Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

What is it about halfway decent quarterbacks that makes otherwise smart men lose their common sense? Like an astrophysicist in a strip club, all the smarts go out the window the second a pair of knockers is exposed even if said knockers are sagging across the ground like a snowplow through Alaskan slush.

That’s about the only way I can describe my thoughts this morning when hearing Jay Glazer break the news that Andy Reid’s first move as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs was to trade for Alex Smith. In a mini Hue Jackson moment of madness Reid panicked when he realized Matt Cassel was his starting QB and coughed up two pretty valuable draft picks for a pretty pedestrian QB.

Yes, I’m fully aware that Reid didn’t go full Hue and mortgage the draft future of the franchise as Jackson did when he panicked and ponied up for Carson Palmer.

And yes I’m also knowing that Reid has worked wonders with many a middle-of-the-road quarterback in his day. Let’s not forget it was Reid who made the Arizona Cardinals pull a similar move of desperation as Ken Whisenhunt whizzed his pants in the ill-fated Kevin Kolb catastrophe.

But ultimately Reid’s decision will end the same way every other desperate QB trade ends – with his job listed as available two years from now.

Smith definitely gets credit for sticking in a league where guys like him normally go bust. Instead Smith fought the good fight by doing whatever it took to keep those NFL checks coming. He soon became a game manager of the highest level on Jim Harbaugh’s watch before he watched his job get snatched up by Colin Kaepernick.

Yes, Smith will benefit from the tutelage of Reid.

Yes, Smith is an upgrade over Cassel.

And yes if Smith were that good the 9ers wouldn’t have drafted Kaepernick in the first place.

Face it, Andy Reid, you just pulled a classic AFC West rookie mistake. Same as Josh McDaniels. Same as Hue Jackson. You should have gone to San Diego, Andy.

John Rieger-US PRESSWIRE

Yes, the Oakland Raiders are only one game out of first place with the midpoint of the season approaching.

Yes, this is the AFC Worst where 8 wins could be enough to earn home date in the playoffs.

The above facts are undeniable. So too is Oakland’s recent history of being unable to take control of their own destiny. All it took was one more win last season and Hue Jackson would likely still have a real NFL job. All it took the year before that was taking care of business and getting a little help.

In both instances the Raiders came up short.

So, here we are again with yet another crop of last luster football teams gathering in the AFC’s western most division.

What we all really want to know is how good the odds are of the Raiders actually coming out on top for the first time in a decade. On paper it might appear as if Oakland has closed the gap but the reality is the real tests have yet to begin.

Two straight wins and a respectable showing in Atlanta have certainly raised both hopes and expectations but let’s not get too pregnant with joy. The Raiders have just beaten the two worst teams in football one of which they were down two scores to in the second half.

Kansas City and Jacksonville are competing for the top pick in the draft and that’s about it this season. Nobody is going to confuse Dennis Allen with John Madden just yet.

Still the Raiders deserve credit because these are the exact types of games they’d find a creatively painful way to lose in years past. Taking care of business against lesser competition is necessary to keep any playoff hopes alive.

On Sunday Tampa Bay comes to the East Bay for the latest installment of the former Chucky Bowl. Many are already chalking up a win but that is foolish thinking. Tampa is a talented team that is fresh off the destruction of the surprising Minnesota Vikings. This won’t be easy by any measure.

Beyond that the Raiders have a trip to Baltimore, a home date against New Orleans and a trip to Cincinnati on the horizon. In less than a month Oakland could either be right in the hunt or back to the basement where their only company might be Kansa City.

Then there’s the whole issue of hoping the Denver Broncos aren’t finding the Peyton Manning sweet spot. Denver’s improved play has put the entire league on alert. Oh and let’s not forget what happened during the Raiders mile high adventure earlier this season.

For now let’s just appreciate the improvements this team has made since the bye week. Thinking long term is not advised at the moment. This is a week-to-week evaluation process for Coach Allen during his first season. Now if we’re looking at anything similar in the standings come December then we can reopen AFC West title talks. Until then Raider Nation should temper expectations while hoping for the best. We’ve been here before.

Christopher Hanewinckel-US PRESSWIRE

It was a bittersweet Monday night for Raider Nation. Our football allegiance doesn’t allow us to root for the likes of the Denver Broncos but necessity does make for some strange bed fellows.

Last night, as the Chargers began to fold in epic Norv Turner fashion, I couldn’t help but celebrate the pain all three Charger fans at the game were feeling. I also couldn’t help but wonder what this might mean for the growing confidence of Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos after wiping out a 24-0 deficit win 35-24. Truly one of the greatest comebacks and most epic collapses ever. The Broncos are in the driver’s seat for now even though they’re tied with the Chargers at 3-3.

But that is for us to worry about another day. For now let’s just rejoice in San Diego once again doing what they do best – getting Munsoned by Turner and Philip Rivers.

With the chance to open up a two game lead atop the AFC West the Chargers wet the bed like an alcoholic after downing a case of PBRs and chasing it with two 40-ounces of OE. Suddenly the Raiders chances of swooping in and taking the division are very much alive.

In the next three weeks the Raiders will take on three very beatable opponents in Jacksonville, Kansas City and Tampa. Best case scenario is that the Silver and Black swing through the first half of an already rocky season at 4-4 which could very well be good enough for AFC West contention. All of that made possible by A.J. Smith staying the course with Turner. Thanks for that!

Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves though. Its one week at a time for the improved Raiders that nearly shocked the world this past Sunday. Nearly shocking the world isn’t the same as actually shocking the world though so let’s not get all San Diego about this situation and start counting those wins before they become real. Instead just enjoy yet another glorious moment authored by those overrated Chargers who surely suckered even more money out of the betting public last night and reaffirmed what we’ve known all along. Norv Turner sucks but we’re thankful the Chargers have pissed away any chance they ever had of winning during the Cry Baby Philips era.