Oakland Raiders: The Tale of How the AFC West Is Won

Right about now Hue Jackson is smiling.

Not because of how terrible San Diego looked against Minnesota, or because of Buffalo dismantling Kansas City, but because for the first time in a while the Oakland Raiders may actually start off strong and have a commanding lead in the AFC West.

A win over Denver in the late game on Monday would give Oakland a one-up lead in the AFC West, a division that much like wine seems to get better as time goes along. Head coach Jackson understands that San Diego usually starts slow and Kansas City is completely overrated. By destroying Denver in the season opener, that sets the pace that Oakland needs to charge forward and keep control of the division.

A lot of people expect Denver to get handled Monday, I am one of those people. With Darren McFadden back in full action splitting carries with Michael Bush, how can the Raiders go wrong?

McFadden won't be the only long-lost Raider to suit up in that iconic silver and black on prime-time, though. The fabled, mythical Chaz Schilens will be putting on that No. 81 jersey looking to be that force many expected him to be, and also returning will be our defensive leader, "Big" Richard Seymour, and—of course—the West Coast rookie of the year Jacoby Ford.

Denver will not and cannot handle that.

Trust me.

When kickoff airs Monday and Sebastian Janikowski puts it through the goal post, Denver will know just how serious the Raiders are. Kyle Orton will look no better than Brady Quinn and Tim Tebow against that swarming pass rush that will definitely leave him with the image of stars as the defensive line leaves him shouting and pleading with his offensive line for help and time.

Brandon Lloyd? Not a problem. Look for Stanford Routt put an end to the heartbreak many of us Raider fans felt with Nnamdi Asomugha decided to take his talents to Philadelphia and be known as the next true top cornerback, much like his predecessors in Charles Woodson and Asomugha was/is.

The season opener against Denver will be one to remember as an 8-8 season was not enough for Father Time himself, Al Davis. He expects much more than that from his team and the Raider Nation also expects more than that. By taking it to Denver and smashing them in the mouth, that sends a clear message that the days of the jokes and being the laughing stock of the NFL is over.

In the past, fans could point and laugh at Oakland for being a major fall-off, a team that went from greatness to nothing.

But again, The Raiders are on the verge of reaching that brass ring that so many wish they could grab.

A convincing win for Oakland Monday puts the Raiders at a one-game lead within the AFC West, a win over Buffalo would put Oakland at 2-0 and going into Week 3 against the Jets, all the motivation Oakland can get is really needed.

As always, winning is crucial for the Raiders, building an early lead within the division is the approach that should be taken that way managing lead will not be that hard. Oakland has been blessed with a manageable first two games of the season before back-to-back challenges in the Jets and Patriots, but this is gut-check time.

If Oakland sweeps the first four games, it establishes its dominance in the AFC West first off with a massive win over Denver showing our powerful running attack, then moving on to shut down the emerging Ryan Fitzpatrick, the bum-worthy Mark Sanchez and the NFL's poster boy himself, Tom Brady, that will show that once again, the silver and black is to be feared.

Denver, soon you will be introduced to a bully, a bully built on behalf of Mr. Hue Jackson himself. As bullies do, they find the weak and feeble and they rip them apart, as the Raiders will do tomorrow.

When the smoke clears and the Oakland Raiders stand on the debris that is left from the one-sided war that will be rendered in a AFC West war, the rest of the league will see that Oakland is back.

And by ripping apart Denver, the league will see that as a staple in how the AFC West is won.