Mike Shanahan and his coaching staff are pushing the right buttons for the Denver Broncos this season.

A few weeks ago, the Broncos were in a downward spiral, having lost four of five with injuries piling up and many problems on both sides of the ball. After a couple of tough road wins, the Broncos are back in control of the AFC West as they head into a divisional battle against Oakland on Sunday.

The Broncos have used a lot of young players and had to shuttle in many backups because of injuries, but the coaching staff has gotten them all ready to contribute.

"You've got to have good players and good coaches to get those players ready to go," receiver Brandon Stokley said.

No more bone-jarring tackles for John Lynch. The hard-hitting, nine-time Pro Bowl safety retired Monday, saying it was time to begin a new phase of life after 11 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and four more with the Denver Broncos. He felt so strongly about the relationships he built with both clubs that he decided against stepping down in the colors of either team.