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The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced its 17 finalists for enshrinement in 2012. The vote will be held February 4.

Three of the finalists have AFC West ties. Five others were part of the nine semifinalists to get knocked out of contention Saturday: Denver’s Steve Atwater, Terrell Davis and Karl Mecklenburg, former San Diego coach Don Coryell and former Oakland executive Ron Wolf.

Let’s take a look at the three finalists among the 17 who spent significant portions of their careers in the AFC West. Here they are:

Tim Brown, WR -- 1988-2003 Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders

Will he get in? Brown will get in, but it may take some more time because of the logjam at receiver, whether it’s right or not. Cris Carter could block him this year.

Willie Roaf, T -- 2002-05 Kansas City Chiefs

Will he get in? I would not be shocked if Roaf gets in within the next couple of years.

Will Shields, G -- 1993-2006 Kansas City Chiefs

Will he get in? I think Shields goes to Canton in his first time on the ballot.

» 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.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced its 26 semifinalists for enshrinement in 2012. The list of 26 will be pared to 17 finalists in January and the enshrinement vote will be held in February.

Let’s take a look at the eight candidates among the 26 who spent significant portions of their careers in the AFC West. Here they are:

Steve Atwater, S, -- 1989-98 Denver Broncos

Will he get in? I don’t think Atwater will be in enshrined this year.

Tim Brown, WR -- 1988-2003 Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders

Will he get in? Brown will get in, but it may take some more time because of the logjam at receiver, whether it’s right or not.

Don Coryell, coach -- 1978-86 San Diego Chargers

Will he get in? The late coach has his supporters, but his candidacy may be difficult.

Terrell Davis, RB -- 1995-2001 Denver Broncos.

Will he get in? Davis’ short career remains his biggest challenge.

Karl Mecklenburg, LB -- 1983-1994 Denver Broncos

Will he get in? I’d call him a big long shot to make it in 2012.

Willie Roaf, T -- 2002-05 Kansas City Chiefs

Will he get in? I would not be shocked if Roaf gets in in the next couple of years.

Will Shields, G -- 1993-2006 Kansas City Chiefs

Will he get in? Shields has a real chance of being elected in his first year on the ballot.

Ron Wolf, Contributor -- 1963-1974, 1978-1990 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders

Will he get in? Wolf had a long career and is best known for his days as the Packers’ general manager. I think he has a shot.

The Professional Football Researchers Association has announced its final candidates for election into the Hall of Very Good. The group honors players and coach who had accomplished careers, yet who are not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It began in 2003.

The Class of 2011 will be announced by the end of the year.

Three players with AFC West ties are among the finalists. They are former Raiders’ receiver Cliff Branch, former Chargers’ and Chiefs’ running back Paul Lowe and the late former Denver coach Lou Saban.

The late former San Diego coach Don Coryell was elected to the Hall of the Very Good last year.

My thoughts on this honor? Why not? Of course, it doesn’t carry the weight and prestige of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But any honor former these former NFL contributors is a nice gesture.

What key event significantly changed the fortunes of the Chargers -– for better or worse? Give us your take and we’ll give you our definitive moment May 24.

The Chargers got a great steal when they nabbed Oregon QB Dan Fouts in the third round of the 1973 draft. Fouts and coach Don Coryell made San Diego’s "Air Coryell" offense famous. Fouts was a premier gunslinger, and while the Chargers never made it to the Super Bowl under his guidance, they were one of the most dangerous teams in the NFL during his heyday.

The Chargers’ lone Super Bowl performance, a lopsided loss to San Francisco in Super Bowl XXIX, is a bad memory. But it was a part of team history.

The Chargers set themselves up for a productive decade with the selection of running back LaDainian Tomlinson in the 2001 draft. He became the NFL’s best running back for a time and was the face of the franchise until his release in 2010.

In 2004, the Chargers made the best of Eli Manning's desire to not play for them. San Diego held the No. 1 pick, took Manning and then packaged him in a deal with the New York Giants that brought QB Philip Rivers to the Chargers. Rivers has developed into the new face of the franchise in San Diego.

If you have a better option than what we have listed, hit Other in the SportsNation poll and let us know in the comments section.

Mid-week mail call:

Carlos from Chicago wants to know if I think former San Diego coach Don Coryell will ever be elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Bill Williamson: I think it might be tough. I know there was a push to get Coryell into the Hall of Fame when he was still alive. He was a finalist last year. Coryell died at the age of 85 in July and was not a finalist this year. I have a feeling that Coryell may not get in for some time and his best bet may be as a Senior Committee nominee.

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Phil Smith from Kansas City wants to know if I think there is a chance for greater punishments to Denver stemming from its SpyGate incident last season.

BW: The NFL has reserved the right to further punish Denver if more information came out. The team and former coach Josh McDaniels were fined heavily for the incident in which the team video director filmed a San Francisco walk-through practice the day before the two teams played in London. The video director was fired. I have a feeling that no further punishment will be levied. I think the entire subject was put to rest when Denver fired McDaniels nine days after news broke of the scandal.

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Tony from St. Louis wants to know if I think Todd Haley will end up calling the plays in Kansas City.

BW: ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported that Haley hasn’t made up his mind on whether he will call plays. Even though Haley promoted offensive line coach Bill Muir to offensive coordinator, I still expect Haley to end up calling the plays. He was offensive coordinator in 2009 after he fired Chan Gailey. This situation will be different because Muir will run the offense during the week, allowing Haley to spend more time with the overall team. But I think on game days, Haley will end up being the primary play caller.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced 17 finalists for election in 2011. The vote will be held in February.

Just three players with AFC West ties are on the list, while four people with AFC West ties were eliminated.

Here are the finalists who spent to a big portion of their careers in the AFC West:

Tim Brown, wide receiver: Raiders, 1988-2003

Willie Roaf, tackle: Chiefs, 2002-05

Shannon Sharpe, tight end: 1990-99, 2002-03 Broncos

Oakland punter Ray Guy, Oakland cornerback Lester Hayes, former San Diego coach Don Coryell and Denver running back Terrell Davis did not make the cut from the semifinalist list of 26.

I wouldn’t be surprised if any of the three AFC West players get enshrined, with perhaps Sharpe having the best chance in his third year of eligibility. The candidacy of the four AFC West men who were eliminated took a big hit. All four will have difficulty getting elected.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced 26 semifinalists for election in 2011. The list will be pared down to 15 finalists. The vote will be held in February.

Here are the semifinalists who spent to a big portion of their careers in the AFC West:

Tim Brown, wide receiver: Raiders, 1988-2003

Don Coryell, coach: Chargers, 1978-86

Terrell Davis, running back: 1995-2001 Denver Broncos

Ray Guy, punter: 1973-1986 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders

Lester Hayes, cornerback: 1977-1986 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders

Willie Roaf, tackle: Chiefs, 2002-05

Shannon Sharpe, tight end: 1990-99, 2002-03 Denver Bronco

Brown, Coryell and Sharpe made big runs last year. I wouldn’t be shocked if one of the three, perhaps Sharpe, is enshrined this year. Sharpe and Brown will eventually get in at some point, and both probably should be in now. Roaf is also a real possibility.

Davis and Guy also might get in, but it could take a while. Guy has a lot of support because he was a dominant player, but still some people have been reluctant to vote for a punter. I think that is an outdated opinion. Guy changed games. He was a major contributor to the NFL and he deserves recognition.

Oakland Raiders guard Robert Gallery could potentially miss Sunday’s game against visiting St. Louis with a hamstring injury he suffered in the loss at Tennessee.

Oakland coach Tom Cable told reporters that Gallery’s situation will be resolved in the next two or three days. Oakland should prepare to play without its top offensive lineman. Playing without Gallery would not bode well for a unit that struggled badly and didn’t give new quarterback Jason Campbell much of a chance to throw to his receivers in the 25-point loss to the Titans.

However, Oakland may have some good news. Running back Michael Bush practiced fully Wednesday. If Bush doesn’t have any setbacks, he has a chance to play Sunday. He broke his thumb Aug. 28 and didn’t play at Tennessee.

Meanwhile, Oakland cut returner Yamon Figurs, and Johnnie Lee Higgins and rookie Jacoby Ford will be the return men. Figurs fumbled the opening kickoff at Tennessee, but Oakland did recover it.

• Kansas City defensive lineman Tyson Jackson, who played well against the Chargers on Monday, didn’t practice with a knee injury. He could miss a game or two.

• Denver offensive lineman Ryan Harris (ankle) and Chris Kuper (knee/ankle) didn’t practice Wednesday. Harris didn’t play in the season opener.

• The Chargers may face several blackouts, including the home season opener against Jacksonville. The Chargers have dealt with several close calls, but have managed to sell-out 48 straight games.

• Check out some of Ron Jaworski’s book on the Air Coryell days. Good stuff.

• Where does Tim Tebow rank on the list of backup quarterbacks. This ESPN.com column says he’s the No. 2 No. 2. What do you think?

San Diego linebacker Shawne Merriman is doubtful to play Monday night at Kansas City, according to the San Diego Union Tribune.

Merriman’s foot is in a protective boot. He has been dealing with an Achilles tendon problem since mid-August shortly after he ended his holdout.

Since Merriman hasn’t practiced much, San Diego likely won’t be in a lurch because players such as Larry English and Antwan Applewhite have been getting significant practice time.

Backup quarterback Billy Volek is probable after sitting out the week with a knee injury.

Meanwhile, the Chargers announced they will honor former coach Don Coryell and former defensive tackle Gary “Big Hands" Johnson. Prior to next week’s home opener against Jacksonville. The Chargers will wear helmet decals to honor the two men.

Let’s catch up on some notes on a busy Thursday in the AFC West:

San Diego linebacker Shaun Phillips is going to have to deal with a civil trial during the season.

Football Outsiders looks at the history of recovery times from torn pectoral injuries and concludes there is little chance Elvis Dumervil will return this season.

Former Denver defensive coordinator Mike Nolan has kind words for his former boss, Denver coach Josh McDaniels.

All sentiment aside , here is a column that says the late Don Coryell is not worthy of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Kansas City rookie receiver/returner Dexter McCluster has been impressive in training camp.

A Colorado family named Tebow is interested in the newest Colorado resident named Tebow.

Oakland rookie defensive lineman Alex Daniels is trying his hand at fullback. When I was at Oakland’s camp last week, Daniels routinely won his heat in the post-practice 100-yard runs.

Kansas City rookie tight end Tony Moeaki continues to be very impressive.

Denver Broncos

Quarterback Brady Quinn and receivers Brandon Lloyd and Jabar Gaffney are looking to revive their careers in Denver.

In 1982 John Elway had a fling with the New York Yankees. George Steinbrenner tried to convince the young Elway to don pinstripes, and the future Hall of Fame quarterback spent the summer playing right field for the Class-A Oneonta Yankees.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs profile their undrafted rookie offensive lineman Lemuel Jeanpierre.

Oakland Raiders

The Raiders announced the signing of cornerback Walter McFadden, who was picked in the fifth round.

San Diego Chargers

The NFL has suspended Pro Bowl wide receiver Vincent Jackson for violating the league's substance abuse policy. Jackson, who does not plan to appeal the suspension, will miss the first three games of the season.

More than 2,000 people attended an emotional memorial for former Chargers head coach Don Coryell.

Denver Broncos

Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow is on the cover of EA Sports' "NCAA Football 11" video game.

NESN.com's Jeff Howe previews the 2010 Denver Broncos.

Kansas City Chiefs

Yahoo! Sports' Jason Cole ranks the Chiefs' linebacking corps 25th in the league, writing: "Tamba Hali is a nice pass rusher, but when he’s the best you’ve got, your team is in trouble." The rest of the AFC West fares better in the rankings.

It was Chiefs defensive end Wallace Gilberry's turn to hold a football camp this weekend.

For some reason, a Sand Springs man has written a theme song for the Chiefs called, "Chop it Up."

Inspired by Lebron, Bob Gretz looks at the Chiefs who got away.

Oakland Raiders

Bo Jackson, speaking to the L.A. Times, defended Raiders owner Al Davis saying, "This is a man who would have fought a lion with a switch to defend his players."

The Daily Californian catches up with former Cal great Nnamdi Asomugha.

Alabama Press-Register's Mike Herndon writes the NFL could learn a lesson from the JaMarcus Russell ordeal.

San Diego Chargers

The San Diego Union-Tribune has some more memories of former coach Don Coryell. A memorial for Coryell will be held Monday.

In addition to the Broncos, NESN.com's Jeff Howe also previews the 2010 San Diego Chargers.

We had a shutout in our “you pick it” feature this week. Readers believe the story of the week was the death of former San Diego coach Don Coryell. He died at the age of 85.

The other candidates was San Diego receiver Vincent Jackson being suspended for three games after two arrests for drunken driving and trade talks surrounding Jackson.

I have to agree with the readers. Coryell was a legend and a huge part of the AFC West’s history. The Jackson story is just getting started. There’s plenty to develop there.

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

Rob from Houston: AFC West Story Lines: Coryell Dies at 85. Don Coryell's death really hit me because I have been a Charger fan for over 40 years. I remember how he took a mediocre Charger team and transformed them into an elite unit that was respected throughout the league. While he is known for his great offensive innovations that transformed the NFL, many forget he coached one of the best defensive teams in the NFL between 1978 and 1980. If it had not been for the team owner and general manager getting rid of key defensive players, the Chargers would have likely won several Superbowls under Don Coryell. I wish he had been voted into the Pro Football HOF before he died.

Jason from Puyallup, Wash., writes: I think Don Coryell passing away before making it into the HOF is a tragedy. I remember when I was 6 years old and my dad telling me to "take a look at this offense" and being in a state of awe as I watched Dan Fouts throw the football down the field. Don's strategies changed the way football was and is played now. No one can deny the influence Don created with his wide open schemes and mismatches. Most of the HOF voters seem only to care about superbowls and championships. They need to look at the entire picture and realize what a true visionary Don was.

Tony from San Diego: The story of the week is coach Coryell passing away, He was a living legend.

Jorge from La Jolla: It has to be Don Coryell dying. There wouldn’t be the San Diego Chargers without him.

Dalton from Aurora, Co.: In regards to the story of the week, I don't consider Vincent Jackson's suspension the most interesting story, especially in reference to the fact that he's planning to hold out beyond that period of time anyways, making the suspension null and void. It also makes trade talks less interesting because the suspension reduces Jackson's value and trade possibilities. The death of Coryell has to take it. He was a respected man not just in San Diego, but throughout the NFL. He deserves the top spot, despite such honors being less than he deserves. A good man and a good coach. R.I.P.

It is clear many San Diego Chargers fans have strong memories of Don Coryell, who who coached San Diego from 1978-86, and was known as an innovator in the passing game. His Chargers’ offenses were known as “Air Coryell.”

Coryell died at the age of 85 Thursday. Coryell was a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame last in February. He is still eligible for enshrinement. It is clear many San Diego fans think he belongs in the Hall of Fame, and I agree with them.

Here are some of your sound-off responses as we asked for your favorite memories of Coryell. Thanks to everyone who participated:

Kurt from San Diego: The man should be in the HOF. Coryell has never gotten his due. He changed the game forever. The modern passing tree numbering system, the I formation, QB & WR reading defenses and adjusting routes accordingly while the play is still occuring, forcing the development of the nickel and dime defenses, H back/TE postions used like never before, using man in motion on almost every play... the list goes on. Superbowls are over-rated and the HOF selection obviously has politics involved. The game would not be what it is today without Coryell. He was an intense competitor who loved his players and loved the game. He deserves to be elected. It is sad though that it will come after his death. RIP AIR CORYELL!

R. Roberts from Hanford, Calif.: I was lucky enough to watch Don Coryell's last 4 years with SDSU and then again with the Chargers. Thanks for all the Joy, the Tears and all the fun you gave me and San Diego. Thanks

Josh from Mission Viejo, Calif.: Coryell's greatest accomplishment: give Dan Fouts 2883 passing yards in 9 games and Wes Chandler 1032 receiving yards in 8 games during the shortened 1982 season. If they played at that level for a full season, Fouts would have had 5125 passing yards, and Chandler would have had 2064 receiving yards

Tommy from L.A.: I’ll always remember those great passing teams of the early 1980s. My Chargers were a lot of fun to watch and coach Coryell was the reason why. Long live “Air Coryell.”

Mike from Fresno: Coach Coryell was the greatest. Put him in the HOF.

Charger Kerry from Louisville: My first encounter with "Air Coryell" came via the radio when I was 8 years old....My mother was driving me home from my Grandpa's house in Chicago, IL to our home in Louisville, KY...Somewhere in the middle of Illinois we lost all stations except the broadcast of "THE GREASTEST GAME EVER PLAYED"....We listened to every play and I was fascinated with Dan Fouts, Charlie Joiner, Kellen Winslow, etc.....I remember losing the signal just as we made the last turn into our neighborhood shortly after the game winning kick to give the Chargers the victory....I spent the next few months buying all the football card packs I could find and pretending to be Dan Fouts in every neighborhood football game we played that year....The next season I watched the two or three games and fell in love with the Chargers...I don't miss a game on TV nowadays and have attended several road games over the years including taking my son to his first Charger's Game this past Christmas in Nashville, TN.....All I can say is thank you for the many many memories you have created for me in my lifetime and the many more to come....Godspeed to Heaven and may your journey to Canton be as quick as your offense!