The Denver Broncos are 6-0.

Yes, after an off-season in which they were written off (Yes, even by me, altough they could still technically lose the rest of their games and finish with the 6-10 record I predicted them to have.) because of serious personel issues (Jay Cutler demands his way out of town, Brandon Marshall requests a trade) has started out a perfect 6-0 thanks to a dedicated set of personel. Go figure.

Josh McDaniels was being bashed in the pre-season for running their prized Jay Cutler out of town and for making suspect signings like these. But as it turns out, the former Patriots assistant is one heck of a head coach and he has taken an offense led by Kyle Orton, who McDaniels felt was a perfect fit for his playbook, and a defense that has eight new starters and taken them in a direction that noone except McDaniels himself expected.

It’s not like the Broncos have had a cakewalk to this point either. The win against Cincinnati was fluky, but it was a win, and when you follow that with wins over the Cowboys and Patriots and, you know this team is for real. Well, now you can add a 34-23 victory over the Chargers in San Diego to that already impressive resume.

Orton is doing a perfect job of playing to his strengths. He uses the six yard slant to Brandon Marshall instead of risking a 30-yard out route to Eddie Royal that Jay Cutler most likely would have thrown. That’s how McDaniels has coached him. Josh wanted a quarterback that could manage the game, make smart decisions and limit his mistakes. Limiting his mistakes is exactly what Kyle Orton has done to this point in the season, throwing just one interception in his six games thus far.

Tonight, Kyle took advantage of the San Diego corners when they laid off of his receivers, mostly targeting his tight end Tony Scheffler who was allowed a lot of space all night long (he had 6 grabs for 102 yards including a nice 52-yard gainer that set the Broncos up for the game-winning score). Orton finished with 229 yards and a couple of touchdowns.

While Kyle was impressive when he had the ball, Eddie Royal took a lot of pressure off of him by scoring twice on special teams, once on a 93-yard kickoff return and again on a 71-yard punt return. Royal is lightening quick when he gets into space, which makes me think that McDaniels will draw up a few bubble screens for Eddie during the bye week to give him the ball in the open field three or four times a game.

Darren Sproles was also effective on special teams, taking a punt back to the house for 77 yards. It was the first time in NFL history that one team had a kick off and punt return for a touchdown while their opponents also had a return TD.

Philip Rivers is normally a monster for this San Diego offense, but tonight the pressure put on Rivers by the Broncos defensive front seven was insurmountable for Rivers, who was 20 of 33 for 274 yards and just one touchdown. The Broncos totaled five sacks as a unit, with Elvis Dumervil snagging a pair for himself, giving him 10 on the year.

LaDainian Tomlinson was very close to breaking off a big run all game, but he was unable to. He amassed 70 yards on 18 carries.

[Note: The one underrated part of the Broncos success is the fact that Kyle Orton is actually doing a marginal job at quarterback. What does that say about the Bears? They were unable to use Orton the way he should be - short seven yard passes coupled with a good running game - and now they are struggling to get Cutler settled in. Oh, and don't get me started on how they have been using Matt Forte this year. Inexcusable. ]

The Broncos are 6-0, and they now sit 3.5 games ahead of the Chargers, easily their biggest opponent in the AFC West. The one negative for Denver is that five of their next seven games will be brutal: at Baltimore, followed by home games against the Steelers, Chargers and Giants, and then they travel to Indianapolis after a gimme game against Kansas City. Even if they lose all those games, they should finish the year at a division leading 11-5, and that’s certainly better than we thought they would do.

1. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints – While the more conventional pick would be Tom Brady because of the offensive weapons that he has, Brees is my pick. With a solid enough running game around him and a very underrated receiving core headed by Marques Colston, Brees surprised a lot of people last season. Why would those numbers go down? Brees approached one of the most untouchable records in NFL History, missing Dan Marino’s all-time passing yards mark because of a dropped pass in overtime. His 5,069 yards and 34 touchdown passes were the only thing that kept the Saints competitive last season as Reggie Bush battled injuries and their defense played out as one of the worse in the league. Jeremy Shockey should have a better season after getting over injuries and personal issues from last season, which will give Brees another red zone target. Again, it may not be the normal pick, but if you want to take a QB in the first round, take someone with a bionic arm. Projections: 96 QB Rating, 5,025 yards, 39 TDs

2. Tom Brady, New England Patriots – No quarterback in the NFL will have a better supporting cast around him next season. Combine the Pats’ rock solid offensive line with the amazing receiving core of Randy Moss, Joey Galloway and Wes Welker, Brady has a chance to put up ridiculous numbers yet again. That injury last season scared a few people off in terms of drafting him in the top five, but there are some reports that he will comeback to the Pats this season better than ever. Even if he does, I’ve never been a fan of the Pats and the whole schmuck of an operation they are running up there in Foxbrough. Projections: 95 QB Rating, 4,607 yards, 35 TDs

3. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts – Perhaps the most dependable guy in all of football. Has played in all 16 games for each of the 10 seasons that he has been in the league. Even though he is losing Marvin Harrison (Maybe to Minnesota?), Manning will still have one of the best receivers in the game in Reggie Wayne as well as the best red zone tight end in the NFL with Dallas Clark to throw to. I’m also high on Anthony Gonzalez, who will be replacing Harrison as the number two receiver, and I think he can give the Colts a good third pass catcher. Manning’s success will rely heavily on the production of Joseph Addai. Addai seemed like a top RB in the NFL after two back-to-back 1,000+ yard seasons in 2006 and 2007, only to fall on his face last season with a disappointing 544 yards. If Addai returns to form, Manning could easily be the best QB in the NFL again. Projections: 97 QB Rating, 4,556 yards, 35 TDs.

4. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers – Without the Brett Farve sage for him to worry about, I love Rodgers in Green Bay this season. In his first season as a starter, Rodgers threw for 4,038 yards and 28 TDs. If the offensive line can step up, Rodgers has one of the best supporting casts in the NFL. The beast that is Greg Jennings caught 80 passes for 1,292 yards and two TDs last season, and at 25, just signed a three year extension with the Packers. On the other side of the line, Rodgers will have veteran Donald Driver, who, even at 34, had another 1,000 yard season last year. Aaron will also have a solid tight end to go to in the red zone in Donald Lee. Add-in Ryan Grant in the backfield, and your offense has enough playmakers to make the defense wonder. Projections: 93 QB Rating, 4,244 yards, 31 TDs.

5. Phillip Rivers, San Diego Chargers – Yeah, he lost to a high school kid in a skill competition, but he did not take the tapes. I am looking at you, LeBron. One could make the argument that Rivers was the best QB in the NFL last season, with Brady out and Peyton Manning dealing with some knee issues, but I don’t buy him over Brees. Still, he lead the NFL in QB Rating with a 105.5 rating, and threw for an impressive 4,009 yards and 34 touchdowns. Rivers is lucky to have two of the best pass catching backs in the NFL behind him in Darren Sproles and LaDainian Tomlinson. LT isn’t the same as he was three years ago – some don’t even think he is a top five RB anymore – but he should still be able to give the Chargers 1,000 yards from scrimmage. The real reason I love Rivers for fantasy? Vincent Jackson. A very underrated receiver who is still improving at the age of 25. At 6-foot-5, Jackson had a nice 59 catch-1,098 yard season last year combined with seven trips to the end zone. Chris Chambers should be able to provide a solid 35 receptions and 500+ yard season for Rivers, giving him yet another target. Oh yeah, and having one of the best tight ends in football helps too. Antonio Gates should be due for another 8-11 touchdown season. Projections: 102 QB Rating, 4,125 yards, 33 TDs.

Up Next in our Fantasy Football Preview: Top Five Running Backs.

With the 13th pick in the 3rd round of the NFL Draft, the San Diego Chargers selected former Texas Tech offensive guard Louis Vasquez.

Vasquez’s pass blocking ability played a big part in helping Graham Harrell find his receivers. Had it not been for his presence on the line, Harrell would have lost precious seconds in the pocket that he used to make his throws.

At 6-foot-4, 333 pounds, Louis has very good size for the interior line, however he lacks top-end speed. ESPN had Vasquez ranked as the 6th best offensive guard and the 146th best player overall.

In an interview on the Dan Patrick Show, San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson said that he considered the Denver Broncos, New Orleans Saints and Baltimore Ravens before ultimately deciding to stay with the team he has been with for his entire eight year career.

Read the rest of this entry »

The San Diego Chargers have placed the franchise tag on running back Darren Sproles. After a few terrible off-seasons where they let stars go, Drew Brees and Michael Turner, the Chargers have decided to keep one of the most explosive players in the league on the roster.

This move means that the franchise is committed to giving Sproles significant playing time, but it doesn’t mean the team will stop negotiating with the face of the franchise, LaDanian Tomlinson. If LT comes back, San Diego will have one of the best dual threats in the league.

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Wild Card Weekend:

Atlanta Falcons @ Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals are a one dimensional team. They thrive off the pass and have the weapons to due so. Kurt Warner has had a nice year, but he lacks a running game to make his passing attack even more lethal than it is. With no real threat in the backfield, most defenses will drop the safeties back and rush the line. John Abraham and the Falcons will take advantage of this and will have Kurt Warner running for his life. The Falcons on the other hand have a pretty nice balanced attack, with Turner to go along with Ryan, Jenkins and Roddy White. This balance will keep a pretty bad Arizona defense on the field and will wear them out quick.

Pick: Falcons over Cardinals 34-17

Indianapolis Colts @ San Diego Chargers

The Colts are the hottest team coming into the playoffs and they are going to show it against a putrid San Diego defense. Peyton Manning should have a huge game with 350 yards and 4 TDs. Reggie Wayne will have a big game as well, he should real in 7 for 156 and 2 TDs. The Chargers should be able to establish the run but I don’t think they will be able to get anything through the air.

Pick: Colts over Chargers 42-28

Baltimore Ravens @ Miami Dolphins

I know that both teams have a great story, but I don’t think that this one will be close. The Ravens will make the usually efficient Pennington into a turnover prone machine, in fact, I think he’ll throw 3 picks. 2 of those should go to Ed Reed, and he will take one of those to the house. Le’Ron McClain will get his share of carries and will put the Dolphins away with a 4th quarter TD.

Pick: Ravens over Dolphins 24-17

Philadelphia Eagles @ Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings have the best running back in the league. That alone will beat the Eagles, in my opinion. The Eagles defense are coming off their best performance of the year, but they did it against a team that has no speed burner. Minnesota has 2 of those, AP and Bernard Berrian. Minnesota has the best defense in the league and they will be all over McNabb. Brian Westbrook will get hurt in this game and Desean Jackson will make another bone headed mistake.

Pick: Vikings over Eagles 21-14

(AP Photo/Chris Park)

The San Diego Chargers made Jay Cutler eat his words on Sunday night with their 52-21 thrashing of Denver. Phillip Rivers showed the world that he was definitely Pro-Bowl material, completing 15 passes(20 attempts) for 207 yards and 2 TDs. There is no doubt that Rivers would have racked up more yards if the game was closer. The running game of the Chargers made a big impact in this game. Darren Sproles had 14 carries for 115 yards and 2 TDs. LT had 96 yards on 14 carries for 3 TDs, the first of which put him in second place on the all-time TD list only trailing Emmitt Smith. Even San Diego’s FB got into the running game. Jacob Hester had 37 yards on 8 touches with a TD. Jay Cutler didn’t have too bad of a game himself. Jay had 33 completions(49 attempts) for 316 yards and a TD, but 2 key INTs pretty much defined his night. San Diego is the first team in history to start out 4-8 and end up in the playoffs. The Supa Chargers will host the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the playoffs.

If the NFL wanted to show England that American Football was more exciting than their futbol, then they sent the perfect teams to London. This game was New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees’ first shot at redemption on his former team, and redemption is what he got.

The first quarter reminded the crowd of a soccer match, because the only scores had come off kicks after field goals from Nate Kaeding and Taylor Mehlhaff. From there the fans could tell the difference between the two sport. Drew Brees connected with Devery Henderson on a twelve yard strike, after an 89 yard drive, for the game’s first TD. Duece McAllister had the next score on a 1 yard draw. The Chargers would answer on a 12 yard screen to LT to get their first feel of the endzone. But, the Chargers defense could not stop the Saints and their offensive attack; Lance Moore(30 yard rec), Mark Campbell (1 yard rec), and Mike Karney (1 yard run) all added 6 points to the scoreboard before it was all said and done.

Drew Brees creates electricity, literally.

San Diego had a very productive 4th quarter but could failed to score with :00 left on the clock, making the game’s final score 37-32. Drew Brees showed the Supa Chargas that he was the one that proved the bolt of energy that sparked their offense. His final numbers looked like this: 30/41, 339 yards, and 3 TDs. But, even though his team won in a highly offensive battle, Brees may not get all of the satisfaction he wanted due to the play of Phillip Rivers(25/40, 341 yards, 3 TDs and 1 INT).