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New Oakland head coach Dennis Allen told the Bay Area News Group that if the Raiders use a 3-4 defense that Tommy Kelly would be the nose tackle. Allen has yet to commit to a base defense and he has said Oakland will use multiple fronts.

There have been indications that the 4-3 defense will be the team’s base, but I do expect some 3-4 looks.

Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. thinks Oakland should use multiple looks and he thinks Kelly could fill the nose tackle role in some instances.

“I think it would be foolish for Oakland not to be multiple and I am sure they know that is the plan,” Williamson said. “With defensive linemen like Lamarr Houston and, especially, Richard Seymour and Kelly, they have a lot of versatility where they line up up front. … Looking over the roster, the Raiders do lack a true plugger early down nose tackle. Kelly would fit that mold best.”

In other AFC West news:

Former Chiefs and Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer mourns the death of Junior Seau.

New Denver quarterback Peyton Manning hit the field with his new teammates and coaches for the first time.

Bill Barnwell thinks the Raiders and Chargers are among the teams still with a glaring hole.

Baltimore star pass-rusher Terrell Suggs could miss the entire season with a torn Achilles. The Ravens play the AFC West this season.

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Peyton Manning-to-Kansas City rumors have taken the next step.

Kansas City radio personality Bob Fescoe tweeted that he has heard that Manning’s agent and the Chiefs have already talked twice and signing Manning is a good financial fit for the Chiefs.

Here we go.

My thoughts?

Well, first, the league has tampering rules, so if Manning’s agent has talked to the Chiefs, that will get the Chiefs in trouble. Plus, I’m not sure the Chiefs -- or any team -- would talk about any about a contract until a team can take a look at Manning’s physical state. He has yet to be cut by the Colts, so the Chiefs cannot get a look at Manning’s neck.

However, I do think the Chiefs and Manning would be a good financial fit and there are plenty of football reasons why it is a good fit. So, I think he should stay tuned.

But it is impossible to think this potential pairing is close to being a reality.

In other AFC West news:

• Oakland owner Mark Davis will accept a prestigious award for his late father, Al Davis on Friday.
• Could veterans Sage Rosenfels and Byron Leftwich be in the Broncos’ future? If so, they're headed to backup city. Neither player has shown in recent seasons that they can be a legitimate threat to be a starter.
• AFC North blogger Jamison Hensley wonders why Baltimore’s Terrell Suggs goes out of his way to criticize Denver quarterback Tim Tebow.
• Mike Greenberg and Marcellus Wiley discuss, in a podcast, what kind of season the Raiders and Carson Palmer may have in 2012. In this podcast, they wonder if Philip Rivers or Norv Turner has more pressure heading into 2012. I say Turner does. Rivers won’t lose his job if the Chargers fail this year.

Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said he suffered “a little setback” in his recovery from an ankle injury when he played against Cleveland on Sunday.

"I had a little setback early in the third quarter," Roethlisberger told reporters in Pittsburgh on Wednesday. "We’re working really hard with the trainers and doctors to get back to even where we were before the Cleveland game. I felt pretty good going in and moved a little bit at the beginning of that game. It’s a little setback but we’ll get moving."

Roethlisberger and the Steelers play at Denver in a wild-card game Sunday. The 12-4 Steelers are heavy favorites against the 8-8 Broncos, who have lost three straight games. Yet, the Steelers are already playing without running back Rashard Mendenhall and safety Ryan Clark. With Roethlisberger still gimpy, perhaps the home team has some hope.

There’s no doubt Roethlisberger's play has been affected by the injury. Since the injury he has completed 56 of 96 passes (58.3 percent) for 729 yards. He has thrown one touchdown and four interceptions for a 68.4 passer rating.

In other AFC West news:

• Baltimore linebacker Terrell Suggs takes some shots at Denver quarterback Tim Tebow and the Raiders.
• ESPN’s John Clayton looks at the potential quarterback options for Denver in 2012 if the team moves away from the struggling Tebow after the playoffs.
• There wasn’t a big AFC West representation on Clayton’s All-Pro team.
• ESPN columnist Ashley Fox looks at the Chargers’ decision to keep Norv Turner as coach.
• Denver linebacker Von Miller has dropped on ESPN.com’s rookie watch. Miller has been essentially playing with one arm because he is wearing a cast after undergoing thumb surgery in late November.

I caught up with Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. to address the Kansas City Chiefs' matchup against Baltimore in a wild-card game Sunday.

Williamson thinks the key will be to stop Baltimore defensive linemen Terrell Suggs and Haloti Ngata. The Chiefs’ offensive line is coming off its worst game of the season. Quarterback Matt Cassel was sacked seven times and was on the run nearly every play against Oakland in a 31-10 Raiders win.

Still, Williams thinks the Chiefs have a chance Sunday:

“I think Kansas City left tackle Branden Albert is their best lineman and he has to deal with Suggs, who is much more than just a good pass-rusher. He’s really good against the run and he’s just a tremendous player. Kansas City also has to deal with Ngata. This is more than a nose tackle -- he moves all over the line. Kansas City has to be ready for it.

In some ways, Oakland’s defensive front is like Baltimore’s because they have guys who move around. So, the Chiefs have to use the tape as a learning lesson. It has to improve there.

But this Baltimore defense isn’t as good as many people think. They are old and they get tired. If the Chiefs can stick with their running, it could really pay off in the second half. I think the Ravens should win, but the Chiefs have a chance. I don’t think the Ravens will dominate them.”

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

Posted by ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 9.

	Kyle Terada/US Presswire
	Philip Rivers goes head to head with Eli Manning on Sunday.

Rivers-Manning I: When does a San Diego crowd treat an opposing quarterback worse than a New York crowd would? When he spurns them. There is little chance Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers will be booed Sunday like Giants quarterback Eli Manning was booed when he played in San Diego in 2005. Rivers will likely just get the usual treatment an opposing star gets from Giants fans. New York doesn’t hold anything against Rivers. It was Manning’s reluctance to play in San Diego that spurred the draft-day trade in 2004 that sent Manning to New York and Rivers to San Diego. Manning was the No. 1 overall pick and Rivers was the No.4 pick. Manning has been a public enemy in San Diego since, while Rivers has grown into the face of the franchise. This will be the first time in the NFL these two players started against each other.

Run Jamaal, run: The Chiefs are just looking for a reason to lessen Larry Johnson’s load. Jamaal Charles could be the reason. Charles will likely get several carries Sunday in Jacksonville while Johnson sits out during a one-game team suspension. Charles played well in the Chiefs’ last game, Oct. 25 against San Diego. The second-year player is a speedster who is intriguing. With Johnson’s situation tenuous, Charles could increase his work load the rest of the season with a good performance Sunday.

Can Chargers benefit from the curse of Antonio Pierce? Ever since Pierce blasted the Raiders, the Giants have been awful. Call it the Curse of Pierce. The Chargers are hoping it lasts another week. The Giants have lost three straight games, twice by more than 20 points, since beating Oakland 44-7. After that game, Pierce said playing the Raiders was like playing a “scrimmage,” and he was amazed by how listless Oakland’s players were. The words offended several Oakland players and the Giants haven’t won since.

Tough test for Denver tackle: Denver right tackle Tyler Polumbus will make his first start Monday night against Pittsburgh. His first challenge: LaMarr Woodley, who had 11.5 sacks last season. Polumbus probably also will see some of reigning NFL defensive player of the year James Harrison. Good luck, kid. Polumbus got a taste of life in the NFL last week when he subbed for the injured Ryan Harris. Polumbus had to deal with Baltimore’s Terrell Suggs, and did decently. Polumbus could be in the lineup for three weeks.

Tough stretch for San Diego begins: The Chargers got back on the winning track with wins over lackluster Kansas City and Oakland teams to improve to 4-3. Now, life gets a little tougher as the Chargers start a stretch in which they play at New York, host Philadelphia and then at Denver. If the Chargers are going to get back in the AFC West race (Denver leads San Diego by two games), they will have to play well during this stretch.

Posted by ESPN.com's Bill Williamson

Stay tuned Thursday for movement on the Nnamdi Asomugha situation in Oakland. There were some strong indications Wednesday night and early Thursday that a long-term deal between the shutdown cornerback and the Raiders could be done at any time.

This would be huge news for the Raiders.

• The Denver Post is reporting linebacker Boss Bailey may not be salary-cap causality. With five defensive starters already jettisoned and with more than $25 million in cap room freed up, Denver certainly doesn't need to create any more cap space.
• New Kansas City coach Todd Haley said he hasn't named exact positions for several new assistant coaches because he hasn't figured it all out yet.
• The Oakland Tribune is reporting that receiver Ronald Curry has been informed he will be cut.
• The Chargers are hoping to secure LaDainian Tomlinson, Philip Rivers and Antonio Gates this offseason. Keeping his own has long been a mantra of San Diego general manager A.J. Smith.
• The Ravens' decision to put the franchise tag on linebacker Terrell Suggs could affect both Denver's and Kansas City's plans. Both teams have plenty of cap room and both teams could have used a pass-rusher like Suggs.
• The Chargers may be quietly bummed that the Raiders re-signed punter Shane Lechler. Many in San Diego believe their punter, Mike Scifres, is the best punter in the AFC but he keeps getting bypassed in favor of Lechler for the Pro Bowl. Some in the San Diego organization may have been hoping Lechler would go to an NFC team which would open a spot on the Pro Bowl roster for Scifres. My take on that one: Both Lechler and Scifres are the real deal.
• Former Oakland wide receiver Tim Brown will coach the receivers in an alumni game featuring Notre Dame players in Tokyo this July.