncos' 7-1 journey with Tim Tebow as their quarterback has been the team’s ability to overcome deficits in the fourth quarter. The Broncos have trailed in the fourth quarter in all of their past four games and won them all. They are the second team in NFL history to accomplish that feat. There’s no doubt, Tebow is a special player at the end of the game and it will be the New England Patriots' job Sunday to keep him from starring late. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Tebow is second in passing yards in the fourth quarter and overtime with 691 yards. He is tied for fourth with five fourth-quarter touchdown passes and he is fourth in yards per pass attempt at 8.6 yards. He is also tied for second in passing first downs with 32 after the final quarter starts. Tebow is completing a league-worst 37.5 percent of his passes from inside the pocket in the first three quarters. His pocket completion percentage in the fourth quarter, you ask? A strong 64.4 percent. There is no denying Tebow is a much different, much better quarterback when it most counts.

An epic penalty battle? Ndamukong Suh’s first game back from a two-game NFL suspension highlights a battle between two of the NFL’s most penalized teams when the Detroit Lions and the Oakland Raiders play Sunday. The Raiders are the most penalized team in the NFL and the Lions are fourth. Oakland has been penalized 130 times for 1,116 yards, Detroit 105 for 894 yards. Oakland is on pace to set records for the most penalties and most penalty yards in NFL history. The 1998 Kansas City Chiefs were penalized 158 times for 1,304 yards. Oakland is on pace for 160 penalties for 1,373 yards. Thanks to ESPN Stats & Information for these numbers.

Rivers is starting to click against stacked defensive backfields: San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers has improved immensely the past three weeks. One area in which he has made big strides is against a stacked secondary. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Rivers has thrown five touchdowns and no interceptions against defensive sets featuring at least five defensive backs in the past three games. In his first 10 games, Rivers had a minus-6 TD-interception differential in such defenses. Rivers has thrown 17 interceptions this season, all in the first 10 games.

Wiegmann about to hit remarkable milestone: Kansas City center Casey Wiegmann is on pace to play his 11,000th consecutive snap Sunday against Green Bay. He has played 10,966 snaps in a row dating to 2001. Think about that. For Wiegmann to play that many consecutive snaps at a position where there is significant physical engagement on every play is stunning. Wiegmann, who is undersized at about 280 pounds, has started 172 straight games dating to September 2001. The streak could be coming to an end soon. There is a chance Wiegmann, 38, will retire after the season. He has considered retirement the past couple of years.

Stopping the Gronk: While so much attention has been given to Tebow, one of the main reasons Denver has won six straight games is its defensive success. If the Denver defense is going to contribute to a win over the Patriots on Sunday, it must keep star tight end Rob Gronkowski from taking over. That won’t be easy. Gronkowski has 71 catches for 1,088 yards and a whopping 15 touchdowns. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Denver hasn’t had to deal with intense tight end receiving play this season. Denver has faced the second-fewest tight end targets in the NFL. It has allowed 46 completions to tight ends on 67 attempts -- a completion percentage of 68.7 that is ranked 23rd in the NFL. It has allowed five touchdowns to the tight end, which is tied for 12th in the league. Stopping the tight end must be a priority Sunday.

Here are some areas the Oakland Raiders need to focus on after a 46-16 loss at the Green Bay Packers on Sunday:

Recap: It’s been a tough two weeks for Oakland. It lost at the Miami Dolphins and Green Bay by a combined score of 80-30. It was completely blown out of both games. Oakland trailed, 31-0, at halftime Sunday. It was the Raiders’ worst halftime deficit ever in the regular season. Oakland is now 7-6 and it trails Oakland, 7-5, by a game in the AFC West with three games to go. If the Denver Broncos beat the Kansas City Chiefs at home in Week 17, the Raiders will have to finish with a better record than the Broncos to win the division because of tiebreaker reasons. I wouldn’t say Oakland is facing an insurmountable playoff challenge, but it does need to start playing better.

Biggest area to fix: Take your pick. The defense was outclassed and Oakland’s penalty problem persisted as it was flagged 11 times for 89 yards. However, we’re going with quarterback Carson Palmer who has played poorly the past couple of games. Palmer has thrown 13 interceptions and nine touchdowns since joining the Raiders in October. The Raiders traded for him because they thought he was an upper-level player. It’s time for him to show it.

Biggest area to build on: Oakland ran the ball better than it did in the previous two games and had 117 yards on 29 carries. It wasn’t a great effort, but it was a step in the right direction in an area that is crucial to Oakland’s success.

What to watch for: The Raiders’ home game against the Detroit Lions will be in the spotlight since it is defensive lineman’s Ndamukong Suh's first game back after a two-game NFL suspension after he stomped a Green Bay offensive lineman on Thanksgiving.