As NFL divisions go, the AFC West is the AFC Weirdest.
Wasn’t Denver supposed to be doomed?
The Broncos are 4-0 for the first time since 2003, and rookie coach Josh McDaniels, who bumbled into town by first alienating then trading Jay Cutler, is beginning to look like a star. He even has mended fences with sulky receiver Brandon Marshall, who only weeks ago wanted out of Denver in the worst way.
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Even more surprising, last season’s 29th-ranked defense is suddenly a force of nature, ranked first in points allowed and second in yards. The Broncos have surrendered just 26 points, tying them for the fifth-fewest allowed through four games since 1970.
But for all the disaster-area tape the Broncos aren’t using, there’s plenty of it cordoning off the other three teams in the division.
The Chargers staggered through a third consecutive sloppy September and are coming off a loss at Pittsburgh that general manager A.J. Smith deemed “absolutely embarrassing.” Smith also referred to the defense as “soft,” about the most damning thing you can say about that side of the ball.
Then there’s this: The 2-2 Chargers — paying LaDainian Tomlinson and Darren Sproles $6 million each — are ranked last in rushing at 53.8 yards per game. Marty Schottenheimer would have swallowed his whistle.
Few if anyone predicted the Chiefs would make a dramatic turnaround under new coach Todd Haley, but at 0-4, they have been awful. They can’t run, can’t convert a third down, can’t protect Matt Cassel and — dating to the Herm Edwards era — have lost 27 of 29.
Finally, the Raiders. This was supposed to be the year JaMarcus Russell would prove he was worthy of the No.1 pick. He has completed 39.8 percent of his passes, and the 1-3 Raiders are ranked last in yards and 30th in points.
New Raiders defensive lineman Richard Seymour was on a conference call with Giants reporters in advance of Sunday’s game. Their first question: “How’s Oakland?”
“Well,” Seymour said, “the weather’s nice.”
That about sums it up.
His business is his business: Michael Crabtree finally signed with the 49ers last week, and there has been a lot of speculation that because of the bickering over money, he won’t get a warm welcome from his new teammates.
Truth is, the guys in the locker room aren’t likely to judge him.
“There’s this unwritten rule that’s very closely abided by in the NFL, and that’s that your negotiations are your business,” former NFL quarterback Kelly Stouffer said. “Everyone is in that situation sooner or later, and they don’t want the guy across the locker room getting involved in their business.”
Stouffer knows. He was the top pick of the St.Louis Cardinals in 1987 but sat out his rookie year because of a contract dispute. Just before the 1988 draft, he was traded to Seattle.
“Once you walk in the door, however you got there, we’re all in this together,” he said. “There’s never really a situation in a locker room I’ve been in where players are sitting around saying, ‘We’re not going to like him when he gets here because of the way he’s doing this.'”
Low blow: Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez was fined $5,000 for diving at the knees of Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma on an interception return. Sanchez, who smoothed things over with a phone call to Vilma, almost got slugged.
Vilma wrote in his blog that the incident “was a perfect example of me putting the team before myself” and said he initially wanted to exact his own penalty.
“When he did it, I was ready to get up and sock him one, but I restrained myself,” Vilma wrote. “I saw the flags come out and I know it’s a long game, so I said let’s just take the points and get the victory.”
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