The AFC West standings will be shaped significantly this week when the Kansas City Chiefs play the Arizona Cardinals, the Oakland Raiders face the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Denver Broncos and the San Diego Chargers play a division game.
Here is a look at the current standings:
It is quite possible that after Monday night, the AFC West standings could have a three teams with a 5-5 record. That would mean both Kansas City and Oakland lose, while San Diego defeats Denver. Kansas City plays the Cardinals, who are on a four-game losing streak, but the Chiefs could still be reeling from their defeat at the hands of the Broncos last Sunday. The Oakland Raiders are 1-3 on the road, but the Steelers are only 2-2 at home. Both games are toss-ups, but the Chiefs have a better chance at winning than the Raiders.
ESPN's panel of experts all predict that the Chiefs will win, but only Mark Schlereth believes the Raiders can defeat the Steelers. ESPN.com's Bill Simmons also chooses the Chiefs to beat the Cardinals, but he's calling an upset with the Raiders defeating the Steelers on the road:
Raiders (+7) over STEELERS
My upset special: Oakland 23, Pittsburgh 17. How great is it that this game means something? I might watch this game, play some Atari, then cap it off with reruns of "The Love Boat," "Charlie's Angels" and "Fantasy Island."
Nothing like a bit of nostalgia for the 70s, when the Steelers and the Raiders were the dominant teams in the NFL.