AFC west

DENVER BRONCOS

Much has been made of Champ Bailey's great skills as a cover corner, but his tackling also is outstanding. Bailey is not a huge hitter, but he's terrific at reading plays, picking a path through the blockers and taking down running backs with solid tackles to their legs.... A key player down the stretch will be CB Kelly Herndon. With Bailey playing so well on the opposite side, teams are throwing toward Herndon more, and he has responded well. He studies opponents and is solid in man-to-man coverage. What he lacks is Bailey's ability to recover quickly alter getting beat to break up a pass. SEE A DIFFERENT GAME: The team's first quarter point differential--plus-48 through 11 games--is the best in the NFL Why? First, credit the 15-play script that Mike Shanahan and coordinator Gary Kubiak concoct for each game. It's designed to jump-start the game plan and put the opponent on its heels. Shanahan also is a master at using plays to uncover a defense's tendencies, then coming back to exploit those tendencies on the next possession.--Patrick Saunders

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

Injuries forced the team to play young Ss Shaunard Harts and Willie Pile against the Chargers. Neither was dominant, but each proved deserving of more playing time. Pile delivered some big hits, something the secondary hasn't been doing.... The Chiefs demoted Julian Battle from third corner, but he still has a future with the team. Battle is an excellent athlete but is raw. He uses poor technique and frequently gets caught with his hands on receivers.... Brian Waters is becoming one of the NFL's best guards. A tight end in college, he runs well and often is used to lead screens and other open-field plays. He has tremendous strength and has become more skilled in using it. He's not a mad grader but gets the job done on power runs. SEE A DIFFERENT GAME: Replacing RT John Welbourn (knee, hip) with Chris Bober gives the team a different look. Welbourn was supposed to offer a physical presence in the running game but didn't. Bober isn't as strong or as good a pass blocker as Welbourn but is more athletic and will allow the team to run more screens and sweeps to the right.--Adam Teicher

OAKLAND RAIDERS

Using the 3-4 formation as the team's base defense has not gone as well as hoped. In particular, Warren Sapp has not adapted well to playing a new position alter spending nine seasons at tackle with the Bucs. The Raiders moved Sapp inside against the Chargers and got their first strong performance from him all season. Look for them to use both schemes but lean toward the 4-3 as long as Sapp plays better at tackle than end.... Phillip Buchanon is playing better at cornerback, but he remains ineffective as a punt returner. He often makes poor decisions and doesn't make the necessary moves to get into the open field, where he can use his speed. SEE A DIFFERENT GAME: C Adam Treu has started every game and maintained his role as the long snapper. No other player in the league handles both chores. Treu also played both roles in college. That experience, and meticulous preparation, helps him. Neither part of Treu's game has suffered since he joined the starting lineup this season, and he has developed into one of Oakland's most valuable players.--Steve Corkran

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS

CB Drayton Florence will replace CB Sammy Davis (broken leg), who might be out the rest of the regular season. Florence is more physical than Davis and might be the best athlete on the team. Florence's flaw has been inconsistency, but he has been better in that area this year.... Kickoff coverage is a concern. Part of the problem is that the team has been shuffling players in and out because of injuries. Players aren't staying in their lanes and are struggling to get off blocks. K Nate Kaeding also has had problems with distance and height; he was replaced in the fourth quarter Sunday by P Mike Scifres. SEE A DIFFERENT GAME: Some teams work on the 2-minute drill in practice; the Chargers work on the 4-minute drill. The goal is to get familiar with protecting a lead in the final minutes of a game. The focus is on efficiency and clock management. First downs are more important than big plays. QB Drew Brees is excellent in such situations because he understands the offense nearly as well as the coaches. He ranks third in the league in fourth quarter passer rating.--Jim Trotter

COPYRIGHT 2004 Sporting News Publishing Co.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning