Despite .500 record, Chiefs leading less-than-stellar AFC West

By Mike Ash  |   Thursday, November 08, 2007  |  Comments( 13 )

Kansas City Chiefs
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At the halfway point of the 2007 NFL season, it's safe to say that it hasn't been a banner year for the AFC West. Not a single team in the division has a winning record going into Week 10, putting the 4-4 Kansas City Chiefs on top of the pack thanks to a tie-breaking win over San Diego.

The sudden mediocrity running rampant in the division is rather unusual because the West has been one of the league's best in recent years. In fact, at least two AFC West teams have made the playoffs in three of the last four seasons, a number only the NFC East can match.

The decline was fully evident last Sunday, as all four teams were defeated. The Denver Broncos were humiliated in a 44-7 loss to the Detroit Lions. The San Diego Chargers allowed rookie running back Adrian Peterson to set a new single-game rushing record in their 35-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. And the Oakland Raiders dropped a home game to the injury-riddled Houston Texans in a game not nearly as close as the final 24-17 score would suggest.

The Chiefs, on the other hand, were at least able to walk off the field with their dignity after losing a heartbreaker to the 7-1 Green Bay Packers, 33-22. Trailing by only four points with under two minutes to go, Kansas City played the Super Bowl-contending Pack right down to the wire until a Damon Huard pass was picked off and returned for a touchdown to ice the game.

The biggest story coming out of the game for the Chiefs was the foot injury suffered by Larry Johnson, which a TV station in Denver claims will keep him out for the rest of the season. That story hasn't been confirmed by any other source, but it seems safe to assume that Johnson will miss at least the next few weeks of action.

As strange as it sounds, not having Johnson in the lineup could serve to benefit the Chiefs' less-than-explosive offense. While losing a player of Johnson's ability is never a good thing, defenses have clearly centered their game plans around him. And Kansas City's offensive line simply hasn't held up well to fronts that were focused on stopping the run. If defenses back away from the line of scrimmage because Johnson isn't in the backfield, perhaps the Chiefs will be able to run the ball with a little more success in their upcoming games.

That increased ground success could be immediate, considering Kansas City's next challenge comes in the form of an AFC West showdown with the Broncos and the league's worst rush defense. With the Chargers facing a tough matchup (the 7-1 Indianapolis Colts), the Chiefs have an opportunity to extend their lead in the division - for one week, at least - with a win over their rivals from Denver.

Overall, it's entirely possible that a 9-7 record will be good enough to win the West this year. If the Chiefs can play one game over .500 the rest of the way, while keeping hold on their stellar record in the division, they have the inside track on claiming their first title since 2003.
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