FanHouse BrandonMarshall

In the six months leading up to the 2009 season, the Broncos traded franchise quarterback Jay Cutler, refused to do the same for wideout Brandon Marshall (who subsequently sulked, half-assing his way through the offseason and training camp), and then-32-year-old head coach Josh McDaniels seemed so far out of his element that I wasn't sure he'd make it to Thanksgiving.

At the time, I figured a six-win effort would be a moral victory for the organization, and if nothing else, McDaniels would learn a valuable lesson about managing a group of 20-something millionaires.

When Broncos owner Pat Bowlen hired Josh McDaniels, expectations for the organization were about as high as they have been in recent years. It only took a few months for McDaniels to burn through a season's worth of goodwill, and between the Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall soap operas, fans and media were preparing for the worst when Week 1 rolled around.

Yet here we are, five weeks and five wins later. The Broncos are one of the best teams in the league and McDaniels, who looked like an overmatched, overwhelmed junior high schooler earlier this summer, suddenly is the boy genius everybody figured on when he arrived in Denver after spending most of this decade working for Bill Belichick.

Move over, Jaws. There's a new breakdown team in town. YouTube Film Session features the finest in amateur film parsing this side of the internet. Mindful of both X's and O's, and Jimmies and Joes.

Brandon Marshall's 51-yard touchdown grab was filthy. That's why you've seen it a million times between SportsCenter, NFL Live and the 17 blogs in your bookmark bar.

But after the jump, Back Porch goes inside the play that had Chris Berman howling, "Whaaaat? Whaaat?"

Sunday Evening Wrap checks out players who increased or decreased their value during the Sunday afternoon games.

Faller of the Week: Everyone on the Oakland Raiders. The Houston Texans entered the game as one of the league's worst defenses. They were the worst in the NFL against the run. Sunday, the Raiders gained just 165 yards and only a single first down on the ground against those same Texans. I'm done with Darren McFadden. Michael Bush and Justin Fargas shouldn't be considered viable fantasy contributors in any format, and I'd even give up on Zach Miller (which isn't his fault, but he's not going to put up stats for this embarrassingly inept offense). This team is dead to me, and they should be to you, too.

It's another session of "Sink or Swim" Fantasy Football FanHouse's weekly look at the underachievers still lurking on many fantasy rosters. You've got the tough choices to make and we help you decide which direction to take. Do you cut the bait or give 'em one more chance to swim?

We are only two weeks into the season, so this is not the time to let your preconceived notions -- or preseason hype -- cloud your train of thought. This is the time to make clear and concise decisions about the future of your team. First and foremost, you never cut your stars. But if somebody that kinda-sorta-marginal-to-decent guy ain't performing up to par, don't think twice before cutting him.

When Jay Cutler was traded to Chicago, there was an instant line drawn in the proverbial sand. Everyone from professional sports writers to the most casual of fans had opinions. Those who wanted to argue it was a bad move for the Bears had several points. Some of them were valid, but one of them in particular always drove me bonkers.

"Who is he going to throw to?" "He's going to hate life without Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal." Etc.

After months of playing out as a soap opera, Mile High Stadium 80204 if you will, the Broncos-Brandon Marshall saga is suddenly looking like a romantic comedy.

It's screenwriting 101. The two characters meet, there are sparks but obstacles are put between them which makes them hate each other, until one day one of them realizes that what they thought was hate turns out to be love after all -- sometimes after the other character changes their hairstyle or takes off their glasses -- and they live happily ever after.

Maybe there was something about the way Marshall took off his helmet at practice on Tuesday that made the Broncos see him in a whole new light. Something happened, because Adam Schefter of ESPN is reporting that the team is "exploring the possibility" of a contract extension.

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Training camps have wrapped up, the NFL season is right around the corner, and it's still hot as sin outside. But instead of cooling you off with a warm island song, FanHouse break out ye old heat check for our 2009 NFL Season Previews. We'll rate each club in 5 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.

Give Josh McDaniels this much: He's willing to make an impression. Before he's even coached so much as one regular season game, he's assured that he will either be remembered as a bold, brilliant leader who won because he had the courage of his convictions, or as an abject failure whose hiring set the franchise back by years because he had the courage of his convictions. Some of that has to do with Jay Cutler's career trajectory, but McDaniels needs to win and he needs to win quickly.

While it was thought there would be a transition for the Broncos offense this season, no one could have imagined the nightmare the Broncos may be facing in Week 1 of the 2009 season. In January, the Broncos had a Pro Bowler at the helm. In July, they had Kyle Orton, with Chris Simms backing him up. Now, it's entirely possible they head into Cincinnati on Sept. 13 with Tom Brandstater as their starting quarterback.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- They may not yet have looked it this preseason, but the Giants are good. As currently constructed, they must be counted among the favorites in the NFC when the season begins in two weeks. Their biggest problem, however, is the same one they had last December -- their downfield deep threat is headed to prison and they don't seem to have anybody on the roster with whom to replace him.

So soon after the Plaxico Burress fiasco, the Giants don't necessarily want to pursue disgruntled Denver receiver Brandon Marshall. But they haven't ruled it out either, and how could they? You watch the Giants play, and the deficiency is obvious. They may well be one star receiver away from being a Super Bowl team. Which is why Saturday's game -- a game in which Steve Smith and Mario Manningham were dropping passes left and right -- would have gone down as another lost night if not for the spectacular fourth-quarter performance of first-round draft pick Hakeem Nicks.