DENVER -- Quarterback Chris Simms, who hasn't started an NFL game in three seasons, will take over for injured Kyle Orton today when the skidding Broncos (6-3) play host to the surging Chargers (6-3) for sole possession of first in the AFC West.
Orton sustained a severely sprained left ankle last week in Denver's 27-17 loss to Washington, leaving the game after the final offensive play of the first half. He hasn't practiced all week. After taking a last look at the former Bears starter, Denver coach Josh McDaniels made the decision Sunday morning to sit Orton. McDaniels is expected to activate rookie quarterback Tom Brandstater on the 45-man game day roster.
Each Monday of the fantasy football season, we'll cut through the fantasy numbers put up by individuals and tell you what they really mean.
Two weeks ago, the Carolina Panthers went into Arizona and picked Kurt Warner off five times en route to an easy victory over the defending NFC champions. Some began to fear the old man was beginning to lose his touch. If he did, what would happen to the Cardinals' juggernaut of a fantasy football unit?
All they've done since then is score 72 points in two games and looked better than ever.
Denver led Washington 17-14 when Chris Simms replaced Kyle Orton at quarterback, after Orton injured his ankle on the final offensive play of the first half. The Broncos picked up just three first downs the rest of the game, and the Redskins rallied for a 27-17 victory.
Simms, seeing his first meaningful action since suffering a serious spleen injury in 2006, completed just 3 of 13 passes and threw a very costly interception.
Denver has now lost three straight games since starting the season 6-0.
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.
SAN FRANCISCO -- Broncos rookie coach Josh McDaniels is standing by his man Kyle Orton, despite the rash of interceptions that have made the Denver starting quarterback an easy target for criticism.
"I'm just telling you, I'm not worried about that," McDaniels said despite Orton's three first-half interceptions in a 17-16 49ers' preseason victory at Candlestick Park Friday. "That'll be something that we can fix and move forward from. You evaluate those plays and those mistakes, why they happened, what caused them, whether it's a [quarterback] decision or a miscommunication.
"There are a lot of things that go into playing quarterback. Certainly [Orton] made a lot of mistakes tonight. But I haven't lost faith in him and neither have our players."
With Fantasy Football season ready to kick in high gear, FanHouse is here to preview each and every team -- one per day until we've done them all.
Meet The ... Kyle Orton Dead Arm Syndrome: a condition characterized by a complete lack of strength in the upper arm. Despite hosting the NFL's second most productive offense in 2008, averaging just shy of 400 yards per game, and the third best passing offense in the league, the introduction of Orton as the starting quarterback puts the kibosh on the productivity. Orton has a weak arm, relies heavily on check-down passes and makes bad decisions. In terms of supporting cast, the receivers are a huge upgrade from his days in Chicago with Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal, but Marshall wants out so be sure to keep a close eye on this situation. Also, new head coach and signal-caller Josh McDaniels runs a spread offense, so he'll need to rely on Orton probably more than anyone would ever want. I don't expect the offense to suffer immensely with a solid new batch of runners, but it definitely takes a dive from last season.
We're entering a dark period of the NFL life right now. Nothing is going on. Players and coaches are on vacation. With that we look at 10 quarterback situations worth looking at before training camps start in late July, because, well, it's always about the quarterback.
The situation: It's the same old argument. Do you start the rookie or the veteran? The No. 1 pick of the draft is Stafford, but the vet with a chance to win a few games is Culpepper. Stafford is the future but you don't want to damage it. For every Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco there's a Ryan Leaf and Vince Young.
Solution: Start Culpepper and wait until 2010 for Stafford.
Not exactly how McDaniels envisioned things back in January but it is, as they say, what it is. So after trading Jay Cutler to the Bears for a couple first-rounders and Kyle Orton, and then signing free agent Chris Simms to compete for the job, McDaniels used organized team activities to settle on a starter.
Who moved to the head of the NFL class during the draft? Find out with FanHouse's team-by-team 2009 Draft Grades.
Heading into this year's draft, Josh Freeman was considered to have the highest upside of any quarterback entering the NFL in 2009, while also possessing the biggest downside. The Buccaneers, in need of a true franchise quarterback for the first time since ... well, they've never really had one, were not only willing to take the chance on Freeman, but they were also willing to move up two spots to get him.
Three years ago, NFL Network draft oracle Mike Mayock was pimping Jay Cutler's NFL prospects before it was fashionable. Now that Cutler has whined his way out of Denver, Mayock thinks the Broncos should use this month's draft to find their next franchise quarterback.
Hardly earth-shattering news; the depth chart currently lists Kyle Orton and Chris Simms. Both serviceable players (and I'm on record saying Orton can handle the gig), but neither the type you build a team around. Plus, Josh McDaniels was an offensive coordinator with the Patriots before taking the Broncos job; he's not going to be content to rely on his defense to win games. This ain't Baltimore.
DENVER -- Quarterback Chris Simms, who hasn't started an NFL game in three seasons, will take over for injured Kyle Orton today when the skidding Broncos (6-3) play host to the surging Chargers (6-3) for sole possession of first in the AFC West.
Denver led Washington 17-14 when 
While it was thought there would be a transition for the 
SAN FRANCISCO -- Broncos rookie coach 
With Fantasy Football season ready to kick in high gear, FanHouse is here to preview each and every team -- one per day until we've done them all. 
We're entering a dark period of the NFL life right now. Nothing is going on. Players and coaches are on vacation. With that we look at 10 quarterback situations worth looking at before training camps start in late July, because, well, it's always about the quarterback.
Josh McDaniels
Who moved to the head of the NFL class during the draft? Find out with FanHouse's team-by-team 
Three years ago, NFL Network draft oracle 
