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AFC west

Sporting News, The, Oct 25, 2004

DENVER BRONCOS

Matt Lepsis has been outstanding in his first season at left tackle. The growing pains he experienced during the preseason are a thing of the past. Quick on his feet and possessing a very strong upper body, Lepsis has been taking it to right ends. He also has been good at moving beyond the line and taking on linebackers. But Lepsis needs to reduce his holding penalties.... The defense has been terrific on third down. If the unit can continue to force turnovers as it did last Sunday in the victory over the Raiders, a good unit could become dominant.

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DEFENSIVE SYSTEM CHECK: The Broncos brought in CB Champ Bailey to allow them to blitz and play man-to-man coverage more and to be more aggressive. At 5-1, Denver has been successful taking that approach. Bailey plays man-to-man on the opposition's best receiver, which frees Ss John Lynch and Kenoy Kennedy to crowd the line of scrimmage or come up quickly to help shut down the run.--Patrick Saunders

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

There is reason for concern about K Lawrence Tynes after he missed an extra-point attempt and a field-goal try in a narrow loss to Jacksonville. Tynes must be strong enough mentally to put the incidents behind him.... The 2003 draft is shaping up as a lousy one. MLB Kawika Mitchell's play has been disappointing, and first-round RB Larry Johnson and third-round CB Julian Battle were healthy scratches in Jacksonville. The other five picks are still around but contributing mainly on special teams or not at all. DEFENSIVE SYSTEM CHECK: The switch to Gunther Cunningham's schemes is paying dividends against the run. The Chiefs ask their linemen to get through gaps quickly, and they are doing that often enough to disrupt plays. Linemen aren't getting beat physically and knocked off the line as often as last season. Pass defense is a concern because small CB Dexter McCleon is getting burned by taller receivers when left in one-on-one coverage, which he often is.--Adam Teicher

OAKLAND RAIDERS

WR Jerry Rice remains unhappy with his diminished role. He still is starting, but there aren't many balls being thrown his way. The Raiders are shifting toward an offense that throws downfield more, taking advantage of the speed of young WRs Ronald Curry and Doug Gabriel.... FS Ray Buchanan has done an admirable job of replacing Rod Woodson. Buchanan has a penchant for reacting to plays before they fully develop. He isn't big for a safety, but he makes up for it with experience, solid tackling and a strong desire to consistently make plays. DEFENSIVE SYSTEM CHECK: The defense is no longer catching offenses off guard, as it did in the first three games. Teams are prepared for a lot of blitzes and have found ways to counter the different looks. The result has been less pressure, fewer sacks and more sustained drives. The defense needs to settle into the formations that work best and let the players get used to doing just a few things well.--Steve Corkran

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS

The staff is considering replacing starting RCB Sammy Davis with Jamar Fletcher. Davis has struggled to stay with receivers. Fletcher has an interception and a fumble recovery and is quicker and more experienced than Davis. But the team has concerns about Fletcher's size (5-9, 186).... Rookie C Nick Hardwick (knee) is back and likely will return to the starting lineup, though coach Marly Schottenheimer hasn't said so. The staff loves Hardwick's upside. DEFENSIVE SYSTEM CHECK: The switch to the 3-4 under new coordinator Wade Phillips has done wonders for the run defense. The unit has held four consecutive opponents to less than 100 rushing yards and has been particularly stout on early downs. The key is NT Jamal Williams, who is commanding double-teams while disrupting opponents' blocking schemes. Williams and the ends are doing an excellent job of keeping blockers off the linebackers, who lack size but have good mobility.--Jim Trotter

AFC west

Sporting News, The, Oct 25, 2004

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