The end of the lockout is creeping closer and closer, but here at TFDS we’ve been keeping it interesting for you with our ongoing series, Four Down Territory. This week we’ll delve into the potential of the AFC West climbing out of the NFL’s basement, ask if Hue Jackson meant what he said about Darrius Heyward-Bey, survey the scenario for a home opener sellout, and consider what Nnamdi Asomugha’s high ankle sprain means for his next contract. Let’s get it started in here!
1st Down – Is it safe to say the AFC West is on the upswing after years of being considered one of the worst divisions in football?
BA’s take: It certainly is going to be interesting at least within the division just based on what happened last year. The Chargers are still considered one of the best teams in the entire conference and had the number one offense and number one defense last season. The Chiefs have started to show signs of validity after creating their own little version of the New England Patriots in Kansas City. The Broncos have said out with the drama and in with the John Fox 4-3 defense after a horrible two year span under Josh McDaniels. And the Raiders swept the entire division last year. So while the NFC West continues to churn out losers, I’d expect at least three teams above .500 in the AFC West this year.
Dizzle’s take: It seems more like a changing of the guard to me. The Chargers and Broncos and have been the best teams in the AFC West for a few years with the Chiefs and Raiders as the doormats. Last year the young Chiefs won the West with the Raiders sweeping the division. The Chargers started what I see as their decline and the Broncos are in the midst of a long rebuilding phase.
2nd Down – In response to a “How is DHB doing?” question, Hue Jackson responded: “He is definitely one of the players that need to step up and bring more to the table… I think they all do.” Is that last part just being politically correct?
Dizzle’s take: He is being politically correct even though he is right. In this particular statement he started out being candid and then softened the blow at the end. I don’t see Al Davis protecting Darrius Heyward-Bey anymore. He must jump out of the nest and prove he can fly. If he can’t, he will ride the bench until the team releases him.
BA’s take: It most certainly is because you can’t tell me that everybody needs to play better. If he had just left it at “He is one of…” then that would’ve gotten the message across crystal clear. The fact that he threw in the “I think they all do” just goes to show that he realized what he just said and was like, oops! Of course you want everybody on the team to bring it on Sundays, but this year is DHB’s third year and it is crunch time. It’s time to get out his inner Darren McFadden. The trouble is that nobody rated him as highly as McFadden coming out of college, so there remains speculation that he just doesn’t have that “It” factor at all.
3rd Down – If the Raiders win their first two games on the road at Denver and at Buffalo, will they sell out the home opener against the New York Jets in week three?
BA’s take: I don’t know about you, but I want to be at that game just so I can throw hot dogs at Dirty Sanchez. So I hope it’s a sellout anyway and I hope the fans are all roasting weenies in the parking lot so Sanchez gets really hungry smelling them when he gets off the bus at the stadium. But yeah, the first game of the year at home generally draws a full house anyhow and if they go into it with two wins and zero losses, I think the fans will be in full swing when the balls start flying. Now, whether or not the Bills or Broncos are a measuring stick for what the Jets bring to the table, well that’s a different discussion altogether.
Dizzle’s take: I think they will. Most stadiums would have sold out their home opener weeks before the season started. Raider fans will wait as they always do but before the deadline, it will sell out.
4th Down – Nnamdi’s high ankle sprain kept him out for two games, kicked him out of his contract, and kept him out of the Pro Bowl. It hasn’t required surgery… yet… but is there a possibility that it could drive down the asking price for him?
Dizzle’s take: Absolutely not. It was a sprain, high ankle or not, and it has been nearly 10 months since it happened. He also was back to what appeared to be his regular form by the end of the season. If anything, it improves his price (if that’s even possible) because teams can say any mistakes he made late in the season were attributed to the ankle injury.
BA’s take: I think it could, but I also think it was one of those things that’s kind of being swept under the rug. The bottom line is that he tried to play through the injury because the Raiders were hurting without his presence in the secondary. In the long run, that did have a negative effect at least on the short term healing time. And to be frank, to this day we still don’t know where it’s at, whether it’s still going to affect him or require further inquiry. One thing that I do know is that it looked bad when it happened, and he didn’t look the same after. But it’s Nnamdi Asomugha, and I’m sure that he’s going to have plenty of suitors as long as he isn’t playing with an artificial limb.
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