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28-10 Monday night beatdown on the road of Denver confirms that Pittsburgh is locking in.

Now 6-2 with five wins in a row including over the Vikings and Broncos, with their running game springing to life behind Rashard Mendenall and a defense that scores more consistently than the Browns’ and Raiders’ offenses, the Steelers have, in my mind anyway, resumed their place as best team in the AFC. No apology to the undefeated Colts necessary for that statement, the Steelers just look like the more dangerous and complete team, even with Peyton Manning playing out of his mind.

As for Denver, the skeptics will be back out, already raising an eyebrow over the way they got manhandled at the lines of scrimmage in the last two games. The Chargers are all of a sudden just one game out. Guess those handing the division to Denver a few weeks back were a bit premature.

At any rate, with typical blinders, Mike Greenberg just declared the Cincinnnati at Pittsburgh game THE game of the upcoming NFL weekend. Yeah, it’s a big one. Probably NOT as big as the annual Colts/Pats rematch this weekend what with the Colts still being undefeated and all, but, hey, don’t let facts get in the way of whatever pops into your head, Mike.

Jay Cutler looked pretty damn good steering the Bears in the first half of a 27-17 win (the comments following that article in the Denver Post are quite entertaining). The forumla was solid: wait out the emotion, make no mistakes, let the defense set a tone, and then one noteworthy drive was enough to put the game on ice. The Bears were up 17-3 at halftime, as Cutler went 15 of 21 for 144 yards and one touchdown (no picks) including leading the Bears on a 98-yard drive just before halftime.

Woody Paige on the scene for the Post:

In the three-ring circus of a game: Josh McDaniels’ Denver debut was a disappointing dud; Kyle was Ordinary Orton again, then cut the index finger on his business hand; and, in the unkindest cut of all, Jay Cutler produced a 98-yard touchdown drive before halftime and proved to some of the 73,519 people in the neighborhood, but not the one in the hoodie, why he shouldn’t have been traded….In the first halves of three games the Broncos have been outscored 55-16. They don’t have a fumble recovery or an interception yet. They have thrown five interceptions and fumbled three times. McDaniels even admitted that the Broncos “cannot play like that and beat a good football team.”

Then I have some outstanding news for Josh McDaniels, as Denver’s first game of the season is at Cincinnati, a team seldom mistaken for “good”. As for Denver’s pre-season, it, like the off-season, has been rather “uneven” (to be kind). Downright toxic to be more precise. That is a team that needs something good to happen to it. My hunch is that good thing wears stripes on their helmets.

As for the Chicago take, Rick Morrissey in the Tribune:

Besides the 17 points Cutler helped put on the board and the 98-yard drive he led, the good news was that he didn’t let his emotions get the best of him. That’s the real issue with the guy. He can put up big numbers in his sleep. If he can stop his temper and frustrations from seeping into his play — if he can reach a truce with himself — the Bears have the stud quarterback they tell us they have. The bigger emotional test is going to come when his teammates aren’t playing well, in games that actually matter. But for now, this is good enough.

That’s actually a pretty good handle on Cutler at this point.

It is still hard to fathom that a guy at his age and his position moved in the off-season, but there you have it. The Bears should benefit for the next 7 – 10 years.

Brandon Marshall suspended for the remainder of the pre-season for “conduct detrimental to the team“.

Punishment? I guess.

They may need to make him miss some actual season game checks to fully register their disapproval.

Next move is Marshall’s.

Not working.

The Broncos are dealing with this just right, in my opinion. When the toddler is in the throes of a tantrum, do not address the toddler, and do not give the toddler the attention he/she is seeking. Let the tantrum run its course, and then when the toddler can be talked to, figure out if there is a solution to whatever caused the problem. Often, they just need a nap.

Perhaps Brandon Marshall needs a nap. His latest petulant move, half-assing practice on Wednesday and caught on tape (thanks to gc and sportsfrog twitter for the link) kicking a ball away at one point in some sort of frustration has caused Marshall to apologize. I think the Denver Post (Mike Klis) has a good take on this:

In a report aired by KMGH-7 from Wednesday’s practice, Marshall was nonchalant during drills and was caught punting the ball away when the drill was finished. Perhaps realizing the video of his behavior may not help him draw interest from other teams, Marshall quickly went into spin control during an interview late Thursday night on ESPN’s “NFL Live” show.

“I’m not going to do whatever it takes (to be traded),” Marshall said. “I’m not out there trying to be a distraction to the team. Unfortunately, (Wednesday) I kind of let my frustration get the best of me. I definitely want a fresh new start with everything that is going on, not just this year but in past years. It’s been a lot. Unfortunately, I let my emotions get the best of me and I apologize to everyone for that.”

Although Marshall did not practice Thursday, he was at the team’s headquarters during the session. It appears Marshall was held out for punitive reasons for his conduct during practice Wednesday. “Me punting the ball was definitely frustration,” Marshall told ESPN. “It was an error in judgment. There was a lot of frustration yesterday coming out of a meeting.“

Indeed.

Strained.

And then some.

To recap:

—He wants a new contract.

—The Broncos don’t want to give him one.

—Marshall reluctantly showed up to camp, and then came up with a highly questionable injury.

—When he returned to practice, the Broncos put him on the second team.

—His agent came to camp again seeking a new deal and to reiterate in the absence of a new deal Marshall wants to follow Jay Cutler’s lead and get out of Denver via a trade.

—Denver again said “hell no”.

And now, with the team traveling to Seattle for exhibition game number two, Marshall was left back in Denver. Despite being healthy. From the Denver Post:

There is something amiss between the Broncos and Brandon Marshall. The Broncos made a curious decision Friday when they decided not to take their top receiver with them for their preseason game here tonight against the Seattle Seahawks. Three other Broncos players — Brian Dawkins, Knowshon Moreno and Brandon Lloyd — also didn’t make the trip. However, they were all held back because of injuries.

Marshall is healthy. His status with the team seemed to change Tuesday afternoon when his agent, Kennard McGuire, met with Broncos management to reiterate a trade request Marshall said he first delivered to owner Pat Bowlen during a face-to-face meeting in June. In the Broncos’ practices Sunday and Monday morning, Marshall began the sessions running plays with the second team, but he would occasionally mix in with the No. 1 offense. Following the meeting between McGuire and the Broncos, Marshall spent the rest of the week relegated to the scout team. Marshall said he didn’t mind the scout team demotion because he admittedly didn’t know the playbook.

Is Marshall getting punished? Or are the Broncos contemplating acting upon Marshall’s discontent as they did former quarterback Jay Cutler by putting him on the trading block?

That would be the question, wouldn’t it?

There is almost something Bengal-esque in how Denver has handled the Cutler and now Marshall situations…

Kyle Orton, first three drives as a Bronco? Three interceptions. He’s consistent…

So, not good. The lead from the Denver Post:

This may be an old story, but it may be worth repeating given the first-half events here Friday night. Jay Cutler is not the Broncos’ quarterback anymore. First impressions of his initial replacement, Kyle Orton, merely salted the sorrow of Broncos fans who didn’t want to see Cutler go. In the Broncos’ first preseason game of their new era Friday, Orton threw three interceptions. On his first three series.

The Broncos rallied in the second half behind backup quarterback Chris Simms, but the San Francisco 49ers had picked on Orton just enough to pull out a 17-16 win before a sparse gathering at Candlestick Park. “I feel very confident where we’re at,” McDaniels said after the game. “He (Orton) made a few mistakes, but we’re not going to go into this thing after the first preseason game and start tailspinning and doing this and that and making knee-jerk reactions.” Still, Simms played well enough, and Orton performed poorly enough, to get the Front Range buzzing in the coming week.

In the first half, somewhere, Cutler was . . . come again, why Cutler is somewhere, anywhere, but in a Broncos uniform? It’s difficult to believe a coaching career getting off to a more challenging start than what McDaniels has endured in his first few months with the Broncos. Why not throw in a full-fledged quarterback controversy? While Orton threw for the turnover trifecta in the first half, Simms was effective in the second half, leading the Broncos to a touchdown and field goal on his first two drives.

Tack on a leg injury to rookie 1st round back Knowshown Moreno (MRI scheduled for today) and it was a less than happy night for game one of the Josh McDaniels era. Quick, someone summon Woody Paige to feast on the misery…oh, here he is.

For the night:

Kyle Orton 9 of 16 for 89 yards and 3 interceptions

Chris Simms 11 of 17 for 142 yards and 2 touchdowns

Yes, Simms’ was against back-ups, but, still. I am guessing that won’t matter this week as calls for Simms will likely mount in Denver. As perhaps they should. But not as much as the calls for Cutler…

(I tried to get Tom 1860 to write this preview, but when I asked him, I heard a gunshot and the line went dead. Hope he’s ok. In his place, we’ve got sancarlos, who we’ve had the pleasure of witnessing become a man over the last few years.)

It’s certainly odd to be writing a preview of the upcoming Denver Bronco season.  Because, who the hell knows what to expect from this team?  Everything’s new.   The top-to-bottom turnover has been huge and I’m sure guys are still introducing themselves in the locker room.  Seems odd to reflect back that owner Pat Bowlen decided to blow up a group that was 8 up and 5 down with three games remaining last season.  But, no Bronco follower liked what transpired in those subsequent losses, Bowlen apparently least of all.  Instead of the continuing the annual Denver rite – the axing of the defensive coordinator, he went whole hog and fired the highly-respected coach Mike Shanahan in a move that shocked all of Colorado, replacing him with the snot-nosed boy wonder offensive coordinator from New England, Josh McDaniel.  The choice of another offensive-oriented coach was curious, given the fact that offense wasn’t Denver’s problem last year.  Football Outsiders ranked the Bronco offense DVOA #2 in the NFL.  Now-departed quarterback Jay Cutler made the Pro Bowl.  Wideout Brandon Marshall was a budding superstar.  On the other hand, the defense had all the resistance of an East Colfax Avenue hooker.  If the Broncos didn’t put up 30 points themselves, a loss was likely.

McDaniel’s proven ability to come in, project arrogance and quickly alienate everybody from the star quarterback to the team chaplain has been well-documented.  The fan base will have him on a short leash, so he better put up some W’s or the braying will be loud.  He certainly seems a confident young man, given that he’s dumped the successful offense and changed damned near everything that wasn’t nailed down in Bronco-land.

But enough about what’s already in the rear-view mirror.  What about this year?  As the new President has noted, the modern theme is “Change” and the changes in Denver are profound.

Most prognosticators foresee a losing season for the Broncos.  I have to agree.  But, I do disagree with the degree of some folks’ pessimism.  3-13?  I’d be shocked.  There is some significant talent, particularly on the offensive side of the ball.  The great production of 2008 wasn’t only a product of Jay Cutler and the Shanahan/Jeremy Bates scheme.  The offensive line is a superb pass-blocking unit and the receiving corps of Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal, Tony Scheffler and others is top notch.  Draft choice Knowshon Moreno from Georgia is a talent who’ll be given the first opportunity in the backfield and Peyton Hillis was a revelation last season before he was injured.  Lamont Jordan, Correll Buckhalter and injury-plagued second year man Ryan Torain also figure to be in the mix.  Of course, it will be interesting to see the relative upside or downside movement in scoring, given the new New England-style offense brought in by  Coach McDaniel, and piloted by former Chicago quarterback Kyle Orton.  The line will also have to get used to the switch away from the time-honored zone blocking scheme.  Given the mediocre track record of Orton and the potential for a new scheme to cause difficulty for the entire group, it’s hard to view the prospects of the 2009 offense as anything but a downgrade.  As a fan, I just hope the slope of decline is gentle.

And, that’s the good news!  What about the defense, you ask?  Yikes, that was a horror show last season, so the bar of expectation is set fairly low.  McDaniel has jettisoned 2/3 of the starters on defense, installed a Patriot-style 3-4 scheme and brought in some able vets, particularly in the secondary.  Former Dolphin stalwarts Andre Goodman and Renaldo Hill join perennial Eagle pro bowler Brian Dawkins and back-from-injury Champ Bailey in what should be a much-improved back line (it couldn’t have gotten much worse.)  2nd round draft pick Alphonso Smith from Wake Forest provides depth.  Dawkins has a broken hand, but reportedly will be back for the opener.  Unfortunately, the linebacking corps and the defensive line are looking much shakier.  Defensive ends Elvis Dumervill and Jarvis Moss are trying to learn to play outside linebacker.  The same goes for rookie 1st rounder Robert Ayers from Tennessee.  Former 49er backup Ronald Fields battles holdover Marcus Thomas at nose tackle.  Former Cleveland journeyman Andra Davis is slated to start at inside linebacker with former outside backer D.J. Williams.  Former Colt backup Ryan McBean might start at one end, with holdover Kenny Peterson at the other.  Does any of this make you feel warm and fuzzy about the Broncos’ ability to keep the opposition’s offense off the field?  Me neither.  In recent years, the Broncos’ rush defense has been atrocious and it’s hard to make a case here that it’s improved.

The schedule is very tough, but four of the games are against Oakland and Kansas City.  Mike Shanahan was quoted as saying that you never admitted it was a rebuilding season, because you’d lose the team.  But, Josh McDaniel doesn’t even have the luxury of pretending this isn’t a rebuilding season.  6-10 sounds about right to me.  I hope the fans don’t kill him.

Now that his brother has been shown the door in Denver?

Per Rotoworld:

Despite his offseason microfracture knee surgery, Bailey was thought to be guaranteed a spot after receiving a March roster bonus. The Broncos, flush with linebacker depth after moving to a 3-4 scheme, no longer had room to carry Champ’s injury-prone brother. Bailey is not yet recovered enough to practice and admitted he “still has some work to do” to get ready to play with another team.

The roster bonus in March is odd if they were going to cut him. If they figured they had to wait on Bailey’s knee to progress, they should have just cut him in March and then re-signed him in July.

But again, these are the Broncos. I never thought that I’d be saying I’m glad that the Broncos are in my team’s division.

Pat Bowlen: It was all Jay Cutler’s fault

Josh McDaniels: I have no regrets

Chicago Bears: Thanks for the franchise quarterback! Seriously! Thanks!

For Kyle Orton, this year’s number one, and next year’s number one. For those of you scoring along at home, that is two number ones and a three. Or exactly the number that Mike Golic this morning said no one would pay for a 25-year-old all-pro quarterback entering his prime. Chicago also gets Denver’s third fifth round pick this year in addition to a pro-bowl quarterback.

Mike Golic. Wrong. Always.

Good move for the Bears. Not sure what the Jets et al were waiting on. As for the Broncos, I still deeply disagree with their having gone down this road, but since they decided to head in this direction, at least they did so decisively. So they got that going for them.

Interesting times. The swamp has been kicking it around here, here, and now, here. Drop by with a thought or two.

Good luck Josh McDaniels. It’s all on you, now: