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I know a lot of Raiders fans wanted to see new general manager Reggie McKenzie make a big splash and compensate for having less than a full slate of draft picks by trading up in the draft.

McKenzie, in his first year as a GM, made one deal as he moved down 10 spots in the fifth round and added a seventh-rounder. However, there were no bold moves.

It was the right call because the Raiders have to stop mortgaging the future. Compensatory picks can't be traded, so the Raiders could only deal their fifth- and sixth-round picks this year. Those picks have little value, so McKenzie likely would have had to include future picks if he wanted to trade up and pick higher than No. 95.

The problem is Oakland has a reduced draft class again next year, so McKenzie would have been foolish if he dipped into that class. McKenzie is not a fool.

The Raiders still owe Cincinnati a first- or second-round pick next year and they still owe Seattle a fourth- or fifth-round pick in 2013. The Bengals, as part of the Carson Palmer trade, will get the Raiders' 2013 first-rounder if Oakland goes to the AFC title game. If not, the Bengals will get the Raiders’ second-round pick.

As part of the Aaron Curry trade, the Seahawks will get either Oakland's fourth- or fifth-round pick based on Curry’s playing time.

The Raiders were bailed out by three compensatory picks this year. Don’t expect much of a comp-pick haul next season. The Raiders signed several free agents and lost Jason Campbell and Michael Bush to Chicago as free agents. So, unless Bush goes off in Chicago or Campbell has to play because of an injury to Jay Cutler, the Raiders aren’t going to get much in the way of comp picks. Yes, Oakland released several players who caught on elsewhere but released players are not part of the comp-pick formula.

Thus, Oakland is looking at a small draft class for one more year. McKenzie is playing it smart by being patient and careful. By 2014, it should pay off with a full draft class.

Peyton Manning's first appearance in a Denver Broncos uniform will come against a former Denver quarterback.

The NFL announced Denver will open the preseason at Chicago and against Jay Cutler. The game will be closely watched around the country. It will be Manning’s first game action since 2010. He missed all of the 2011 season with a neck injury.

Below are the preseason schedules (most of the dates have not been announced) for each AFC West team. Every team in the division but Kansas City received a nationally televised game. As previously announced, the annual Oakland-San Francisco preseason game will not be played this season. There was severe fan violence at last year’s game.

Denver

Week 1 at Chicago

Week 2 vs. Seattle

Aug. 26 vs. San Francisco, 4 p.m. ET, Fox

Week 4 at Arizona

Kansas City

Week 1 vs. Arizona

Week 2 at St. Louis

Week 3 vs. Seattle

Week 4 at Green Bay

Oakland

Aug. 13 vs. Dallas, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN

Week 2 at Arizona

Week 3 vs. Detroit

Week 4 at Seattle

San Diego

Aug. 9 vs. Green Bay, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN

Week 2 vs. Dallas

Week 3 at Minnesota

Week 4 at San Francisco

Jay Cutler’s former backup is going to Cutler’s former team.

ESPNChicago.com is reporting that the Denver Broncos have signed former Chicago quarterback Caleb Hanie — who played collegiately at Colorado State — to a two-year deal.

Hanie, 26, played well in relief of Cutler in the NFC title game in the 2010 season. However, he was dreadful as Cutler’s injury replacement in 2011, going 0-4 as a starter. The Broncos like the mobile, athletic Hanie because they think he is a better fit for their offense than he was for Mike Martz’s in Chicago.

I thought the Broncos would try to sign a more experienced veteran like recent San Diego cut Billy Volek. The Broncos talked to Volek, but were more interested in Hanie.

Hanie will be the man in Denver if Peyton Manning – who missed the entire 2011 season with a neck injury – can’t play. The Broncos are convinced Manning will be fine.

Let’s face it: The Broncos will be dire straits if Manning, 36, misses a huge chunk of time, regardless of who is the backup. In Hanie, Denver gets a player it thinks can adjust to its system. Watch for Denver to perhaps add a quarterback in some point in the draft.

For years, the theme in Denver was the Broncos were searching for their next John Elway.

Leave it to Elway to finally get the job done. It’s been a windy road at the most important position on the field in Denver since Elway -- who became Denver’s top football decision-maker last year -- retired after the 1998 season and back-to-back Super Bowl titles.

The Broncos now have greatness at the position again in the form of Manning. Let’s review what has happened during the often frustrating journey between Elway and Manning in Denver:

Brian Griese

Years as Denver’s starter: 1999-2002

Comment: Griese had the impossible task of replacing Elway. He had his moments, but he was not a special player and Denver couldn’t handle seeing the dip at the position.

Jake Plummer

Years as Denver’s starter: 2003-06

Comment: Plummer was probably better than he was given credit for. He won his share of games in Denver, but, again, he wasn’t a special player.

Jay Cutler

Years as Denver’s starter: 2006-08

Comment: He is the poster boy of Denver’s frustration at quarterback in its post-Elway existence. Cutler flourished under coach Mike Shanahan and he seemed like he was on his way to being an elite player for Denver. But he famously clashed with Shanahan’s replacement, Josh McDaniels, and he was shipped off to Chicago. It changed the course of the organization that has been felt all the way until Manning’s agreement to come to Denver.

Kyle Orton

Years as Denver’s starter: 2009-11

Comment: Acquired in the Cutler deal, Orton did a nice job for Denver, but he was just a journeyman.

Tim Tebow

Yeas as Denver’s starter: 2010-2011

Comment: He was McDaniels’ parting gift to Denver. Tebow started 16 games in Denver and it was a wild scene. But Elway was never comfortable with Tebow’s ability to be an NFL passer, and now it appears Tebow will be another quarterback who will be shown the door in Denver.

Kyle Orton took the Jason Campbell route out of the AFC West.

A former starter in the division, Orton has quickly decided to further his career as the backup to Tony Romo in Dallas on a three-year deal, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Tuesday, former Oakland starter Jason Campbell went to Chicago to back up Jay Cutler for a year.

Orton was the former starter in Denver and he started the final three games of the season in Kansas City and led the Chiefs to a 2-1 record. But Orton most likely didn’t find any starting opportunities on the market, so he went to a solid team as a backup.

Kansas City head coach Romeo Crennel, who inserted Orton as the starter in his first move as interim coach last season, often praised Orton. Crennel and Kansas City general manager Scott Pioli both expressed interest in Orton.

Yet, the Chiefs likely didn’t tell Orton he had a strong chance to compete with Matt Cassel. It would be strange if Orton bypassed a chance to compete to start to take a clear backup job.

This is another indication Cassel will remain the starter in Kansas City.

In the end, Jason Campbell signed with the Chicago Bears because it was the best backup job available. After realizing he wasn’t going to get any interest to compete somewhere for a starting job, Campbell took a one-year deal to be Jay Cutler’s backup.


The incredible turn of events for Campbell has continued. I truly feel bad for him. He deserves better.

Campbell was playing well last season as the Raiders’ starter when he broke his collarbone in October. Two days later, the Raiders sent two premium picks for Carson Palmer, and Campbell went from a valuable pending free agent to a player who is now a backup.

It is clear why Campbell wanted to leave Oakland. There is no way he’d want to stay and back up his replacement, Palmer, even though Campbell is now backing up a better, younger quarterback in Jay Cutler.

Kansas City probably wasn't interested in bringing Campbell in as competition for Matt Cassel. Even though Campbell played for Chiefs quarterbacks coach Jim Zorn in Washington. Kyle Orton is going to visit Dallas (where he too would be a backup), so it is an indication that Cassel may remain the starter.

I think Campbell would have been a formidable competitor for Tim Tebow in Denver, but the Broncos didn't want to do anything until the Peyton Manning sweepstakes was resolved.

Campbell jumped at what he thought was the best bet and he will have to hope he gets a chance to start sometime down the road.

Oakland fans should salute Campbell as he leaves town. He was a classy leader who stayed professional and supported the team after his injury. Lesser people wouldn’t have handled it as well as Campbell did.

Would Jason Campbell rather back up Jay Cutler or Carson Palmer?

ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting Campbell, Oakland’s former starter, is set to visit with the Bears.

He’d back up Cutler there.

Like Kansas City’s Kyle Orton (Schefter is reporting he will visit Dallas, where he’d backup Tony Romo), Campbell is clearly having trouble finding a place where he’d compete to start. I’m a bit surprised by that.

Campbell has been the victim of terrible luck. He broke his collarbone in October and the Raiders then traded two premium picks for Palmer. The Raiders are now married to Palmer. If Campbell leaves Oakland, it is clear he is looking for change of scenery rather than being open to signing with the Raiders to back up Palmer.

The Bears likely would be willing to give Campbell more than Oakland. A potential backup quarterback in Oakland is Matt Leinart. He was just cut by Houston. Oakland’s new offensive coordinator is Greg Knapp. He was previously Leinart’s quarterbacks coach in Houston.

A Denver reunion in Chicago has some current AFC West relevance.

The Bears just acquired Brandon Marshall, and his big contract, from Miami for two third-round picks. The Bears were expected to be a big player for San Diego receiver Vincent Jackson. That pursuit likely won’t happen now.

So, the Chargers will likely have one less competitor for Jackson.

Also, I wonder if Peyton Manning will be bothered to see the Dolphins traded their top receiver. The Broncos are battling the Dolphins to sign Manning.

Two years ago, Denver received two second-round picks from Miami for Marshall, which helped the Broncos move up to take Tim Tebow at No. 25. In Chicago, Marshall reunites with former Denver quarterback Jay Cutler and Denver offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates.

In other AFC West news:

The agent for Kevin Boss tweeted that he will be cut Wednesday instead of Tuesday.

NFL.com reports that Nick Hardwick’s three-year deal in San Diego is worth $13.5 million with $6.5 million guaranteed. Pretty nice deal for the Chargers. Hardwick is a fine player.

Buffalo is visiting with Houston pass-rusher Mario Williams. San Diego has been interested.

The Indianapolis Star is reporting that Peyton Manning has been throwing better. Manning could be cut by the Colts within the next six days since he's owed a $28 million roster bonus on March 8. If he becomes available, the Chiefs will monitor his progress.

The Football Outsiders believe San Diego free-agent receiver Vincent Jackson would be a perfect fit in Chicago to team up with former AFC West rival Jay Cutler.

Raiders running back Michael Bush is likely on the way out in free agency. One possible destination to keep an keep an eye on: Cincinnati. The Bengals are expected to pursue a running back.

The Steelers cut Chris Kemoeatu. He is a massive guard who could attract interest from the Chargers if they decide to go the free-agent route to replace the recently retired Kris Dielman. Kemoeatu has been injury-plagued and his level of play has gone down some. The Chargers may opt to give backup Tyronne Green a chance to start.

Whenever a coaching change is made, it puts the future of some players in question. That is the case in Kansas City when the Chiefs fired Todd Haley on Monday. Let’s look at some players on the Chiefs’ roster who could be affected by the change:

Dwayne Bowe, receiver: He is a free agent at the end of the season. Bowe had his moments with Haley and was in the coach’s doghouse for a while. But Bowe responded and played well under Haley. The question is whether or not Bowe will be moved by Kansas City general manager Scott Pioli, and I don’t think the coaching change will play a big role.

Matt Cassel, quarterback: Cassel is tied more to Pioli than Haley. Cassel and Haley clashed at times, but Haley made some strides under Haley. I think Pioli is still behind him. I think the only way Cassel could be in trouble is if a strong coach is brought in and he dislikes Cassel enough to convince Pioli to make a change. If Josh McDaniels is the hire, Cassel is in great shape. The two had great success in New England and the entire Jay Cutler fiasco started because McDaniels wanted to continue to work with Cassel.

Kyle Orton, quarterback: He is a free agent at the end of the season. If McDaniels is brought in, I think he’d prefer Cassel over Orton. Remember, McDaniels drafted Tim Tebow in the first round after one year of working with Orton.

Ricky Stanzi, quarterback: He could be golden if his coach at Iowa, Kirk Ferentz, ends up in Kansas City. Otherwise, I don’t think Stanzi is affected by the hire.

Meanwhile, in Haley-firing related news:

The Kansas City Star reports Haley considered resigning as the Chiefs’ head coach last week. Haley made the right decision. I don’t think anyone would ever want to hire someone who quit on his team.

Another name to consider to replace Haley is new Miami interim coach Todd Bowles. He has Bill Parcells ties and that is important to Pioli. He is the son-in-law of Parcells. Haley was also a Parcells protégé.

In Week 1, the Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos engaged in a lackluster season opener on "Monday Night Football" in which the visiting Raiders ended up winning by three points. Leaving the stadium that night (the last road game ever attended by the Raiders’ late owner, Al Davis), neither squad had the look of a playoff team.

However, after a dizzying and unpredictable first three quarters of the NFL season, Denver and Oakland are engaged in one of the most exciting races in the NFL as we head down the stretch. Both teams are 7-5 and are tied for first place in the AFC West. Both are involved in the AFC wild-card race as well. Let’s look at several key aspects of the race:

Who’s hotter? Few teams in the NFL are hotter than the Broncos. Denver has won six of the seven starts made by quarterback Tim Tebow. Denver has won five straight games. It is the third-longest current streak in the NFL this season behind Green Bay (12 wins in a row) and Houston (six in a row). Oakland was hot until getting completely outplayed at Miami in a 34-14 loss last Sunday. The Raiders went into that game on a three-game win streak.

Who is in a better position? As of now, it’s Denver. According to ESPN’s Playoffs Predictor , Denver is projected to win the AFC West and be the No. 4 seed in the playoffs. It gives Denver a 61 percent chance of making the postseason. Oakland has a 38 percent chance of making the playoffs. However, it is currently projected to be on the outside looking in come January. The Broncos currently have the common-opponents tiebreaker over the Raiders.

What do the remaining schedules look like? The Broncos have three home games and Oakland has two. Denver’s remaining four opponents have a combined record of 26-22. Oakland’s remaining opponents’ record is 29-19. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Oakland’s remaining schedule is tied for the fourth most difficult in the NFL.

It starts Sunday as the Raiders have to play at 12-0 Green Bay and the Broncos host the reeling Chicago Bears, who will be without offensive stars Jay Cutler and Matt Forte. In the final three weeks, Denver hosts New England, plays at Buffalo and hosts Kansas City. Oakland hosts Detroit, plays at Kansas City and hosts San Diego.

The quarterbacks: On paper, there is no doubt Oakland has the advantage at the most important position on the field. Carson Palmer is a traditional pocket passer, and Tebow is a raw quarterback who relies on the option offense more than he does on traditional drop-back passing plays.

But the Tebow-led offense was more impressive than the Palmer-led offense last week. Tebow’s offense is working, and Palmer is still getting used to playing with the Raiders. He has been the quarterback of this team for just a month as Jason Campbell’s injury replacement, and he essentially missed the first half of the season while he stayed away from Cincinnati.

The Raiders gave up two premium draft picks for Palmer, and they expect him to carry the team during this race. That’s why he was acquired. But Denver also fully believes in Tebow’s impact on this offense for the stretch run.

Defensive play: The Broncos’ defense has played a major role during the team's resurgence. Denver allowed Minnesota to pass for 381 yards, but it made several huge plays to help secure the win. This unit was 32nd in the NFL last year in nearly every vital category. But it has been very timely this season.

The Raiders have more talent on defense, but they have been giving up way too many big plays, even in victories. Yes, this unit has the ability to rush the passer extremely well and it is physical, but it needs to play more consistently.

Injury status: The Broncos have had some injuries, but they are fairly healthy right now. Rookie linebacker Von Miller missed last week’s game with a thumb injury, but he is expected to play Sunday.

Oakland has been dealing with several injuries. According to ESPN’s John Clayton, Oakland has missed 65 starts due to injury. It needs to get back skill-position players Darren McFadden, Jacoby Ford and Denarius Moore. They are all dealing with foot injuries. McFadden has missed five games, Ford has misused three games and Moore has missed two games. That is a lot of speed that the Raiders are missing.

Coaching; This is first-year Denver coach John Fox’s 10th season as an NFL head coach. He’s been in these battles before with Carolina. This is not unchartered waters for him.

Oakland's Hue Jackson is a rookie head coach, but don’t expect him to back down. He’s a confident coach, and he will have his team ready for the next month. Remember, Jackson predicted an AFC West championship for his team earlier this season. He has a chance to be right … or wrong.

What team has more pressure? Denver hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2005, and Oakland hasn’t been there since 2002. So, both teams should be loose. But I’d think Oakland would be crushed to see Denver beat it out for the title considering Oakland had a better record than Denver did a month ago. Even in the back of their minds, the Broncos couldn’t have imagined this run when the Tebow era started.

Scout’s view: I asked Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. for his thoughts on the race. Here’s what he had to say:

“I would give Denver the edge in three of its four games and Oakland the edge in two of its four games. ... I didn’t think Denver was the better team a week ago, but that was a really dismal performance by the Raiders [at Miami]. And although it was against a dreadful Minnesota secondary, Denver’s passing game is evolving and progressing. So, give me Denver.”

Conclusion: Because there have been countless twists and turns this season in this division, anything could happen. Denver does seem to have the schedule edge, and it is hot. But if Oakland can get healthy, it can finish strong as well. In the end, I expect this race to be settled in Week 17.

A look at another thrilling Denver Broncos win, this time 35-32 over the Minnesota Vikings:

What it means: Denver is now tied with Oakland for first place in the AFC West at 7-5. Denver has won five straight games and has won six of quarterback Tim Tebow’s seven starts this season. The Broncos are a major factor in the AFC West playoff race after starting the season 1-4.

Tomorrow’s talker: Tebow is getting better as a passer. Denver -- which scored 28 points in the second half -- is still not comfortable enough to make Tebow a pure pocket passer, but he is making major strides. He completed 10 of 15 passes for 202 yards. He made several key completions and his passes continue to get more aesthetically pleasing. After running a record 22 times last week, he ran only four times for 13 yards

Winning close games: It was Denver’s third straight last-minute victory and the fourth since Tebow took over.

Thomas helping: Tebow is building a rapport with fellow 2010 first-round pick Demaryius Thomas. Thomas had four catches for 144 yards and the two nearly connected on a touchdown late in the game before Denver tied the score with a field goal. Eric Decker had been Tebow’s favorite target. He had 25 yards on two catches.

Defense comes through: The Vikings got their yardage, but Denver’s defense came up with three turnovers. An interception by cornerback Andre' Goodman with less than two minutes to go set up the win. This was a hard-fought game by the Denver defense. It was on the field for 37 minutes, 51 seconds and nearly 22 minutes in the first half. But it buckled down when it needed to.

Haggan has big game: Denver veteran linebacker Mario Haggan had a terrific game as he spelled rookie star Von Miller, who was out with ligament damage to his thumb. Haggan had a team-high 12 tackles and an interception return for a score.

McGahee makes big runs: At the age of 30, Denver running back Willis McGahee continued to shine. He had 111 yards, including a 24-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, on 20 carries. Denver, the leading rushing team in the NFL, had 150 rushing yards on 32 carries.

What’s next: Denver hosts the Jay Cutler-less Chicago Bears next week as the Broncos hope to continue their unlikely march toward the playoffs.

Here are some areas the Oakland Raiders need to focus on after a 25-20 home win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday:

Recap: The Raiders are now 7-4 and they lead the Denver Broncos, 6-5, by one game in the AFC West. Oakland has won three games in a row for the second time since 2002, which was the last year Oakland had a winning record and made the playoffs. The Raiders are playing good football in all three phases.

Biggest area to fix: Chicago had 401 yards of total offense and it was playing without standout quarterback Jay Cutler. The Bears made big plays in the air and on the ground. Oakland made key plays against backup Caleb Hanie, but it has to get better on defense, especially with a trip to Green Bay looming in two weeks.

Biggest area to build on: The Raiders cut down on penalties, big-time. They were flagged just six times for 44 yards. It’s not perfect, but it is progress for a team that has led the NFL in penalties all season.

What to watch for: Oakland plays at Miami on Sunday. This is no longer an easy victory. Miami had won three straight games before losing at Dallas on Thanksgiving. Traveling all the way to Miami won’t be a treat, either. Still, Oakland is playing well enough that it should win this game.

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

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 12:

Are Jackson and Rivers on the same page when it counts? San Diego receiver Vincent Jackson is coming off a strong game in which he caught seven passes for 165 yards. For the season, Jackson has 42 catches for 800 yards (for a whopping 19.0 yards per catch average) and seven touchdowns. However, there are some things to worry about. Jackson and San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers had a difficult time connecting on critical fourth-quarter plays in the end zone in the past two games. Both plays ended up in interceptions. Against Oakland in Week 10, Jackson couldn’t locate a pass. In Week 11, Rivers’ body language indicated that Jackson didn’t run the correct route. These are two special players who often have good chemistry. But they must connect when it counts Sunday against Denver.

Chargers to face Tebow again: Tim Tebow-mania in 2011 began against the Chargers in Denver. Tebow relieved former starter Kyle Orton and nearly got a comeback victory, but San Diego won 29-24. Tebow completed 4 of 10 passes for 79 yards and had six carries for 38 yards. It was enough for Tebow to be inserted in the starting lineup the next game. Denver is 4-1 since the change and San Diego is 0-5.

The Raiders must bring the heat: The Raiders have one of the best pass rushes in the NFL. Oakland has 11 sacks in the past two games. Caleb Hanie probably is starting for Chicago with Jay Cutler out with a broken thumb, and Oakland has a chance to control this game with a strong pass rush. If the Raiders can make Hanie uncomfortable, the Bears will have a difficult time winning.

Chiefs must do the same: If the Chiefs are to have a chance to knock off the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night, they will have to pressure quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. And it’s possible. Roethlisberger -- who is dealing with a thumb injury -- has been sacked 31 times in 10 games. He is tied with St. Louis’ Sam Bradford for being sacked the most this season. Kansas City pressured New England’s Tom Brady in the first half with three sacks Monday night, but couldn’t get to Brady in the second half. It must bring consistent pressure Sunday night.

Tebow, Rivers go different ways in the fourth quarter: The story of Tebow and Rivers this year has been completely different. Tebow has stalled for much of the first three quarters of games, then come alive in the fourth quarter. Tebow always seems to make the right play during crunch time. Rivers has made critical mistakes in the fourth quarter during all six of the of the Chargers’ losses. It will be interesting to see if both trends continue Sunday.

One of the weirdest quarterback seasons in AFC West history has taken another strange twist Wednesday.

Kyle Orton is going directly from the bench in Denver to the huddle in Kansas City as the Chiefs clearly think they can stay in the divisional playoff race.

This division has seen Tebowmania. It has seen Philip Rivers have his worst NFL season. It has seen Jason Campbell go down in a heap and the Raiders responding by giving up two premium picks to get Carson Palmer off the couch.

Now this.

The Chiefs jumped on Denver’s decision to say goodbye to its former starter. Expect the Chiefs to quickly try to get Orton on the field. They did not assume the final $2.5 million of his deal to keep him on the bench.

It may be too much to ask for Orton (who missed practice in Kansas City on Wednesday) to join the team and start Sunday night against visiting Pittsburgh. However, he could be available in an emergency situation before taking over in December.

I’d expect Tyler Palko to make his second NFL start Sunday and then give way to Orton. Palko was 25-of-38 passing for 236 yards in a 34-3 loss at New England. He threw three interceptions. Palko was named the starter when Matt Cassel was lost for the season in Week 10 – against Denver – with a broken hand.

I’m sure the Chiefs were ready to roll with Palko as their starter and Ricky Stanzi (who now becomes the No. 3 quarterback again) as the backup. But when Orton became available, the Chiefs took advantage of the rare opportunity of picking up a healthy, experienced veteran this late in the season.

Ironically, Orton will likely make his first start Dec. 4 at Chicago. The Bears and Dallas (likely in an attempt to keep Orton from the Bears) made a claim on Orton. He was awarded to the Chiefs because they had claiming priority.

The Bears wanted Orton because starter Jay Cutler will be out for several weeks with a broken thumb. In another twist in this story of many twists, Orton was traded from Chicago to Denver in 2009 in a package for Cutler.

Give credit to Kansas City for snagging Orton. It shows the team is not ready to lay down the rest of the season. The Chiefs, who have been battered by injuries all season, have lost three straight games to drop to 4-6. Plus the Chiefs, who are two games behind AFC West-leading Oakland, have the toughest remaining schedule in the NFL.

Still, they jumped at the chance to spend some money and get better.

Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. said he liked the Chiefs’ gumption.

“He is certainly an improvement and very familiar with the division,” Williamson said. “Seems like a bit of a desperation move from guys that might be on the hot seat, but, I guess, I can’t condemn it too much. He fits their offense as they run first and then he can take some shots to [Dwayne] Bowe.”

It may be a stretch to think Orton will be enough to push the staggering Chiefs back into the race. But he is a professional passer who has some decent weapons to throw to. Thus, the Chiefs will be better with Orton than without him. Maybe Orton is the missing link in Kansas City. After all, who could have predicted anything that has happened in this division this season?