The good news for the Chiefs is that the AFC West is not very good. The bad news for the Chiefs is that the Chiefs aren’t very good either.

San Diego Chargers (9-7): I have said from day one that Norv Turner was a bad hire for San Diego. Maybe it’s because I’m still a Marty Schottenheimer fan. Or maybe it’s because I believe that past performance is the best indicator of future performance. And Norv’s past performance as a head coach is mediocre at best. The Chargers are too talented not to win some games. But Norv will continue to find ways to lose. The Chargers will win the AFC West because they have the most talent on the field, and the other three teams are not very good.

Kansas City Chiefs (6-10): The Chiefs will have some ugly moments this year, but I expect them to be a better team. I like the transition to the 3-4 defense, and believe the defense will have moments where they shine. The offense will struggle. Matt Cassel should be OK if the line can give him a bit of protection. Which appears to be the primary problem. Larry Johnson will rush for more than 1,200 yards, and Jamaal Charles will add another 600 yards.

Denver Broncos (5-11): It’s been an interesting comparison watching Josh McDaniels and Todd Haley. Much was written early that new Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli would liked to have hired McDaniels in Kansas City. But after watching all the turmoil in Denver this year, the Broncos can have McDaniels. This team has too many distractions, and too little talent.

Oakland Raiders (3-13): As a Chiefs fan, people expect me to hate the Raiders. But as a kid growing up in the ’70s, I loved watching the Raiders. Now it’s only fun to laugh at the Raiders. Al Davis has run this organization into the ground. I fully expect quarterback JaMarcus Russell to get benched by week eight. And that first round pick wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey will flop.

It appears this story isn’t over yet. The Raiders are the gift that just keeps on giving. The Napa police department on Friday reopened its investigation into an attack that left Oakland Raiders assistant coach Randy Hanson with a broken bone in his face.

Here’s a part of the AP story:

The police said earlier this week that the case was closed because the victim was unwilling to cooperate. On Friday, the department announced that it had been reopened, apparently after Hanson agreed to cooperate with authorities.

The NFL is already looking into the case to determine if Cable violated the league’s personal conduct policy. According to the policy, a coach or player can be disciplined for “violent or threatening behavior among employees, whether in or outside the workplace.”

According to the Internet site the National Football Post, the attack happened after Cable told Hanson he was being relegated from an on-field coach with defensive backs to breaking down film.

The report said Cable attacked Hanson after the assistant verbally contested something defensive coordinator John Marshall had said.

After being told by owner Al Davis that he could not get his old job back, Hanson reportedly decided to cooperate with police in the investigation.

Read the whole story here in the Lawrence Journal-World.

This story is from the Associated Press:

Maybe the Oakland Raiders should save their hitting for the field.

Raiders head coach Tom Cable declined to comment Monday about reports he punched defensive assistant Randy Hanson in the jaw and caused injuries that required treatment at a hospital earlier this month.

According to AOL Fanhouse, Cable hit Hanson on Aug. 5 for unknown reasons. A report filed with the Napa Police Department describes an unidentified 41-year-old assistant coach being treated at the Queen of the Valley Hospital for a jaw injury, which the victim alleges was caused by an unidentified member of the Raiders’ coaching staff.

Cable, who replaced Lane Kiffin as Oakland’s head coach four games into the 2008 season, repeatedly sidestepped questions Monday about the incident and declined to discuss his involvement.

“It’s an internal issue that we are dealing with, and that’s all I’m going to say,” said Cable, who repeated the phrase when questioned whether he was involved.

UPDATE: Now according to ESPN, Cable denies hitting Hanson. The new report says that Hanson hit his face on a cabinet when Cable flipped him out of his chair.