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Just how long can this Denver Broncos circus act last?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Haven’t we been saying that for weeks?

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

Raiders’ rookie receiver Denarius Moore was back at practice Wednesday on a limited basis. He missed the past three games with a foot injury. If he doesn’t suffer a setback, he may be able to play Sunday against Detroit. However, running back Darren McFadden (foot), and receivers Jacoby Ford (foot) and running back Taiwan Jones (hamstring) did not practice. Yet, Ford and Jones were running on the side, so they could be on their way back soon.

McFadden has been out for seven-plus weeks with no signs of him returning. Raiders coach Hue Jackson has maintained McFadden will be back this season, but timing is running out. You have to wonder if we have seen the end of McFadden in 2011.

In other AFC West news:

• In Denver, starting defensive backs Brian Dawkins (neck) and cornerback Andre Goodman (concussion) did not practice Wednesday. Neither player was able to finish the Chicago game. That is not a good sign considering Tom Brady and the Patriots are visiting Denver on Sunday. Also, Denver receiver Eddie Royal was limited in practice after missing the Chicago game with a concussion.
• Here’s the reaction from Brady when told Wednesday he has a 1-5 record against Denver. It is the only team Brady has a losing record against. “1-5? Man, that’s pretty bad. Hopefully we get to 2-5 this week.”
• Four players from the AFC West (one player from each team) were named to the 26-member USA Football All-Fundamentals Team. The four AFC West players are: Denver’s Eric Decker (catching with hands), Kansas City’s Tamba Hali (pass rush), Oakland’s Shane Lechler (punting mechanics) and San Diego’s Eric Weddle safety (footwork in coverage). Former Chiefs executive Carl Peterson and former Chiefs coach Herm Edwards are on the five-person board.
• Oakland quarterback Carson Palmer took a dive on ESPN.com’s quarterback watch.
• Denver linebacker Von Miller remains atop ESPN.com’s Rookie Watch.
• Former Kansas City coach Todd Haley will join ESPN’s Audibles on Thursday night as a guest analyst at 7 p.m. ET. He was fired Monday.
• New Kansas City starting quarterback Kyle Orton indicated he is healthy after injuring his finger two weeks ago. If he doesn’t suffer a setback, Orton will start Sunday against Green Bay.
• Denver quarterback Tim Tebow is third behind Brady and Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger in the fan Pro Bowl vote. The fan voting counts for a third of the voting along with player and coach’s votes. The team will be announced Dec. 27. Meanwhile, ESPN2’s First Take -- hosted by longtime Tebow supporter Skip Bayless -- will broadcast live from Jackson’s Sports Bar in Denver from 10-12 a.m. ET Friday. The public is invited to the free event.

Former Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Jared Allen is still mad about his final days as a Chief.

Allen blasted Carl Peterson in a conference call with Kansas City reporters Wednesday for trading him to the Minnesota Vikings in 2008 because they did not want to give him a long-term deal. The Chiefs replaced him with Scott Pioli. Allen also took some lighter jabs at Kansas City chairman Clark Hunt, but Peterson was his main target. The Vikings visit Kansas City on Sunday.

"His name was Carl Peterson,” Allen said when he was asked to explain what he meant by earlier comments in the call about his problems in Kansas City.

“You can write that in caps. Obviously, I guess I had a problem with Clark [Hunt], too, because he chose Carl over me. When everything went down there, I didn’t appreciate being lied to. I was told I’d be getting a [contract] extension and everything and the way things played out. ... My biggest thing was, ‘Listen, I never lied to you guys. I show up and I bust my tail for you. Please don’t lie to me.’ After so many times of hearing they’re going to take care of you and they don’t and hearing the words Carl had to say about me, it’s tough to give it your all for somebody like that."

Allen said he didn’t have a problem with his coach, Herm Edwards, in Kansas City.

"Absolutely not,” Allen said. “Herm is one of my good friends to this day. Unfortunately, I think Herm got the raw end of the deal over there, too. The truth of the matter is we were an aging team. Herm drafted a bunch of guys and I feel he kind of got the shaft if you will. I loved playing for Herm and he's one of my favorite coaches."

Allen’s visit to Arrowhead Stadium will likely be more emotional for the fans than for the Chiefs. The staff and the roster have changed dramatically since he was traded. However, Allen was a favorite of the fans and I’m sure his juices will be flowing Sunday.

Allen has been terrific in Minnesota since the trade, where he's had 44.5 sacks. Only one player in the league, Dallas’ DeMarcus Ware, has more with 51.5

The trade has worked out for the Chiefs as well. They added Jamaal Charles and Branden Albert with picks acquired in the deal.

Brian Waters had nothing to do but ride and watch.

Nursing an injury for much of training camp, the Kansas City Chiefs Pro Bowl guard was relegated to jockeying an exercise bike instead of practicing with his teammates. With a perfect sideline view, Waters noticed something develop in the summer heat as he pedaled for countless hours.

The Chiefs had some extremely talented young players.

“Sitting there on the bike, our young guys really stood out to me,” Waters said this week. “I noticed the 2008 class was really developing out there, and then there was the rookie class. They were really something. The combination of those two classes really gave me hope that we might be on to something. Those two classes are a big reason why we’re where we are.”

There are several reasons why the 10-6 Chiefs – who won a total of 10 games in the previous three seasons – went from worst to first in the AFC West and will play host to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday in the AFC wild-card round. The Chiefs are well coached, quarterback Matt Cassel has developed, the running game was tops in the NFL, the offensive line was strong, they didn’t make many mistakes, and the defense was aggressive and improved its pass rush. A lot of those reasons can be attributed to the development of Kansas City’s third-year players and rookie class.

“The Chiefs have some very good young players,” Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. said. “I think a big reason why this team improved so much is because of those two classes. There’s a ton of guys who are giving the Chiefs big-time contributions from 2008 and 2010.”

The 2008 draft -- buoyed by the Jared Allen trade to Minnesota – was the final contribution of the 20-year Carl Peterson era in Kansas City. Many league observers thought that draft class had a chance to be special. But it looked anything but special for the first two seasons, although second-round pick Brandon Flowers (cornerback) and third-round pick Jamaal Charles (running back) showed signs of being excellent players early on.

The two first-round picks, defensive lineman Glenn Dorsey (No. 5 overall) and left tackle Branden Albert (No. 15), were nothing special in their first two years. However, Dorsey and Albert have both made big progress this season.

Dorsey has flourished in defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel’s 3-4 defense after struggling in the 3-4 under Clancy Pendergast last season. Dorsey has been the anchor of the defense, and he plays with a high motor. Many scouts thought the LSU star was the best player available in the 2008 draft, and he is now showing how good he is. Albert has melded well with the veterans on Kansas City’s line, and also has made major strides in 2010. There had been talk before the 2010 draft that the Chiefs would take Russell Okung with the No. 5 pick (who went one pick later to Seattle) and move Albert to right tackle.

The Chiefs have to be thrilled they didn’t make that move. Kansas City has its left tackle for the next several years, and it seems to have scored big with safety Eric Berry, the team’s top pick in 2010.

“Dorsey and Albert are showing why they were such high picks,” Williamson said. “Dorsey has been much better in the 3-4 than I thought he would be. He’s playing with a great purpose, and Albert is the best player on a good line.”

The showcase player of the Chiefs’ 2008 class, of course, is Charles. Kansas City drafted Charles out of Texas because of his blazing speed. The Chiefs hoped he’d be a nice change-of-pace player. In his third NFL season, Charles -- who along with Albert was a prize from the Allen trade -- has developed into the NFL’s premier game-breaker.

Charles was second in the NFL in rushing this season with 1,467 yards. His 6.38 per-carry average was the second highest single-season average behind the legendary Jim Brown, who averaged 6.4 yards a carry in 1963. If the Chiefs have a chance to beat the Ravens, it will start with Charles’ big-play threat.

The class, which also features right tackle Barry Richardson, also netted Kansas City’s two cornerbacks, who have a chance to be with the team for several years. While Flowers showed strong signs of being a good player (Williamson says he thinks Flowers can be a top-five cornerback), right cornerback Brandon Carr has come on strong this season. The fifth-round pick led the Chiefs with 19 passes defended, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

While Peterson and coach Herm Edwards’ swan song presented Kansas City with a terrific parting gift, the second draft class of the Scott Pioli-Todd Haley era has been a jackpot. Their first class was small and so far uninspiring besides kicker Ryan Succop, the final pick of the entire 2009 draft. But their second class has been one of the best rookie classes in the NFL, along with those of Oakland, New England and Tampa Bay.

In June, Haley said he didn’t think the task was too big for his draft class, and that was before he had seen the players in training camp. Through the regular season, Haley had to feel the same way. This class has been extremely productive.

It starts with Berry. While he is still learning, he has been a complete player and has the look of being a fierce player for a long time. Gary Horton of Scouts Inc. notes that Berry, who was named the NFL's defensive rookie of the month for December, is an excellent blitzer, strong in run support and continues to improve in coverage. Berry had four interceptions as a rookie. It’s noteworthy that Berry will be on the same field as the Ravens’ Ed Reed in his first postseason game. Berry has a chance to a have a Reed-like impact on the Chiefs in the coming years.

Second-round picks Javier Arenas and Dexter McCluster are both fine returners. Arenas has been decent as a nickel cornerback, and McCluster, when healthy, is a downfield target.

Next to Berry, perhaps the next most productive rookie has been third-round pick Tony Moeaki. Cassel looks to have complete trust in Moeaki, a tight end who can split the field and has soft hands. How good has Moeaki been? His rookie season has been much better than former Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez, the NFL record holder for all relevant tight end receiving marks.

Moeaki had 47 catches for 556 yards this season. His reception total was a team rookie record by 14 catches, and his yardage total was three yards off the team’s rookie mark. Safety Kendrick Lewis also has been a contributor this season.

“You have to give a lot of credit to the young kids,” veteran receiver Chris Chambers said. “They’ve come in here and acted like pros. They are a big reason why we’ve been so successful this season, no doubt about it.”

With Matt Cassel listed as doubtful to play Sunday at San Diego, it looks like Brodie Croyle will start for the first-place Chiefs in a crucial game.

Because we haven’t seen Croyle play in a while, let’s get reacquainted with him:

Who is he? He was the quarterback of the future for Kansas City during the Carl Peterson-Herm Edwards regime. He became a backup when the new regime traded for Cassel in Feb. 2009.

Telling statistic: He is 0-9 as the Chiefs’ starter. He has not played in a game since Week 13 of 2009.

What he is known for: Getting injured. Croyle has dealt with injuries in the regular season and in the preseason. Durability is the biggest issue for this smart, strong-armed, Alabama product.

Best thing he has going for him now: Chiefs coach Todd Haley likes him and trusts him.

What’s on the line: Croyle is a prospective free agent. He could make himself some money on the open market and perhaps get in the starting mix elsewhere by playing well in Cassel’s absence.

There is no doubting that the Kansas City Chiefs’ defense is much improved.

You can credit several people. New defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel has his unit playing disciplined, timely football. Third-year defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey is having a breakout season. Linebackers Tamba Hali and Derrick Johnson are both playing at an All-Pro level. Rookie safety Eric Berry is showing why he is the No. 5 overall pick. They all deserve their due credit.

But don’t forget the play of third-year cornerback Brandon Flowers. He’s been outstanding. Perhaps overshadowed in a division teeming with strong cornerback play, the 5-foot-9, 187-pound Flowers has been fantastic this season. He is a big reason why Kansas City is 5-2 and heading into a crucial game at 4-4 Oakland on Sunday.

He is getting high, I mean, high, praise.

“Brandon Flowers is exceptional,” Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. said. “He’s not very known, but he is playing terrific football. He’s playing better than (New York Jets Darrelle) Revis and as good as Nnamdi (Oakland’s Asomugha). He’s been that good.”

Revis and Asomugha are routinely considered the gold standards of NFL cornerback play. For Flowers to be compared to these players, is pretty heady stuff.

Flowers has been a contributor since he was a second-round pick in 2008, the final season of the Carl Peterson-Herm Edwards era. Flowers caught heat for poor play in the preseason, but he has been a standout this season.

He is a complete player who gives up little in the pass game who had key interceptions in wins over Cleveland and San Francisco. He has become a stalwart against the run. Kansas City coach Todd Haley said this week that he thinks Flowers is a premier run supporter as well as a fine cover man.

“This guy is a unique, highly-competitive player,” Haley told reporters in Kansas City this week. “You can see that he enjoys and thrives on being challenged. As each receiver group comes into town or we got to town against, the bigger the name the bigger the step up you see from Brandon."

So, when you think about why the Kansas City defense is better and helping the team become a legitimate playoff contender, you have to look at the little cornerback who is on the verge of creating a big name for himself.

When Tim Tebow is next seen at the Denver Broncos training camp practice Tuesday, he will be sporting a cleanly shaven head. Gone is the Friar Tuck look he rocked during a public team scrimmage Saturday.

Tebow’s hideous bowl cut (complete with a bald top of his dome) was courtesy of some good-natured rookie hazing in Denver. Shredding the rook’s locks has become a recent tradition in Denver. Last year, rookie quarterback Tom Brandstater sported a haircut similar to Tebow’s disaster during a preseason game.

Still, Tebow is different story. Whatever he does makes news. So the sight of him with the new look rocked the sports world this weekend. It dominated the ESPN airwaves Monday.

On ESPN’s NFL Live, analyst Mark Schlereth and Herm Edwards said the haircut took Tebow to the next level. Look, he had little choice. He was going to get the haircut whether he liked it or not. But Tebow looked like he was proudly wearing the haircut during the scrimmage.

Schlereth and Edwards said that it shows that Tebow is all in for his team. That’s the way he has been his whole career. His teammates in Denver have lauded Tebow for his work ethic and attitude since he was a surprise first-round pick. Tebow’s teammates have embraced him and don’t appear to be upset by the attention he has garnered.

It’s because of how he handles situations like this. While Dez Bryant refused to carry a pair of shoulder pads, Tebow embraced getting his locks ripped off. He’s a team player . Why else would he smile while looking like that?

Fox Sports believes St. Louis could end up offering the No. 33 overall pick to Denver for restricted free agent receiver Brandon Marshall. It’s not a first-round pick, but it’s the next best thing.

Denver could ultimately agree to something like this. This is something to monitor.

There is a lot of intriguing draft news here. It looks like the Raiders are not done looking at young receiver help.

Don’t expect Pro Bowl receiver Vincent Jackson to report to San Diego’s offseason program, which begins in earnest Monday. He is a restricted free agent.

Jackson currently has no plans of reporting for the program. Many restricted free agents around the league are not attending the program.

San Diego restricted free agent Darren Sproles is attending the program. It is not known if San Diego’s other high-profile restricted free agents, Shawne Merriman, Marcus McNeill and Malcom Floyd, will attend when the program officially kicks off Monday.

Teams want their restricted free agents to attend, but as long as these players show for mandatory camps, it’s not that big of an issue.

Former Kansas City coach and current ESPN analyst Herm Edwards has a couple of ideas for San Francisco that would affect the AFC West. Sounds good to me.

Chicago cut defensive end Alex Brown. The only team in the division I could see looking into him is Oakland. I do think the Raiders could still take a look at free agent defensive tackle Grady Jackson. Oakland needs a big man in the middle and Jackson could be intriguing.

We have a couple of AFC West thoughts about the Buffalo Bills’ surprising decision to hire Chan Gailey:

Kansas City: There will be an interesting reunion in 2010 at Arrowhead Stadium when the Bills visit the Chiefs. Kansas City coach Todd Haley fired Gailey as offensive coordinator late in the 2009 preseason.

Haley and Gailey never clicked professionally. Haley never felt comfortable with Gailey’s guidance of his unit, so Haley took over as offensive coordinator. This was a bad marriage from the start. Haley should have never retained Gailey from Herm Edwards’ staff.

It could be an interesting game, because I’m sure the well-respected Gailey was none too pleased to be fired so close to the season. However, he shouldn’t hold a grudge. He has bounced back nicely.

Oakland: If the Raiders decide to fire Tom Cable, they will have their choice of the available coaching pool. There are currently no head-coaching openings in the league.

Gailey likely wouldn’t have been on Oakland’s wish list, so the Raiders could be in a position of strength if they choose to go coach hunting again. Perhaps that will prompt Oakland owner Al Davis to make a decision on Cable. Or perhaps it won’t.

For the second time in three days, the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense made huge progress.

Sunday, the Chiefs took a big step toward 2010 when they compiled 524 yards – including a team-record 259 rushing yards by Jamaal Charles – of offense in an upset win at Denver. Wednesday, the Chiefs continued progressing by agreeing to hire former Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis to be the offensive coordinator. ESPN’s Chris Mortensen broke the story and expects the hiring to be official soon.

I love this move. It’s the organization’s first home run since hiring Scott Pioli from New England last January, and this is Pioli’s first home run as general manager. Weis could make Matt Cassel great.

He could help make Kansas City relevant again.

Weis and Pioli were together during New England’s Super Bowl run. Weis was the offensive coordinator and the man behind the development of Tom Brady and the Patriots’ great offense. Weis also has a history with Chiefs’ coach Todd Haley. The two shared an office together while with the Jets several years ago.

Combine Weis’ history with Pioli, Haley and the Chiefs’ need for a dynamic offensive coordinator, and this seems like the perfect marriage.

Haley – who said his system is very similar to the one Weis used in New England – was the team’s offensive coordinator after he fired Herm Edwards holdover Chan Gailey shortly before the season started.

This move allows Haley to spend more time on the overall team. He puts his offense in great hands. No matter what you think of Weis’ days as a head coach in South Bend, he can coach offense. His success in New England wasn’t a fluke.

Kansas City has a chance to make instant progress offensively. Charles, who was terrific at the end for the season and finished with 1,120 rushing yards, looks like a developing star.

But Weis’ biggest task will be working with Cassel. This move was made with Cassel in mind, and he has to be thrilled.

He is a product of Weis’ offense. Cassel was drafted by New England right after Weis went to Notre Dame. But he was brought up in Weis’ system.

This will be a seamless transition for Cassel. Expect his second season in Kansas City to be much more productive than his first.

As long as Pioli gets some more offensive line and receiving help, this offense should be well on its way.

Expect Haley, who started to tinker with the staff earlier Wednesday, to be a better head coach with Weis. Haley said earlier Wednesday that he leans on Weis. Now, he can do it daily. Weis’ experience as a head coach will help the young Haley develop.

Kansas City was smart to jump on Weis. There was competition. Chicago and New England were also expected to consider hiring him.

None of those teams needed Weis more than the Chiefs. The Chiefs are light on star power, and Weis gives this franchise some panache.

It also wouldn’t be a surprise if the Chiefs try to reunite Weis with Romeo Crennel, who was the defensive coordinator in New England. Crennel still hasn’t decided if he wants to coach next season, but if he does, the Chiefs could be a possibility.

A Weis-Crennel pairing would be another strong move by this team. They got the first half right. There simply are no negatives about this hiring.

Five AFC West players made the all-fundamentals team selected by USA Football and the NFL Players Association.

The 26-man roster rewarded the league’s most fundamentally-sound players at each position. Among the six voters for the award are former Kansas City general manager Carl Peterson and former Kansas City coach Herm Edwards.

Here are the AFC West players who were honored:

Denver LT Ryan Clady: Hands in pass protection

Kansas City LB Mike Vrabel: Shedding blocks

Oakland CB Nnamdi Asomugha: Breaking up the pass

San Diego S Eric Weddle: Open-field tackling

San Diego LS David Binn: Long-snapping mechanics

Posted by ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson

Here is a look at the Chiefs and what needs to be done after the break:

Record: 1-6

Reason they are in their current state: The Chiefs have not learned to win yet. First-year coach Todd Haley has been unable to quickly instill a winning feeling in Kansas City. The Chiefs won just six games in the final two years of the Herm Edwards era. When the Chiefs beat Washington in Week 6, it ended a streak in which they lost 28 of 30 games. Like last year, the Chiefs have blown chances to win late in games under Haley. Kansas City had opportunities to win against Oakland and Dallas in the final moments. There are some decent pieces in Kansas City, but until they learn to win, the Chiefs will be stuck in the doldrums.

Best player so far: It’s probably been quarterback Matt Cassel. He hasn’t been overly impressive, but Cassel, for the most part, has made good decisions and looks to be a centerpiece for Kansas City. He hasn’t been a disappointment. Cassel -- acquired from New England -- hasn’t been a franchise-type player, but he doesn’t have much to work with. Cassel should get better as the Chiefs build their offense around him in the future.

What needs to be done: It’s all about the future in Kansas City. The Chiefs are going nowhere this season. The Chiefs have to figure out who can and who can’t help next year. Running back Jamaal Charles needs to get more playing time and the young players on the offensive and defensive lines must improve and show they can be part of the future. There may be nine games left in Kansas City’s season, but the rest of 2009 is more about 2010 than it is about this seas0n.

Fearless forecast: Haley will not be one-and-done in Kansas City. There has been some talk that Haley will be bounced after one season. I don’t see it. Sure, he has been slow to change the culture and he has made a few questionable decisions in his first seven games as an NFL head coach. But Haley has a chance to be a good head coach. It would be very surprising if new Kansas City general manager Scott Pioli would pull the plug on his own hire so early. Haley will, at least, get two years to show he’s the right man for the job in Kansas City.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson

Thanks to the 2008 Detroit Lions, the idea of a team finishing the NFL season 0-16 is no longer shocking and unbelievable.

While the Lions are the mayors of Loserville, no one wants to join them on the 0-16 list.

	Kirby Lee/Image of Sport/US Presswire
	There are still some winnable games on the schedule for Todd Haley and the Chiefs.

Yet, the Kansas City Chiefs are about a third of the way there. The Chiefs are 0-5 after blowing a game against Dallas on Sunday. In Week 2, Kansas City blew a game late to Oakland.

The Chiefs have not learned to finish the job under first-year head coach Todd Haley. That was the problem with former coach Herm Edwards and it was one of the reasons he was fired. The Chiefs won two games last season and they blew several games late. The Chiefs have lost nine straight games dating back to last season and 28 of their last 30.

The Chiefs cannot shake their losing culture. They can’t run the ball, convert on third down or stop anyone.

I truly don’t believe the Chiefs -- one of four winless teams remaining -- will go winless. Given their inability to finish games, though, a winless season has to be considered a possibility.

The following is a look at the remaining 11 games on Kansas City’s schedule and whether the Chiefs can win:

Oct.18 at Washington

• Current record: 2-3
• Chance of Chiefs winning: 30 percent
• How can the Chiefs win? They have to hope the pressure on Redskins coach Jim Zorn and the reported in-fighting continue to disrupt Washington on offense.

Oct. 25 vs. San Diego

• Current record: 2-2
• Chance of Chiefs winning: 20 percent
• How can the Chiefs win? The Chiefs will have to hope the Chargers are in a total downward spiral after a loss to Denver on Monday night. If the Chargers beat the Broncos, I think they will start rolling.

Nov. 8 at Jacksonville

• Current record: 2-3
• Chance of Chiefs winning: 30 percent
• How can the Chiefs win? This could be one of the Chiefs’ best chances on the road. If Kansas City stays in this game in the second half, it could be in business.

Nov. 15 at Oakland

• Current record: 1-4
• Chance of Chiefs winning: 50 percent
• How can the Chiefs win? Finish the Raiders off. Kansas City ran all over the Raiders in Week 2, but they blew the game late. If the Chiefs can overpower Oakland again, they should win.

Nov. 22 vs. Pittsburgh

• Current record: 3-2
• Chance of Chiefs winning: 15 percent
• How can the Chiefs win? The Steelers will have to make several mistakes on both sides of the ball and lose their focus to fall to Kansas City.

Nov. 29 at San Diego

• Current record: 2-2
• Chance of Chiefs winning: 15 percent
• How can the Chiefs win? If the Chiefs are going to beat San Diego, it likely will be at Arrowhead Stadium in the first meeting.

Dec. 6 vs. Denver

• Current record: 5-0
• Chance of Chiefs winning: 10 percent
• How can the Chiefs win? If Denver doesn’t suffer any major injuries and continues to play as balanced as it has been, the Chiefs will be in trouble.

Dec.13 vs. Buffalo

• Current record: 1-4
• Chance of Chiefs winning: 55 percent
• How can the Chiefs win? This is one of the reasons I don’t think the Chiefs will go 0-16. In fact, this could be Kansas City’s third win. By the time these two teams meet, the Bills likely will be a bigger mess than the Chiefs.

Dec. 20 vs. Cleveland

• Current record: 1-4
• Chance of Chiefs winning: 60 percent
• How can the Chiefs win? If the Chiefs are still winless at this point, they better do everything they can to win this one because it might be their last realistic chance.

Dec. 27 at Cincinnati

• Current record: 4-1
• Chance of Chiefs winning: 15 percent
• How can the Chiefs win? The Bengals could be in the playoff hunt, so they might be playing for their postseason lives.

Jan.3 at Denver

• Current record: 5-0
• Chance of Chiefs winning: 5
• How can the Chiefs win? The only way Kansas City can win this game is if the Broncos use backups because they've already secured the playoff berth they want.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson

The Todd Haley Chiefs appear no different than the Herm Edwards Chiefs.

They can’t finish.

The Chiefs played well enough to win before falling apart late. That was the calling card of Edwards team last year. The Chiefs have lost 28 of the past 30 games.

At least Kansas City was competitive. The Chiefs collapsed late in the first two games.

The Chiefs have to be heartbroken after giving up big touchdowns to Dallas late in the fourth quarter and in overtime.

The Chiefs showed major spunk in tying the game in the final seconds, but this game will be remembered for another collapse by the team that is now 0-5.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson

Kansas City coach Todd Haley is entering the hot-seat zone for Week 3.

Actually, the new Chiefs coach has his team fighting hard. But Haley has been unable finish games -- just like the man he replaced, Herm Edwards. Edwards was cooked in Kansas City because the Chiefs blew several games in the fourth quarter last season.

The Chiefs, who play at Philadelphia in Michael Vick’s Eagles’ debut on Sunday, are 0-2 and they blew both games late, including a heartbreaker Sunday against Oakland.

Haley has to find a way to get his team to finish games. That’s why he is in Kansas City. It seems like good things are starting to happen, but so far, the Chiefs look like the same team they were last year -- a team that can’t play 60 minutes.