Japanese Style Platform Bed

With platform bed, there is no space underneath it. This can help minimizing dust in your room. The size of the platform bed should meet the size of the mattress. If you want a distinctive and romantic feel then sleigh beds are your bed choice. A four poster kind can select drama to your room. Canopies are characterized by its covering. They are made from different materials like fabric, wood and wire. You can select the covering so that it matches your present décor.

Platform beds are made from different material like engineered wood. They are made using heat and pressured. Medium density fiberboard is strong, durable and cheap. There are also some made from laminates, wood veneers and Asian hardwoods. Metals are often selected because of its strength and durability. If you are buying one for the first time then it is important to know that the mattress is more firm. You can buy one that can be adjusted to accommodate extra height. There are platform beds with elevation feature that allow you to position your bed if you want to read or watch television.

Guide in Choosing Kitchen Cabinets

When choosing kitchen cabinets, it best that you go for top quality construction. There are some with solid frames, reinforced corners and closed backs. If you will be using these all the time especially the drawers, go for the ones that operate smoothly and quietly. Lifestyle magazines and the internet are your best resource for great ideas. You can surely find something that would blend in the current design of your home.

• Take note of your budget. If you are remodeling your kitchen, the cabinets are about 50% of the actual cost. It is best to set a figure before heading out the door and search for one. However don’t rely solely on the price because kitchen cabinets play a role in transforming your space.
• Grab that tape measure. You can do this or hire a professional to assess the area so that you know which cabinets to buy. With the measurements at hand, you can give it to the salesman to shortlist the cabinets that can fit the area.
• Going for either stock, semi custom or custom kitchen cabinets. The stock kind is the cheapest because they are in standard shape and size. Semi custom is factory built and you have options for the design and style. The custom ones are in the high end of the spectrum. These are constructed based specifications. If you want few options then go for stock cabinets but if you want endless solution for storage then seek semi custom kitchen cabinets.

Looking Inside a Mattress

And if you’re buying mattresses you need to be guided in a few things. There’s a new mattress in everybody’s future because the ones in use now aren’t going to last forever. And, naturally, you want your new one to suit you as perfectly as if you’d had it made up special.

Tricky Business of Buying Mattresses

Well, something that had better be understood from the beginning is that this is not like buying a table, a chair or a dresser. Mattresses — because what makes them work is hidden inside those pretty, innocuous-looking expanses of ticking (probably quilted) — can be tricky things indeed.

Even if in the store, a sample one has had a corner cut away, so that a customer may gaze upon the innards, the inside of a mattress is not a whole lot more comprehensible to most of us than the interior of your computer.

Types of Mattresses

It’s a good idea to study those exposed springs, the cushioning or insulator and the padding. It will make the salesperson think that you’re knowledgeable about such things and you might ask, “Which do you think stands up better, the knotted-end coil or the free-end coil construction?” If the answer is something like, “We find this knotted-end type the most satisfactory,” then you’ll know what you’re looking at. As a matter of fact, the unknotted, or free-end coil is not very common.

In the third type—pocketed coil construction—each coil is contained in its own little cloth pocket.

But before we get any deeper into the complicated “business” of springs— and they determine pretty much what kind of mattress you’ll end up with— let’s get some preliminary considera¬tions out of the way. Is the purchase to cover what the manufacturers call a sleep set—that is, mattress and box spring foundation—or just a mattress?

The National Association of Bedding Manufacturers would naturally prefer that you buy a set and urges you on via a booklet that declares: “Your old foundation is no friend to your new mattress. Without a companion foundation of equal quality, your mattress will not provide the service you paid for and may, in fact, have a shorter life.” Stores also would rather sell you the sleep set.

How Much Does It Cost to Buy a Mattress?

But there are instances in which a new foundation is not obligatory and may even be out of place. Perhaps your still-perfectly-good mattress has suffered sudden damage, leaving the foundation in still-perfectly-good condition. In that case, the important thing is that the new mattress be absolutely the same size as the foundation you’re going to put it on, so that it can rest as comfortably as you hope to do.
Usually the mattress alone will be half the price of the set and you should be able to get a good twin-size one from $299 to $599 and a full or double from $289 to $599. On sale the prices would be considerably less, probably around 30 percent. If you’re going to have to pay much of a premium to get just the mattress, maybe you’d better get the set. Then the two parts can grow old together.

Queen Size Mattress

Perhaps you want to put the mattress on a platform, say, one of those wood¬en ones with drawers that provide magnificent storage space. Quite a lot of people are turning to platforms and, if that’s what you have in mind, you might be interested in knowing that Consumer Reports says that it works much better if the mattress is of foam.

At any rate, only mattresses will be considered here. It’s much easier to go wrong with one of them than with a box spring. With the latter you don’t, have to think in terms of firm, extra firm, super firm, or of the conformity (the degree to which a mattress adapts its shape to your body). Also, handles aren’t terribly important and you don’t have to notice whether it’s reversible: you’re not likely to turn a box spring over.
The mattress, though, had better have handles; otherwise you’ll have to wrestle with it every time you turn it. And if the ticking is quilted, it should be that way on both sides; if it isn’t, then there is not true reversibility; quilting permits some air circulation and a side that doesn’t have it is less comfortable to sleep on.

So what size do you want? If that sounds like a senseless question because you already have a bed, you should know that it can be enlarged with inexpensive stretcher rails (Your mattress dealer should have them).

What are Mattresses Sizes?

Should the new mattress be for the regular 35 by 75-inch twin or for one 5 inches longer? Or for a full, or double, bed that measures 53 by 80 rather than the usual 53 by 75?

It’s the queen, though, according to the National Association of Bedding Manufacturers, that “is rapidly becoming the standard in American homes.”

And, if you want still more room in bed, the king size will give you 76 or 77 by 80 inches unless you buy it in California; there it’s 72 by 84. But either the queen or king will probably demand a new bed frame with more legs and cross supports, and neither is really happy unless it can be on top of two foundations. This easily runs into money.

Next to be decided is whether you want an innerspring model or foam. If you want to be different, get foam. Only about 10 percent of mattress buyers do. This is probably because people are used to the feel of inner-spring mattresses—springy, reasonably firm and conforming, with an impression of sturdiness.

Choosing Mattresses Foams

But Consumer Reports found that the two foam types, latex (or carbamate) and polyurethane, conform better, on the whole, than inner springs. And most of the foam sets that were tested came through the grueling ordeal “with their comfort qualities intact” while, on the other hand, “the innerspring sets proved more variable; as a group they showed a greater loss of firmness and a greater tendency to depress or dimple.”

The two kinds of foam have their own characteristics. The latex mattresses strike some as being a little too eager to return to their own shape; move a little and they are right there, waiting to push up again. Latex is also more expensive than innersprings and is quite a bit more than polyurethane.

Polyurethane—it’s generally cheaper than inner springs, also generally firmer—has a slower recovery rate than latex and, while you may have the feeling of sinking into the mattress as you lie on it, the general sensation is of billowy loftiness.

The thicker the foam, the higher the price tends to be, and thickness is usually related to durability. But no rule can be made about this. A few of the mattresses that Consumer Reports has rated tops in durability have only 5-inch cores; the highest cores are 7.

No matter how high the foam, it should be secured to the ticking. And compare the thickness of the core with the overall thickness; there may be a difference of an inch or so, but don’t worry; it’s likely to consist of topper pads and extra filling that contribute to comfort. And be sure to note the overall thickness; you don’t want to find that your fitted sheets won’t go over your new mattress. Oh, and note whether the tag says shredded foam; it is better not to spend money on that. It’s nowhere near as durable or desirable as the solid foam and it wears unevenly and tends to lump.

If the choice is an innerspring mattress, be sure, then, that the top and bottom edges are defined and strengthened by steel wires or flat steel strips so that you can sit on the edge of the bed and would not develop a sag.

Things to Consider When Buying Mattresses

Now, let’s get back to those all-important springs. Remember the three types? Consumer Reports found there was a wide range of performance among the traditional knotted-end coil construction ones. The other two types —pocketed coil and free-end coil—performed more uniformly and well. The industry’s standard is 13-gauge steel for all three. Each coil will have, as a rule, five turns, and a twin mattress should have at least 216 coils; a full, or double, should have at least 312.

If you’re still standing there, studying a cutaway section, the other things you’re seeing are the insulator and the padding. The former is to keep the springs from jabbing into the latter and it should be fastened to the top and bottom of the spring unit or, better still, folded over the edges of it. Then comes the padding, usually of cotton batting but sometimes of foam, and it should be at least an inch thick. After that there’s nothing but the ticking, enclosing the whole business.

Most mattresses loosen up a bit in time, but not always. Consumer Reports thinks this may indicate “a fairly high quality in the springs,” or, what’s just as likely, “a compaction of the padding.”
Now, having studied these components—and it’s always possible that your dealer won’t have a cutaway sample—you’re ready for the final and most difficult decision: which mattress’ form and softness suits you best.

About the only way to come close to getting what you want is to stretch out on various mattresses.

And the National Association of Bedding Manufacturers says, don’t just lie there but “roll around a bit, to the center to see whether there is a depression, to the edge to see how it supports you.” The association believes that if two persons are to use the mattress, then they should try it out together.

Source: Virginia Lee Warren, New York Times

How to Refinish Kitchen Cabinets

Since the kitchen cabinet doors are the most prominent part of any kitchen cabinet, these should obviously get the most attention. Most professionals agree that the best way to get a smooth, uniform finish is to take the doors down and remove all hardware before refinishing them. If the paint is to be applied by brush, then the doors can be laid flat so that the paint will flow out to a ripple-free coating. If the doors are to be sprayed, they can be propped up in the garage and then allowed to dry hard before rehanging.

By removing all hardware first the handyman will also find it simpler to sand the surface smooth, and he will be able to apply the new paint more easily with full length strokes. The extra time and effort required will be more than repaid in work saved when trying to “cut in” around hinges and knobs—and in wiping off paint smears.

If the existing finish is in fairly good condition, and if the new paint is approximately the same color as the old paint, than one coat of enamel will often be sufficient. However, if the old finish is badly worn or nicked, or if a considerable change of color is contemplated, then two coats will probably be required In this case, the handyman will find it best to apply a base coat of enamel undercoat ; sometimes called underbody) followed by a top coat of quick drying enamel. Though a high gloss enamel finish is usually preferred, a semi-gloss enamel can also be used— if a less glossy finish is desired.

To apply the paint, either a brush, a spray gun, a small mohair roller, or a mohair-faced applicator can be used. Rollers work well with the undercoat, and with the semi-gloss enamels. However, they will not give as smooth a finish when used with a high gloss enamel. Spray guns which do not require excessive thinning of the paint will give excellent results with all finishes—but some practice may be required to get a really good finish.

A soft bristled, fully stocked paint brush (2 or 3 inches wide is a good size) will give excellent results with all finishes, if properly handled. The brush should be dipped into the paint no more than one-third its bristle length, then tapped lightly against the inside rim of the can to remove the excess (never wipe off the excess by drawing the brush across the rim). Flow the paint on with light, parallel strokes, avoiding any tendency to “scrub” it on the kitchen cabinets. Brush across the width of the door while keeping the brush fully loaded at all times.

As each kitchen cabinet door is covered, the paint is cross-stroked without dipping the brush any more. The bristle tips are dragged lightly along the length of the door at right angles to the original strokes. These cross-strokes should be made in one motion, from one end of the cabinet door to the other while holding the brush at a forty-five degree angle to the surface. This tends to level out all brush marks left by the original strokes, and helps to smooth out any irregularities in the finish.

Mohair-faced applicator pads also do a remarkably effective job of spreading on a smooth coat of enamel. If handled with reasonable care, they will spread the paint on in a smooth uniform coating, and in less time than would normally be required by a conventional paint brush when refinishing kitchen cabinets.

Since no paint job can be any smoother than the surface beneath it, it is particularly important that the old surface be prepared properly before the first can of paint is opened. Paint cannot adhere satisfactorily over a surface which is dirty or greasy, so the first step is to scrub the cabinets thor-oughly with a powerful detergent solution. Allow this to dry completely, then sand with fine grit paper to smooth off scratches and nicks, and to dull down any gloss which remains. If preferred, a “liquid sandpaper” or “surface preparer” solution can be used. This liquid is simply wiped on to remove old wax, grease and dirt, and to dull down the gloss.

Bad nicks and deep scratches will require more vigorous sand¬ing with a coarser grit (medium) sandpaper first. A finer grit is then used to remove scratches left by the coarser paper. In extreme cases where the old finish is very rough or badly marred, complete removal of the old finish may be the best solution. Deep gouges, cracks or other depressions should be filled in with water-mixed wood putty, or with a ready-mixed wood plastic compound.

After the doors have been taken down and hardware re¬moved, and after all surfaces have been prepared as described above, the first coat of under- body is applied. This is allowed to dry for at least twenty-four hours, then sanded lightly with fine grit paper. Dust thoroughly to remove all grit left by the sanding in your kitchen cabinets, then apply the finish coat of enamel. If this finish coat is to be a definite color, then the handyman will find it easier to tint the undercoat (which only comes in white) before it is applied.

Source: Bernard Gladstone, New York Times

Hang Your TV Above a TV Console

The next step is dealing with stud finder. There are some that could be rented. Locate them and mark it with a pencil. This would keep the weight of the TV balance. It would make the tv safer if you mount the studs directly. Drill the holes to secure the brackets. The LCD TV should have system on the back to safely secure the hardware on the well. It is best to make that the LCD TV is mounted securely on the wall. Hanging the LCD TV is easy once you know that basic steps. Make sure that you have tools if you will do it on your own. It is best the LCD TV is mounted well.

Below is an instructional video about hanging your plasma or LCD TV:

Just be sure your wall mounts are VESA certified. You wouldn’t want your precious TV to fall down and break, don’t you? It’s best also to hang your TV above a TV console to get that chic look!

Maru Dining Table from Greentea Design

The shape of the dining table should be taken in consideration. Oblongs and rectangular shaped ones are common. If you want to define the head of the table, it is best to prefer rectangular shaped dining table. Square ones are perfect for small groups. This is perfect intimated dinners. It is best to select a dining table that match the theme of dining area. The material plays a role when it comes to the style of your home. If you home has a modern style, select the one made from wood or aluminum. There are also different finishing options if you select wood and metal kind. If you have already selected a dining table, it is best to take care of it. For wood dining table, you need to polish it regularly. It is advisable to put table cloth because they are susceptible to scratches. If it’s made from glass, clean it with window cleaner if you want to get rid of fingerprints. There are some tables with removable legs. Always check them if they wobble. This can save you from problems in the future.

• A paring knife is a smaller version of chef’s knife. You can use this for peeling and slicing vegetables and fruits. Its handle can provide control.
• Carving knife is a larger kind with straight edge. You can use this for cutting meats. Normally it is made from steel blade and high carbon materials.
• Peeler can used to remove vegetables and fruit skins. It is made from metal blades with metal, wooden or plastic handle. There are different kinds of peeler.
• Whisk can help you in preparing food. It can be used to mix ingredients together. This is use for eggs and other creams. They are characterized with wire hoops and narrow handle.
• Measuring spoons are great if you want to measure ingredients. It is made from plastic and metals. There are different sizes of teaspoons and tablespoon..
• Spatula is great for fried foods as well as when mixing and tossing food. There are different varieties of spatula from plastic and silicon material.
• Grater can be used for grating cheese, garlic, nutmeg and onions. There are graters with different grating options.
• You would need to invest on different spoon like mixing spoon, slotted spoon and ladle. Mixing spoon is with small curved blade that used for preparing and sparing spoon. Slotted spoon is great for draining vegetables. Ladle is perfect for soups and sauces.
• Can opener is handy when opening metal cans.
• Kitchen Scissors or shears is consist of two cutting blades.

Asian-Inspired Coffee Tables

In general coffee tables are rectangular in shape but you can find endless variations of it. You can never go wrong with rectangular shaped kind. If you love to entertain guest, round coffee table is ideal. This is for aesthetic reason and if you want to minimize space. Squared shaped ones are perfect if you want to unify the furniture in your living room. This can create a balance in the area. Tiered coffee table is great if you want an urban and chic look. This is for those who have interesting decorating ideas. It is also good if you consider leg support. Lightweight ones are better so that you can easily move it from one place to another.

Coffee tables can be made on anything. Wood is the most common one. It is probably the best investment today. There are some that are constructed using the medium density fiberboard. They are excellent building material because it is eco friendly in the nature. It can tolerate any kind of temperature. If you want something unique glass coffee tables are excellent. This is perfect for creating enhanced space. When it comes to utility, you can do a lot of things with coffee table.

Asian Inspired TV Stands from Greentea Design

It is best to choose a TV stands that can fit your décor. There are actually some that are enclosed. Your electronic components are not seen. This is good if you want your TV to be the highlight of the area. If you are minimalist, it is best to select a platform tv stands. These are free of backs and doors. You can find one made from glass, wood and metal. You can choose a TV stands that swivels so you can easily move the TV around if you want to give it angle. Wheels can help you transport the TV from one room to another.

First, the obligatory quick look at the yardage rankings:

Offense / Defense
Denver 5th (363) T-23rd (327)
KC 2nd (372) 27th (334)
Oakland 14th (329) T-23rd (327)
SD 6th (359) 12th (311)

Both Denver and Kansas City improved in the offense rankings, with the Chiefs jumping all the way up to #2. Logically, the Chiefs and the Broncos should also drop in defensive rankings, and they did. Kansas City dropped 5 places from 22nd to 27th. San Diego didn’t change spots at all.

Scoring Offense / Defense
Denver 6th (25.8) 10th (18.4)
Kansas City 7th (25.1) 21st (21.4)
Oakland 15th (20.8) 27th (24.7)
San Diego 2nd (29.8) 12th (19.1)

The biggest change here was Denver’s scoring defense dropping several slots based on Kansas City scoring 31 points against them.

DENVER: We were talking about perceptions. Denver opened the season with a humilating loss, and I figured they were going to struggle this year. Then they won a few close games, humiliated KC, and looked pretty good at 5-1 and 9-2. When you have that good of a record, people tend to forget that sometimes how you won wasn’t very dominating. And then Denver went into Arrowhead and lost a game that was close on the scoreboard, but featured Kansas City taking control in the 4th quarter, holding Denver to zero 3rd down conversions and 6 points in the entire second half. And the perception is that maybe the Broncos aren’t as good anymore.

QB: Plummer: 211/343 (61.5%) for 2512 yds, 7.3 yds/att, 15 TDs, 6 INTs, 91.2 QB rating.
He played a decent game, although the two interceptions were key in their loss. The one deep in their own territory gave KC 3 points, and the other in KC’s end zone took away a possible TD. Is Jake reverting to form, or was this just how he plays when he’s behind? Remembering his years in Arizona, I’d have to say the latter. Note to the remaining teams on the schedule: use whatever trick plays or go-to calls you can to get a 10-point lead, and let Jake Plummer win the game for you.

RB: Bell: 111 for 686 yds, 6.2 avg, 5 TD
Anderson: 200 for 850 yds, 4.3 avg 9 TD
You have to wonder if there’s a chance the Broncos don’t get a 1,000-yard rusher this year. It’s only a mathematical chance…Anderson hasn’t rushed for more than 37 yards the last two weeks. At this pace, he’d miss 1,000 yards by 2. Bell is 314 yards short. Easily achieved in the final 4 games if he’s a starter…but he’s a backup who hasn’t rushed for more than 46 yards in the last four games; continuing that trend, he wouldn’t make it, either. So, yeah, Shanahan’s ego is such that he has to have a 1,000-yard back this year. If either Bell or Anderson are close, Shanahan will try to make sure he gets it. And both could still get 1,000 yards, if they average 116 yards between them in the right proportion. But with the emergence of Dayne…? And another injury to either or both would make the 1,000 goal difficult.

WR: Rod Smith: 63 for 802 yds, 12.7 avg, 5 TD
Lelie: 31 for 559 yds, 18.0 avg, 1 TD
Putzier: 31 for 397, 12.8, 0 TD
It’s strange to see these kind of numbers (low) for a Broncos’ WR corps this late in the season. Denver may have only 1 WR or TE that gets even 50 catches. But Rod Smith is having a good season, and should easily go ever 1000 yards. The Broncos may be in trouble if he ever decides to retire. Lelie is a decent #2 WR who has a disconcerting tendency to disappear at times. But he’s good for 2-3 excellent games each year. Putzier should be starting, but the depth chart still shows “Alexander”.

O-line: They only gave up 2 sacks, and one of those was on a WR option pass, so really shouldn’t be tagged on the O-line. They led the way for 131 yards rushing and 4.5 yards/rush. But I saw a few plays that Lepsis was absolutely blown up by Ryan Sims, and even 1 sack and 2 INTs seems excessive for a QB as mobile as Plummer. Then again, they’ve only given up 16 sacks all year.

D-line: Not a good performance from the D-line, with Pryce leading the way with 3 tackles, Warren with 2, and the rest with 1, and no sacks. Of course, Roaf and Welbourn were in the line-up this game, the KC O-line was playing well, Trent was getting rid of the ball quickly and accurately, and Larry Johnson was usually past them before they could tackle.

LBs: They played well, as they usually do. Ian Gold had an eye-popping 10 solo tackles to lead the team. DJ Williams had 6 and Al Wilson had 3. No sacks, no INTs, no FFs…and no big plays from the game I can remember.

DBs: CB Champ Bailey and D. Williams each added an INT. Bailey has 7 for the season. He should start in the pro-bowl, and has fully confirmed his status as a top-notch corner. Except that he was absolutely burned on Dante Hall’s TD catch, and apparently came over late on Gonzalez’ TD catch, as well.

Significant Injuries: Starting DE Courtney Brown is Questionable.

Outlook: Despite the negative paragraph to open the Broncos section, they are still in great shape. They are 9-3, and if they win out, they will have the #2 seed in AFC playoffs, earning a 1st-round bye and a home playoff game. And if the Colts stumble, Denver would host the AFC Championship. They could lose a game and still be the #2 seed, but they’d need to have SD and KC and Cincinnati all lose at least one more game. 3 of their final 4 opponents currently have a 4-8 record. The 4th is San Diego. In San Diego. Ending up 12-3 will be a challenge. If one of the 4-8 teams plays exceptionally well, Denver could easily end up at 11-5. That could leave them as anywhere from the AFC Champ to out of the playoffs, depending on how everyone else plays.

KANSAS CITY:
We were talking about perceptions. Kansas City looked nearly out of it when they lost to a fairly weak Buffalo team to drop to 5-4. What made the loss worse that KC failed to even score a TD, and lost by 11 points despite nearly doubling the Bills’ yards. It was both the record and the way they lost that looked bad. Since then, Kansas City has reeled off 3 straight, including a domination of Houston (no big deal, they’ve only won 1 game), a domination of New England (no big deal, they have lots of injuries…ignoring that they’d be on a 4-game win streak if they hadn’t lost to KC), and a strong win over Denver (no big deal, because…well, wait, it’ll come to me). Denver lost a humiliating game to Miami, and it was a fluke. KC lost a humilating game to Denver, and it was supposedly indicative what kind of season KC would have. We’ll talk about the future at the end of this section.

QB: Green 240/383 (62.7%) for 2947 yds., 7.7 yd/att, 13 TD, 9 INT for a 87.9 rating
Three good games in a row for Green. The second half of the season is always better than the first with this guy. Still, he’s throwing too many INTs. I wouldn’t call him “TrINT”, but he needs to be more careful for the Chiefs to win out and do well in the playoffs.

RB:
L Johnson: 221 for 1108 yds, 5.0 avg, 11 TD
“Yet another 100-yard game. Yet another game with 30+ carries. I know he’s young and wants it — refuses to come out of the game, in fact! — ” That’s a quote from last week. Still true for another week, except that this time he did take himself out for one play. Some controversy over that, because it was an important 3rd and 1, and his backup, Dee Brown, didn’t get it. Personally, I don’t blame him. He got 90 yards in the 4th quarter alone, which is a good game for most people, and with the way the Broncos played that, I don’t think even LJ would have gotten that yard. I’d also like to point out that he has 709 yards after just 5 starts. That’s on pace for a 2240 yard season! Can we call the “Penn State Curse” broken now?

WR: Kennison: 52 for 819 yds, 15.8 avg, 4 TDs
Wow! Another great game. He’s just about certain to go over 1,000 yards again. He’s playing better, and smarter than ever. A few more years of this, and people will start calling him an “ageless wonder”.
Hall: 26 for 331 yds, 12.7 avg, 3 TD
Only 2 catches. But one for a 41-yard TD. And he burned Champ Bailey…they should give you extra points for that.
Parker: 20 for 293 yds, 14.7 avg, 2 TDs
A good game by Parker. He’s improved during the season, and should be a strong #2 for KC for years to come. Well worth the 4th round pick we got him for just last year.

TEs:
Gonzalez: 59 for 643 yds, 10.9 avg, 2 TD
Only one catch…but for a 25-yd TD catch. It contributed to a win, so I’ll take that.

Dunn: 4 for 51 yds, 12.8 avg, 0 TD
Wilson: 3 for 33 yds, 11.0 avg, 0 TD
I could have sworn Dunn had a TD catch this year…but maybe I’m thinking of last year. Or channeling the Super Bowl! [grin] Wilson got another catch, a short pass in the flat he turned into 11 yards with a strong run-after-the-catch. Despite complaints from some KC fans, the Chiefs have lots of guys that can get open, between Gonzalez, Hall, Kennison, Parker, Horn, Johnson…I think Wilson will be there when Kansas City needs him.

O-Line: Roaf was fully back. Welbourn also played a good game. Everyone played well across the whole line. Larry Johnson has a burst to get through the hole, sure, but these guys kept the D-line (and sometimes the LBs, too!) off of Johnson at the line of scrimmage. No sacks for the Broncos at all. And play after play, the pocket formed nearly perfectly around Green. They are looking and playing like the best line in the NFL again. Like I said last week, the O-line, as a group, is peaking and getting healthy at the best possible time.

D-line: Hicks still plays solid, but not as quiet against the Broncos. Allen got pressure, and even seemed to take on the function of a rush LB in a 3-4…even though the line-up was still like a 4-3. That’s a bit of versatility I don’t think the coaches ever imagined when they drafted him in the 4th round last year. 14 solo tackles from the D-line, including 5 (!) from Browning, 3 from Allen, 2 from Sims, 2 and a half sack from Hicks…You can’t ask for more from a D-line against a team as mobile and skilled at misdirection as the Broncos.

LBs: Johnson had a monster sack, coming in so fast Plummer never had a chance. He had 4 solo tackles, and Mitchell led the team with 7 solo tackles and an INT. Bell was invisible in the stats…But I have to think that Bell and Johnson did most of their hard work in pass coverage. Still, Kawika Mitchell served notice that he may be the best MLB in the AFC West.

DBs: wesley and Warfield both had 6 tackles. Surtain was burned badly once, but also got an important INT in the end zone. Knight was quiet except for sharing a sack of Rod Smith with Hicks on a trick play. Still, you have to love what Warfield is doing. He came out of college as a Safety with CB speed and good coverage skills, drafted in the 7th round. He took a few years to figure out the CB position, but he not only gets good INT numbers, but is strong in the running game and lays big hits on WRs when possible. He may not be a shut-down corner, but he’s solid in every phase of the game, and may be the most complete CB in the AFC right now. Then again, I haven’t spent a whole lot of time looking at CB tackling stats, so I could easily be wrong.

Defense (as a whole): Last week I said Denver would be the first real test. The Defense passed easily, albeit with a few mistakes. Dallas may find it hard to move the ball against these guys, and Drew may spend a good portion of the game on his back.

Special Teams: Dante Hall isn’t really a weapon this year. Special teams coverage and blocking has dropped off significantly. Some games it seems like there’s a penalty on nearly every return, but Hall hasn’t really come that close to breaking returns very often, even with the holds and illegal blocks. If he turns it on and has a hot stretch to end the regular season or in the playoffs, it would provide a significant boost to a team whose offense is clicking and defense is getting strong in a hurry.

Significant Injuries: DE Carlos Hall (Hamstring) and FS Jerome Woods (Hamstring) are both Questionable.

Outlook: Sometimes it matters as much when you play a team as much as who you play. Having the Eagles on your schedule now would certainly better than in the first 4 games of the season. Oakland would probably be better now, too. Kansas City hit Buffalo in Buffalo right before they collapsed, Denver in Denver just as they were getting hot, San Diego in San Diego right after they started to turn their season around, and Philedelphia before TO melted down and they lost their entire starting lineup to season-ending injuries. And 2 of the losses came when the Chiefs were missing Roaf, Warfield, and Welbourn! On the other hand, KC might be catching Dallas on the verge of a confidence-wilting collapse. And another way to look at it is that KC’s remaining opponents should be trembling about facing a hot KC offense and play-making KC defense. If the Chiefs wins out, it will be forgotten that they were ever 5-4 and a certain Chiefs Coalition columnist was one game from writing off their season.

OAKLAND:
Last week: “Oakland still might have a winning season, if they win out. Why are you laughing?” That didn’t last long, huh? I don’t know if I should even talk about them the rest of the season, except that they still play Denver and the Giants, which could have a big effect on AFC playoff seeding.

QB: Tuiasosopo: 0 for 0, (0%) for 0 yds., 0.0 yds/att, 0 TDs, 0 INTs, for a 0.0 rating.
We were talking about perception, right? Through 8 or so games this season, Collins was looking like a Pro-Bowl player due to his yards and lack of INTs. He had 12 TDs to only 3 INTs. Then he played Denver and his numbers have been sinking ever since. Now that the Raiders can’t have a winning season, they are benching Collins (apparently for being a loser) to see what they have in Tuiasosopo. Which is bad enough to spell, I’m glad I don’t cover Cincinnati and their WR, TJ Houshdlkjsdflk;jafsoasnnaavamamaaiamsdaflafa-sf9. So maybe he can throw to Jerry Porter better than Collins could to Randy Moss, and the Raiders might surprise the Broncos? It would be nice, but not likely.

RB: Jordan: 233 for 844 yds, 3.6 avg, 9 TD
12 more carries than Larry Johnson, 7 more starts; 264 less yards, 2 less rushing TDs (equal overall). This is not the performance the Raiders hoped for when they picked him up. Still, he added two rushing TDs to his total against the Dolphins. This is the guy I’d bench first, before Collins. His 3.6 yd average has done worse things for their W/L record than anything Collins did in the first 8 games, and probably had a lot to do with Collins INT totals, since defenses didn’t have to honor the run. I’ll go on record saying they will never win a playoff game with Jordan as their starting RB, and may never even make the playoffs without replacing him.

WR: Moss: 45 for 771 yds, 17.1 avg, 5 TD.
Randy Moss isn’t the best WR in the AFC West. Every team has at least one better WR than Moss. He’s arguably not even the best WR on his own team. Maybe if he’d played his whole career in the AFC West instead of the NFC, he wouldn’t have even a single pro-bowl appearance?
Porter: 56 for 770 yds, 13.8 avg, 4 TD.
Still the best player on the team. It’s not good that his strongest competitor for that title is the punter.
Jordan: 61 for 493 yds, 8.1 avg, 2 TD.
The poor man’s LT looked quite poor in a game against the real LT.

Defense: With the way the defense has played recently, it’s impressive that they held the Chargers to only 34 points in San Diego. Rookie LB K. Morrison had 12 tackles. It would be impressive if he’d done that in leading them to a win a close or loss…losing by 24 points, it merely seems almost pathetic, like the rest of the team gave up. They did sack Brees twice, which isn’t easy. And Burgess has 11 sacks (zero against the Chargers), which is excellent for a whole season, much less when there are still 4 games to go.

Significant Injuries: G Walker is on injured reserve. CB Woodson is still Out. SS Cooper, DT Washington, and C Grove are all Questionable.

Outlook: Sometimes a 2nd stringer coming off the bench can do wonders for a team. Tuiasosopo has looked good in some games, like when he came off the bench for Gannon (against KC, naturally). But he doesn’t have much to work with, so it’s unlikely they’ll win a game for the rest of the season. 5-11 or 4-12 is looking about right again, after a mid-season semi-surge.

SAN DIEGO:
The Chargers had a losing record leading into their 8th game. They were a mediocre 4-4 at the halfway point. Then they won 5 in a row to end up 8-4, keeping up with KC to resurrect their season and challenge for a wildcard. If they win out, they’d be tied with Denver for the AFC West title and a game ahead of KC. But after what appears to be a fairly easy game against Miami at home, they have a brutal end to their season: They have to go into Indianapolis, then go into Kansas City, and then get a home game to close out the regular season…but against the Broncos!

QB: Brees: 240/368 (65.2%) for 2813 yds., 7.6 yd/att, 20TD, 11 INT for a 93.9 rating
He had an excellent game against the Raiders. Then again, who doesn’t? Still, he did it with LT going out with an injury. He’ll probably do well against Miami, but look for him to have bad games against the Chiefs (multiple INTs) and the Colts (multiple sacks).

RB: LT: 261 for 1172 yds, 4.5 avg, 17 TD
A sub-par game for LT against the Raiders. But he did go out with an injury, and that prevented him from getting the yards in the 4th, like most feature backs do.

WR:
Gates: 63 for 874 yds, 13.9 avg, 8 TD
He just keeps adding to his totals. He didn’t have a great game against the Raiders, but it was enough to solidify his reputation as the best TE in football, in an era of excellent TEs.
McCardell: 48 for 662 yds, 13.8 avg, 7 TD
…make that 5 solid weeks in a row. One of the many AFC WRs better than Randy Moss this year.
Parker: 38 for 505 yards, 13.3 avg, 3 TD
Decent game for a #3 WR.
LT: 42 for 339 yards, 8.1 avg, 2 TD

O-Line: Still gave up 2 sacks to the Raiders. Charger RBs had only a 3.5 yd/carry average. They still lack consistency.

D-Line: 2 sacks from the DT. Everyone else was pretty quiet. Olshansky had one good play that I remember, but the ends seemed mostly shut out of the game.

LBs: What impresses me most about this LB corps is their depth. 23 tackles in the game from 6 different LBs. I know that isn’t an impressive average, and I know they run a 3-4 (which tends to feature LBs). But what impresses me is that Edwards leads the team with 79 solo tackles and 2 sacks plus 2 INTs, Godfrey right behind with 40 solo tackles and 1 sack and 3 fumble recoveries. Then Shawne Merriman has 31 solo tackles and 7 sacks, and Foley has 22 tackles and 3.5 sacks. Then you get into the backups: Wilhelm has 19 solo tackles and a sack and an INT, Shaun Phillips has 22 solo tackles and 6 sacks and a fumble recovery, and Cooper has 22 solo tackles and 1.5 sacks. Leber had 19 solo tackles, 2 sacks, and a fumble recovery before a season-ending injury that landed him on the Injured Reserve. How many teams have 10.5 sacks from their starting LBs, much less that plus 82 solo tackles from their backups? Any one of these guys is capable of making a game-changing play at any time. That’s impressive.

DBs: When SS Kiel went down with an injury, backup Clinton Hart picked up the secondary’s first INT in weeks, and also forced a fumble. He may be hard to get out of the starting lineup.

Special Teams: Solid. Kaeding didn’t miss, Scifires did a good job, they got good returns from everyone.

Significant injuries: SS Kiel (Ankle), T Oben (Foot), and RB LaDainian Tomlinson (Chest) are all Questionable.

Outlook: 8-8 is not impossible for the Chargers, but it would be embarassing. Even 9-7 could be considered respectable with close losses against Indy, KC, and Denver. I do think they’ll end up 10-6, with the all AFC West games being won by the home team (except the Raiders, who will have lost all AFC West games), and a loss to the red-hot Colts in a shoot-out. 11-5 is likely, and could result in a wildcard game…except that the Jags, Chiefs, Broncos, and Steelers could also all be 11-5, and then the tie-breakers are impossibly complex. Chargers do control their own destiny: win out, and they’re in. I just don’t think they have played consistently enough to do it. Their winning streak was mostly at home, and mostly against weak teams.

Bottom Line: The whole AFC race for wildcard slots cleared up a little, with Pittsburgh losing to Cincinnati and looking about ready to spiral out of the race. Jacksonville won again to go 9-3, but without Leftwich, I still think they are ripe for a collapse to end up 10-6 and out of the playoffs, despite a fairly easy closing schedule; they should lose to Indianapolis for sure.

Even more than last week, it’s looking like a 12-4 record will win the West. We’ve already talked about Denver losing one more to San Diego, so the West Championship will go to whoever wins out, I’m 90% certain. It would depend on how the tiebreakers end up between KC and Denver. Then, if KC wins out and wins the tiebreaker over Denver, KC would also win the tiebreaker over Cincinnati due to the head-to-head win and get the #2 seed and a 1st round bye.

Much less complicated than last week. For all three teams, win out and not only win the West but get the #2 Playoff seed. It only gets complicated if all teams lose one game (mostly depending on who the loss is to), or trying to guess who the wildcard teams will be. Cincinnati could still collapse and let Pittsburgh win the North. Or Pittsburgh could complete their spiral and be out of it. Jacksonvill could continue to rally behind Gerrard and take a wildcard slot, or show they can’t win without Leftwich. Two weeks ago it looked like the AFC West teams were going to have to win the division to have a chance to be in the playoffs, with no wildcard teams coming from the West. The subsequent 2-game losing streak by the Steelers and Leftwich’s injury has changed that, and with 2 losses hung on the Jags out of the last 4 games, both wildcard slots would probably go to the AFC West.

Last week I said: “I expect Pittsburgh, Denver, and Cincinnati to all end up no better than 11-5, and San Diego and Jacksonville to end up no better than 10-6.” I still think that’s an accurate statement based on the final games, but I have to admit that “expect” is a little strong. It’s not so much that I think those teams are clearly of that level (both Cincy and Denver have mostly looked like 12-4 or 13-3 teams recently), it’s just that I think both teams will lose at least one upset, while KC will win out. It’s more about momentum and peaking and letting down, and I think KC’s losses earlier in the season will keep them from letting down now, but Denver and Cincy haven’t really been truly tested yet. Still, no matter how the playoff seeding shake out, I think KC will be very dangerous and capable of beating any team in the field on the road. But it’s nearly impossible to do it 2 or even 3 games in a row in a field this strong, so I still think KC needs to win out and take the AFC West Championship to have a good chance for the Super Bowl. That means we need help from either San Diego, or Jake Plummer. That’s a pretty good bet, the way things look after last week’s results.