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Random thoughts of the Kansas City Chiefs’ 14-10 loss to visiting St. Louis on Friday night:

• It is clear Kansas City coach Todd Haley doesn’t put a premium on the preseason. The Chiefs are now 1-10 in the preseason in three seasons under Haley. The Chiefs take the preseason simply as a time to get some repetitions. I can’t blame Haley nor do I think it is a bad sign of things to come. I have never been a believer in the importance of winning in the preseason. I can’t be counted among those who are freaked out by the lack of spunk shown by the defending AFC West champions in this string of August football.
• The Chiefs clearly weren’t interested in being the kings of summer Friday night. The Rams were better on both sides of the ball. Kansas City quarterback Matt Cassel was 6-of-13 for 59 yards and running back Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones -- who led the way for the NFL’s No.1 run offense last season -- were held to a total of eight yards on four carries.
• Meanwhile, the Chiefs’ defense allowed Sam Bradford to pass for 95 yards in a limited duty and it allowed Steven Jackson 72 yards on the ground. The Chiefs’ first-team defense allowed the Rams’ only two scores. Are these offensive and defensive deficiencies cause for concern? Time, of course, will tell, but I don’t think so. It is obvious Haley doesn’t like to show much this time of year.
• What I do take seriously in the preseason is penalties. It is a matter of discipline. That tone has to be set early. The Chiefs had eight penalties for 55 yards. That needs to be cleaned up.
• Running back/receiver Dexter McCluster continued to get a lot of action. He had five catches for 37 yards. Expect to see him a lot third down.
• Rookie Ricky Stanzi made strides as he pushes Tyler Palko. Stanzi led the Chiefs’ only touchdown drive. He threw for 121 yards. Palko also had a solid game as he threw for 92 yards. It was the second decent games for both players as they try to convince the Chiefs not to go out and get a veteran backup for Cassel.
• The Chiefs’ offensive line improved. The Rams had just two sacks. Last week, the Chiefs allowed five sacks against Baltimore.
• Jared Gaither played some at left tackle. That is a good sign. If he can stay healthy, expect him to be in starting lineup at some point.
• Third-round pick Justin Houston continued to look impressive. Expect him to be in the mix for serious playing time early in the season.
• It was a good learning night for second-round pick Rodney Hudson. He played the first half at left guard and he played the second half at center. He is going to have a role and his versatility will help the line.
• Underrated Kansas City punter Dustin Colquitt was his usual fantastic self. He pinned the Rams inside their own 10-yard line four times.

There was a juicy AFC West nugget dropped last week while I was on vacation that I’d like to circle back to. While appearing on a Denver radio station, Kansas City punter Dustin Colquitt unscrewed the cork on one of the most salacious stories in the division in 2010.

We all remember the image of Kansas City coach Todd Haley refusing to shake hands with former Denver coach Josh McDaniels and then pointing his finger in McDaniels’ face after a Denver win against the Chiefs last season.

There was speculation that Haley was accusing McDaniels of some form of cheating. Haley would never say. Colquitt believes that was the case.

Colquitt said this to Denver radio station KCUV: “I don’t know if I can answer that within the locker room, but I know that it has something to do with the Spygate, the videotaping. All the stuff like that. And I think Haley was like, ‘Listen, based on that game I can tell what you are doing, and you are cheating.’”

Wow, that’s pretty strong stuff.

The incident happened after the Broncos’ Spygate incident in London in October, but before the incident became public. McDaniels was fired nine days after the incident became public. Denver was 3-9 at the time of his firing. He was fined by the NFL after the team’s former video director filmed a San Francisco walk-through the day before the teams played.

The league found no evidence McDaniels was aware of the filming or that he watched the film. McDaniels was in New England when the Patriots were in the center of the first Spygate scandal.

“I think it was just a culmination of rumors and (McDaniels) had been involved in that in New England possibly before, and so Todd was just kind of saying, ‘Look, with the game plan we had and what you guys already knew we were gonna do, this is,’ basically saying it was ‘bush, bush, league,’” Colquitt told the station.

What does all this mean now? Nothing. McDaniels is out of Denver and Haley has never talked publicly about why he exploded at McDaniels. Haley apologized for his actions. Colquitt’s comments won’t change anything, but it is still interesting to hear his thoughts and it reaffirms what many folks suspected.

This is the ninth in our series of position-by-position rankings. It is a little different this season because we’re ranking the players before free agency starts and before rosters are set. We will adjust accordingly as we go along, but we don’t expect many changes at this spot. On to a terrific group of punters and kickers:

1. Shane Lechler, Oakland: He is the premier punter in the game. His leg is registered-weapon material.

2. Mike Scifres, San Diego: His talent is close to Lechler’s. This is the best 1-2 punter division punch in football.

3. Dustin Colquitt, Kansas City: His talent is close to Lechler’s and Scifres’. This is the best 1-2-3 punter division punch in football.

4. Sebastian Janikowski, Oakland: Janikowski is the best placekicker in this division. He missed eight field-goal attempts last season, but he is a fine weapon for Oakland.

5. Matt Prater, Denver: This is one of the better young kickers in football. He is terrific on kickoffs, and he missed just two field-goal attempts last season.

6. Nate Kaeding, San Diego: Kaeding is a strong kicker. He was injured a lot last season and has struggled in critical situations, but, overall, he is a plus kicker.

7. Ryan Succop, Kansas City: He has a chance to be become a very good kicker. He has a strong leg.

8. Britton Colquitt, Denver: Dustin’s little brother punted well in his first full NFL season. He appears to be a keeper, and he rounds out a fine group of kicking specialists.

The NFL has released an update on the fan portion of the Pro Bowl voting process. The fan vote makes up a third of the process along with players' and coaches' votes.

The following is a look at the AFC West players who are currently in the top five of the fan vote:

Quarterback

Third place: Philip Rivers, San Diego

Fullback

Second place: Mike Tolbert, San Diego

Tight end

First place: Antonio Gates, San Diego

Defensive tackle

Fourth place: Richard Seymour, Oakland

Outside linebacker

Fourth place: Shaun Phillips, San Diego

Cornerback

First place: Nnamdi Asomugha, Oakland

Fourth place: Champ Bailey, Denver

Strong safety

Third place: Eric Berry, Kansas City

Fifth place: Tyvon Branch, Oakland

Free safety

Fourth place: Brian Dawkins, Denver

Kicker

First place: Sebastian Janikowski, Oakland

Punter

First place: Shane Lechler, Oakland

Fifth place: Dustin Colquitt, Kansas City

Kick returner

Fourth place: Jacoby Ford, Oakland

Fifth place: Darren Sproles, San Diego

Special Teams

Fifth place: Terrance Copper, Kansas City

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

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 10:

Chiefs return to happy place: The Kansas City Chiefs are enjoying a revival in 2010. They are 5-3 at the midway point and are leading the AFC West by a half game heading into their game at Denver on Sunday. Some in the Kansas City organization believe the Chiefs’ turnaround started in Denver in the final game of last season when the Chiefs hammered the Broncos, 44-24. Denver was still in the playoff hunt at the time. Kansas City running back Jamaal Charles had 259 yards as the Chiefs showed they could be a team to reckon with in 2010.

Can McDaniels beat an AFC West team at home? Second-year Denver coach Josh McDaniels is feeling the heat. The Broncos, 2-6, are 4-14 since the Broncos started 6-0 under McDaniels last season. What is also alarming is Denver is 0-4 against AFC West opponents at home under McDaniels, including a 59-14 loss to Oakland. If the Chiefs knock around the Broncos on Sunday, McDaniels will be hearing even more boos than he did after the Oakland debacle.

Battle of the Colquitts: During training camp, as he was vying to become Denver’s punter, Britton Colquitt said he was looking forward to the opportunity to play the Chiefs. Kansas City’s punter is his older brother, Dustin Colquitt. The brothers are sons of former NFL punter Craig Colquitt. Britton Colquitt said it was his father’s dream to have his sons punt on the same NFL field. Sunday, it will become true.

Can the Broncos score early? One of the Broncos’ biggest problems in 2010 is that they have started slowly and fallen behind quickly. Denver has scored just seven points in the first quarter this season. The key to winning in the NFL is to start fast. Denver has not been able to overcome their slow starts. If the Broncos are going to upset the Chiefs, they need to strike fast.

The return of Eddie Royal: One of the bright spots for Denver this season is the play of third-season receiver Royal. He flourished as a rookie under Denver coach Mike Shanahan in 2008. He had 91 catches. Yet, in 2009 Royal didn’t fit well in McDaniels’ offense. He had just 37 catches for 345 yards. Through eight games this season, Royal has 38 catches for 427 yards. Denver has a lot of problems, but it is a good sign that Royal is a productive player again.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Britton Colquitt is focusing on trying to make the Denver Broncos’ roster, and right now, his odds are fairly decent.

He is the lone punter in camp and if Colquitt continues to perform well, he will be on the team’s 53-man roster. If he struggles in the preseason, Denver will likely scour the waiver wire to replace him. If Colquitt does, indeed, make the Broncos’ roster, the AFC West’s punting crew will be half Colquitt.

Colquitt’s older brother is Kansas City standout punter Dustin Colquitt. Britton Colquitt admits it is a dream of his to play in the same division as his older brother. The Colquitt’s father, Craig Colquitt, punted for Pittsburgh from 1978-84.

“To be on the same field as him twice a year would be a real bonus,” Colquitt said.”My dad has always wanted to see us in the same field in the NFL.”

Britton Colquitt admits it will be strange to be facing his older brother if it gets to that point. The two went to the same high school and were at the University of Tennessee together.

“We’ve always been together, but this is the NFL and it’s a great opportunity,” Colquitt said. “I’m just going to work hard to make it happen.”

ESPN.com NFL Power Ranking (pre-camp): 23

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- After he watched one key player after another limp to the training room this summer, Josh McDaniels came to a conclusion: The Denver Broncos are going to find a way to get better as a result.

Call it medical motivation.

“Sometimes, when everybody around you thinks the sky is falling because of injuries, it could rally a team,” the second-year Denver coach said. “That’s what we are doing. We are going to be motivated to show we can withstand what has happened to us. We’re not sitting here feeling sorry for ourselves.”

McDaniels swears Denver is having a productive training camp despite being the most injured team in the NFL. The biggest hit was the loss of star linebacker Elvis Dumervil. He is likely out for the season with a torn pectoral muscle. Other players who have been lost during camp include running backs Knowshon Moreno and Correll Buckhalter, receivers Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker, safety Brian Dawkins and linebackers D.J. Williams and Jarvis Moss. Don’t forget that left tackle Ryan Clady is out until sometime in September after hurting his knee in the offseason.

Still, McDaniels said it’s not a time of despair, because everyone but Dumervil is expected back in the near future.

“It hurts to lose Elvis, but maybe the other injuries are good that they happened now,” McDaniels said. “We are not worrying about who is not here. We trust our depth and we’re dealing with it.”

THREE HOT ISSUES

1. How will the Tebow factor affect the team? There is not a rookie in the NFL who is getting the attention that Tim Tebow is receiving. From special Nike shoes to a hideous training-camp haircut to operating in short yardage situations, the Tebow Watch is in full force.

The question is how his work in camp will affect the team on the field. The former Florida star quarterback has operated in short-yardage situations and he will likely be used in the Wildcat formation and in the red zone. That likely means Denver will keep quarterbacks Kyle Orton, Brady Quinn and Tebow on the 45-man roster on game days. In June, McDaniels said he was leaning away from that.

But it is clear that Tebow is being groomed to be active as a rookie. Unless Tebow completely leapfrogs Quinn in training camp and in the preseason, Denver could be using three quarterbacks on game days, which will take away from another position.

2. Can this team forget the final 10 games of 2009? Denver was the most perplexing team in the NFL in 2009. It shocked the league by starting 6-0. However, it suddenly fell apart and lost eight of its final 10 games.

Which team will we see in 2010? McDaniels, of course, won’t guarantee anything, but he believes Denver is heading in the right direction because of a strong training camp.

He said the team is making big strides this year because his program is established after 14 years under Mike Shanahan. McDaniels pointed out how much smoother and productive Denver was in its team scrimmage last weekend compared to last year’s scrimmage.

“It’s night and day,” McDaniels said. “Everybody knows the system now and that has helped camp.”

3. Can the running backs stay healthy? Moreno (hamstring) and Buckhalter (back) are supposed to be ready this month. But seeing the top two running backs go down on the first full day of camp had to be scary for Denver. The team has big plans for Moreno and Buckhalter.

Denver brought in veteran LenDale White to help in camp and perhaps as a short-yardage runner once he serves a four-game NFL suspension. The team is discussing signing former Oakland tailback Justin Fargas, perhaps as soon as Wednesday.

This is still the Moreno and Buckhalter show, but the Broncos have been forced to look at other options. Expect Moreno and Buckhalter to be handled very gingerly for the rest of camp and in the preseason in an attempt to ensure their health for the start of the regular season.

BIGGEST SURPRISE

The Broncos are excited about their receivers.

Brandon Lloyd and Matthew Willis have been outstanding. Eddie Royal is playing well in camp and the team hopes he can bounce back from a poor first season under McDaniels. After catching 91 passes as a rookie, Royal had just 37 catches last season.

Add rookies Thomas and Decker and Denver could have a decent receiving crew. That looked shaky after the team sent talented but troubled Brandon Marshall to Miami in April.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

How can it be anything other than the injury to Dumervil? He is arguably Denver’s best player and he just signed a huge, new contract. Denver was looking for him to have a dominant season. Dumervil led the NFL with 17 sacks last season.

Denver will have to find a pass rush elsewhere. A top candidate is 2009 first-round pick Robert Ayers. He struggled as a rookie. But he has been good in camp. Ayers will get every chance to turn it on and help make this bad situation workable.

OBSERVATION DECK

• [+] Enlarge
  Jeff Fishbein/Icon SMIKyle Orton passed for 3,802 yards, 21 touchdowns and 12 interceptions for the Broncos last season.
  Orton has quietly been a star in camp. He had a strong offseason and is, by far, the most accurate of three quarterbacks. While the future is Tebow’s in Denver, Orton is going to do everything he can to make 2010 special before he hits the free-agency market in 2011.
• Quinn, the current No. 2 quarterback in Denver, has been inaccurate often. The Broncos still like Quinn, who was acquired from Cleveland in March. However, with Orton being the immediate starter and Tebow being the future starter, he has his work cut out for him to find a spot in Denver.
• Keep an eye out for fifth-round pick Perrish Cox. He’s been outstanding in camp. “Every day, I look up and Perrish is making another big play,” Royal said. Cox is second at left cornerback behind star Champ Bailey. Cox will likely be the nickel cornerback. He is also dynamic as a return man.
• While Cox is ascending, second-year cornerback Alphonso Smith is still not progressing. Smith was the No. 37 overall pick in 2009. Denver gave up its first-round pick for Smith in 2010 (which was No. 14). He floundered as a rookie and he is not showing much improvement in camp as Cox is stealing the show.
• Richard Quinn, a second-round pick in 2009, is blocking very well in camp. He still must improve as a receiver, but Denver should feel comfortable with him in double tight-end sets with starter Daniel Graham.
• So far, defensive end Ryan McBean is holding off free-agent pickup Jarvis Green. However, the team likes Green and he is very versatile.
• Denver likes what it sees in former San Diego defensive tackle Jamal Williams in the early stages. With Dumervil out, a lot of Denver’s defensive burst must start from him at nose tackle. That may mean Williams may be on the field more than Denver likes. But he is showing, even at 34 and after missing all but one game in San Diego last year, he could still be a force.
• Denver knows it won’t all be roses, but it is at terms with rookies J.D. Walton (center) and Zane Beadles (guard) starting. Both players have showed intelligence and toughness in camp. Most importantly, they are big and strong and they are well suited for the power-blocking scheme McDaniels is adopting. Denver is scrapping the zone-blocking scheme used during the Shanahan era. One of the reasons is McDaniels wants a bigger offensive line that can stay fresh throughout the season.
• D’Anthony Batiste is doing well at left tackle. The Broncos think he will be a valuable backup when Clady returns from a knee injury in September.
• Inside linebacker Joe Mays, acquired from Philadelphia for running back J.J. Arrington less than two weeks ago, is impressing. He has worked some with the first team. He is likely to be a key backup and a special teamer.
• Veteran defensive lineman Marcus Thomas is buried on the depth chart. If he doesn’t pick up the rest of camp, he could be a candidate to be cut.
• Punter Britton Colquitt, the younger brother of Kansas City punter Dustin Colquitt, is doing well and he will likely win the job. He is going unchallenged, but if he falters, Denver could scour the waiver wire. So far, he is showing that may not be necessary.

Our AFC West position-by-position rankings continue with the kicking specialists. This is an awesome group. I think this is the best kicking and punting division in football. Our top five guys could be a serious contender to be ranked No. 1 in any other division. It’s a power group:

1. Shane Lechler, Oakland: He is a special talent. Watching him boom punts is a thing of beauty.

2. Mike Scifres, San Diego: This guy is a superstar, too. Scifres is a placement artist.

3. Dustin Colquitt, Kansas City: It’s too bad he plays in the same division as Lechler and Scifres. Colquitt is a star in his own right.

4. Sebastian Janikowski, Oakland: He is getting better with age. I’m not sure he was worth the record contract Oakland just signed him to, but Janikowski is a weapon.

5. Nate Kaeding, San Diego: It’s a shame Kaeding is most known for his postseason woes. The guy is very good.

6. Matt Prater, Denver: Prater is a kicker to watch. He improved greatly in 2009 and he is terrific on kickoffs.

7. Ryan Succop, Kansas City: Don’t look at his ranking as a negative. He is very good and he should be for the next 10-to-15 years. He showed a great leg as a rookie. Again, this is just a terrific class.

The Kansas City Chiefs have given up on promising, but oft-injured, running back Kolby Smith. However, the Denver Broncos are willing to give him a chance to succeed in the NFL.

In a mildly surprising move, Denver claimed Smith off of waivers on Tuesday. The Chiefs cut Smith on Monday because he was stuck behind Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones in Kansas City’s backfield.

Smith joins a Denver backfield that includes Knowshon Moreno, Correll Buckhalter and J.J. Arrington. Smith is 5-11, 219 pounds. He will get a look in short-yardage situations. The Broncos were looking into bigger tailbacks Toby Gerhart and Montario Hardesty before the draft.

If he can stay healthy, Smith is worth the risk.

Meanwhile, Denver also went a long way in deciding its punting situation. It cut punter A.J. Trapasso. That means Britton Colquitt is the only punter on Denver’s roster. He will likely get camp competition but Colquitt -- the younger brother of Kansas City’s outstanding punter Dustin Colquitt -- has impressed Denver’s staff and unless he is terrible in training camp and in the preseason, he should take over as Denver’s punter.

Denver also cut rookie free agent linebacker Korey Bosworth. The UCLA product is the nephew of former Seattle Seahawks linebacker Brian Bosworth.

The Denver Broncos now have two punters on their roster to close out the season.

Denver signed rookie Britton Colquitt off of Miami’s practice squad. Colquitt, whose brother Dustin in an outstanding punter for Kansas City, was with Denver during camp.

Denver also has veteran punter Mitch Berger on the roster. Berger has signed heading into Denver’s seventh game and he has struggled often. The Broncos cut punter Brett Kern when they were 6-0. Denver is now 8-7.

It wouldn’t be a shock if Colquitt was given the opportunity to punt against his brother Sunday as Denver tries to keep its playoff hopes alive against the Chiefs.

The Pro Bowl teams will be announced Tuesday.

The following is a look at the some of the players from the AFC West who have a chance to make the team:

Denver

Brandon Marshall WR: Marshall became one of five players in NFL history to post three straight years of 100-plus catches.

Ryan Clady LT: Clady should have made it as a rookie. Perhaps he will get the nod after a strong second season.

Elvis Dumervil LB: Dumervil is Denver’s single-season sack leader with 17.

Champ Bailey CB: Bailey keeps on keeping on.

Brian Dawkins S: Dawkins became the heart and soul of the Broncos in his first season in Denver.

D.J. Williams LB: He’ll get some consideration, but may be a long shot.

Kansas City

Dustin Colquitt P: He is having a solid season, but his competition is very stiff.

Oakland

Zach Miller TE: Miller is becoming one of the best tight ends in the game.

Kirk Morrison LB: Morrison has his faults but his big tackle numbers are impressive.

Nnamdi Asomugha CB: Asomugha is the best in the business. He’s a shoo-in.

Shane Lechler P: Lechler should nab another Pro Bowl bid.

Sebastian Janikowski K: His 61-yard field goal at Cleveland is another reminder of Janikowski’s big leg.

San Diego

Philip Rivers QB: If Rivers isn’t a Pro Bowl pick this year, when will he be?

Antonio Gates TE: This is perhaps Gates’ best season in a special career.

Vincent Jackson WR: Jackson is one of the best big-play receivers in the game.

Kris Dielman G: He’s a steady hand on a battered line.

Quentin Jammer CB: Jammer is one of the more underrated CBs in the league.

Darren Sproles KR: Sproles is great, but Cleveland’s Josh Cribbs deserves the spot.

Nate Kaeding K: Kaeding is the most reliable kicker in the game.

Mike Scifres P: Scifres and Lechler are the Manning and Brady of their craft.

Kassim Osgood ST: Osgood is a special-teams gem.

» NFC Stock Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Posted by ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson

Falling

Orton

Kyle Orton, Broncos, quarterback: It is no coincidence that the Broncos lost their first game of the season on the day Orton struggled. Orton had his least effective game of the season in a 30-7 loss at Baltimore.

He threw for only 152 yards and could never get his offensive troops going. Denver entered Baltimore territory only three times.

Cable

Tom Cable, Raiders, head coach: Cable is having a tough time these days. His team is 2-6 at its bye week and has shown few signs of becoming a quality team in Cable’s first full season as Oakland’s coach.

Plus, Cable is dealing with off-field issues. ESPN’s "Outside the Lines" looked into allegations of past physical abuse against women. This comes shortly after Napa, Calif. authorities declined to pursue charges against Cable based on allegations that he assaulted Oakland defensive assistant Randy Hanson.

Denver’s special teams: The Denver coverage unit has to tighten up. It allowed a kickoff return for a score against Baltimore on Sunday. In Denver’s previous game, at San Diego on Oct. 19, the Broncos allowed a punt return for a score. Allowing returns for scores in back-to-back games is cause for concern.

Rising

Merriman

Shawne Merriman, Chargers, linebacker: Merriman had two sacks against Oakland on Sunday, his first two sacks of the season. He struggled to regain his superior pass-rushing skills in the first several games as he came back from a major knee injury. Merriman has improved each week and looks to be at full strength.

Phillips

Chargers’ pass rush: Merriman isn’t the only Charger getting his pass-rush groove back. San Diego has had nine sacks in its past two games, after struggling early in the season.

Linebacker Shaun Phillips has four sacks in the past two games. San Diego is getting very creative in its pass-rush schemes, often using safeties on blitzes. The schemes are working and the Chargers are suddenly a sack threat again.

AFC West punters and kickers: Several AFC West kicking specialists are performing well. Punters Shane Lechler of Oakland and Dustin Colquitt of Kansas City are excelling. Kickers Nate Kaeding of San Diego, Sebastian Janikowski of Oakland and Matt Prater of Denver are also at the top of their game. Not all is great in this division, but there is some fine kicking going on.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson

Weekend mail call:

Ryan from NJ wants to know what happened to the supposed three-headed backfield in Oakland:

Bill Williamson: There’s no doubt it, Ryan, more was expected from the trio of Darren McFadden, Michael Bush and Justin Fargas. McFadden is about to miss his fourth game with a knee injury, so that has affected the group. But the Oakland running game, expected to be one of the fiercest in the NFL, has been pretty flat. Oakland has the 26th ranked run offense in the NFL as it is averaging 92.9 yards a game. Perhaps when McFadden returns, we will see this unit flourish, but it has been a disappointment thus far.

Tom from Kansas City wants to know how many wins I think the Chiefs will end up with.

BW: Well, they are 1-6 at their bye with nine games to play. The schedule is not bad at all for Kansas City. But I really don’t see this team wining more than three games. It is just not talented enough and it has big problems on both sides of the ball. So, I'll go with a 3-13 record, which actually would be a one-game improvement from last season. Kansas City has back-to-back home games against Buffalo and Cleveland in December, so Kansas City could win a couple of games late in the season.

Bobby from Denver wants to know who I see going to the Pro Bowl from the AFC West at this point.

BW: Fun question, Bobby. Here are my candidates from each team: Denver: Quarterback Kyle Orton, tackles Ryan Clady and Ryan Harris, center Casey Wiegmann, linebacker Elvis Dumervil, linebacker D.J. Williams, cornerback Champ Bailey and safety Brian Dawkins. Kansas City: Punter Dustin Colquitt. Oakland: Tight end Zach Miller, defensive end Richard Seymour, linebacker Kirk Morrison, cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha and punter Shane Lechler. San Diego: Quarterback Philip Rivers, receiver Vincent Jackson, tight Antonio Gates, guard Kris Dielman, returner Darren Sproles and linebacker Stephen Cooper.

Posted by ESPN.com's Bill Williamson

We're continuing our periodic AFC West position rankings with the best kickers and punters:

1. Shane Lechler, Oakland, and Mike Scifres, San Diego: This will likely get Oakland and San Diego fans heated as both groups think the punter on their respective teams is the best in the NFL. Neither fan base is wrong. I truly believe Lechler and Scifres are tied for being the best punter in the NFL. Lechler has the big leg and consistency. Scifres has a big leg and great touch. His work against the Colts in the playoffs was mind-blowing.

3. Sebastian Janikowski, Oakland: Janikowski isn't perfect and he misses a lot of makeable kicks. But he has strong leg and he is one of the better kickers in the league.

4. Nate Kaeding, San Diego: Kaeding is an underrated kicker. He is consistent and should have a long career ahead of him.

5. Dustin Colquitt, Kansas City: This is a deep list. Colquitt is a top-level punter when healthy. He became famous when Kansas City coach Todd Haley cited him when asked what the new coach liked about the team he was inheriting.

6. Brett Kern, Denver: There is a big drop-off from No. 5 to No. 6 on this list. But Kern has a chance. He has a strong leg and he was decent as a rookie last season.

Posted by ESPN.com's Bill Williamson

The Chiefs and the Broncos announced their finalists for the NFL's Super Bowl commercial. Several players from each team auditioned for the spot. The theme is players' best football memory.

For the Chiefs, the finalists are punter Dustin Colquitt and tight end Tony Gonzalez. Colquitt's commercial centers around growing up the son of a Pittsburgh Steeler. Gonzalez's spot revolves around an airplane ride home from a preseason game in Japan.

For the Broncos, rookie punter Brett Kern and running back Michael Pittman are the finalists. Kern recalls proposing to his new wife on a football field in front of family, friends, coaches and teammates. Pittman recalls winning the Super Bowl while with Tampa Bay.

Fans can vote on the finalists' stories on NFL.com from Dec. 4-17 in the first round. I will pass on any information I get on the Chargers' and Raiders' finalists.