Ever since Peyton Manning joined the Denver Broncos, the rest of the AFC West has been mentioned as an afterthought by many onlookers. After all, if last year's 8-8 squad won the division and a playoff game without Manning, it should only improve with the four-time MVP under center.
Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Brandon Flowers isn't ready to concede anything to anyone -- especially a fawning media horde.
"We've got the mind-set we're going to win the AFC West," Flowers told The Kansas City Star, via ProFootballTalk.com. "Peyton Manning, he's a quarterback that everyone wants to have. He's not going to turn the ball over, he's not going to make critical mistakes.
"But I'm going out there saying if my man can't get open, he won't have no one to throw the ball to. So as long as I do my part, we're not too worried about Peyton Manning."
Denver made the biggest splash this offseason, but Manning is working with a roster that lacks the talent of his Indianapolis Colts teams of old. The Broncos have some noticeable holes and the Chiefs weren't far behind them in 2011. Kansas City lost starting quarterback Matt Cassel for almost half the season and managed just one less win than Denver. The Chiefs vibe "dark horse" in this division, even if their 10-6 team of two seasons ago is a distant memory.
Flowers isn't taunting Manning, but he won't be the last player in the AFC West to decry some of the extra attention Denver's received of late.
