MVN: Most Valuable Network

Another year in the parity-riddled NFL, and who is left to suffer but sports fans on the West Coast.

The NFC and AFC West as a whole have managed a rather terrifying 15 - 49 record in games outside of their own division, with only the Denver Broncos posting a winning record in that category.

Things are so bad that the Cardinals have lost two straight games to fall to 7-5, yet can still clinch the NFC West title next Sunday with a victory over the hapless Rams. Things are so bad that within that same division, the 49ers had lost seven of their last eight prior to their insanely boring victory over Buffalo today, yet they actually an still win the division. Granted, it involves them finishing the season 4-0 and the Cardinals to keep losing, but surely stranger things have happened.

It's been particularly awful for the West Coast teams, however. The Chargers are the best team on the coast, and they've lost five of their last six games to fall to 4-8 heading into a Thursday night showdown against the Raiders that is thankfully being buring on NFL Network.

A big part of the problem could be these teams' crushing inability to hit the road. These four coastal teams are a combined 5-17 on the road, including having lost 13 of 14 games played on the East Coast. That mark will surely get worse, as the season finishes up with the 49ers heading to Miami, along with both the Chargers and Raiders travelling to Tampa Bay.

It could possibly be blamed on the travel and the ensuing jet lag, though I don't think that's truly accurate.

Mike Holmgren made the mistake of telling the team he was retiring before the season started, which left a team that was already undermatched outside its division with the lack of motivation that always seems to accompany a lame-duck coach.

The Chargers have at least made a go of it in a number of their games, with their eight losses coming by a total of 34 points and four losses coming on a touchdown or field goal in the last 30 second of regulation. Obviously, that's quite a fine line between their season being over and being in playoff contention.However, the common cliche is that good teams will find ways to win close games, and all these excruciating losses in spite of the team's talent shouldn't be a surprise to anyone who has finally realized that Norv Turner is really just Marty Schottenheimer 2.0 - a coach that coaches to not lose instead of to win.

The 49ers have the talent, and now the coach in Mike Singletary, that they have now caught up to the Cleveland Browns this season - they give up too many points, but it's less about the defense being bad than it is about them wearing down, since the offense can't actually put together drives to keep their teammates off the field for any length of time.

Of course, then you have the Raiders, who week after week remind people that they are the Raiders. This week's moment was Oakland attempting a fake field goal where the holder actually tried, while still kneeling, to snap the ball between his legs to portly placekicker Sebastian Janikowsi. I have no idea what Janikowski was going to do from there, but Kansas City returned that gaffe for a touchdown and wound up winning by that seven point margin.

I'm sure the NFL is proud of the "anyone-can-win-at-any-time" parity they have achieved. Unfortunately, when you shorten the gap between the great teams and the terrible teams, all you get is a puddle in the middle of mediocre teams just trying to be less terrible than their opponent long enough to win a game.