This could’ve been the year for so many teams out in the west.

It was one more chance for Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren to gracefully ride off into the sunset after a playoff appearance. It was a fresh start for Raiders coach Lane Kiffin who acquired college sensation Darren McFadden in the draft. It was Mike Nolan’s time to finally get his 49ers over .500 and back to glory.

This list goes on and on for almost all eight of our teams in this focus (Arizona, Denver, Kansas City, Oakland, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and St. Louis). Yet the sad reality is that, although the talent level may not have dropped, the efficiency in winning games has fallen substantially. Read more »

The entire country, or at least those with the NFL network in their cable package, tuned in to the beginning of Thursday Night Football this week to watch former Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn make his first professional start. What they got was a front row seat to watch one of the most disappointing offenses in the league break out of its funk and light up the scoreboard.

The Denver Broncos came out of the gates hot to start 2008. They weren’t held to under 34 points until they suffered their first loss in Week 4 to the Chiefs. In their first five games Denver’s quarterback Jay Cutler eclipsed 300 yards passing on three occasions, including games of 350 and 361.

Rookie wide receiver Eddie Royal blew up in his pro debut by receiving for 146 yards and a touchdown. The next week, in his first game of 2008, wideout Brandon Marshall followed Royal’s example and hauled in 18 passes for 166 yards and a score against division rival San Diego. Sitting at 4-1 during an AFC power-shift, Mike Shanahan and company seemed poise to grab the reins and ride the wave of success to a playoff berth and then some. Read more »

While the unknown is an exciting, sometimes-fruitful adventure in fantasy football, it remains exactly that - unknown. Second-year quarterback Brady Quinn is no exception, even if he is talented and relatively prepared to make his debut, which will come Thursday against Denver, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Fantasy owners, especially those who used a fifth-round draft pick on Derek Anderson, may not quite understand this move. After all, Anderson had been productive in the previous four weeks, throwing six touchdown passes to just one interception. But, he failed where it counted and was booed off the field in Sunday’s 37-27 loss to Baltimore. Read more »

Finally, a lopsided game on Monday Night Football in 2008. However, it was the team not expected to prevail that was on the winning side of a 41-7 rout.

The host New England Patriots spanked the Denver Broncos in a game that left Patriots fantasy owners smiling. Oppositely, the blowout also left us wondering where in the heck has Denver’s high-powered offense gone over the past few weeks?

In what was billed to be a clash of AFC powers, it seemed that only one contender showed up to play; likewise, the quarterback in white expected to shine on the national level was upstaged by a no-name fill-in not named Brady. Read more »

Alright, back to square one. After a 5-9 Week 6, I’m back at an even .500 (43-43-2) on the year. All I can say is that if the Rams can win a game, then I can come up with a big week.

Before looking at the picks, let’s all visualize the unbeaten Titans and try to block out the negative energy of teams like the Bengals and Lions who have combined for an 0-11 start to the year. OK, that’s enough visualizing. It’s go time! Read more »

Mike Shanahan, head coach of the Denver Broncos brought a new style of offense to the rocky-mountain region when he signed with the team in 1995. Along with a very effective zone-blocking scheme, Shanahan implemented a new NFL strategy where the star of the offense isn’t playing running back. For years, NFL teams scouted, drafted, traded, and signed for players who were sincerely skilled at reading defenses, making swift cuts, and hitting holes quickly (not to mention breaking tackles).

In Shanahan’s offense, though, it doesn’t matter who carries the ball. Since Terrell Davis’ run as champion Bronco back ended after the 1998 season, six different guys have led the Broncos in rushing yards. In the last nine seasons, only Mike Anderson in 2000 and Clinton Portis in ‘02 and ‘03 have led Denver in rushing yards AND accounted for at least 60 percent of the team’s rushing touchdowns. Read more »

TV junkies had probably already circled this Sunday night’s game months in advance. The long awaited rematch of New England and San Diego, last year’s AFC Championship Game, although with a different feel, still has the potential to go down to the wire.

Also, former division rivals square off when the Cowboys visit Arizona and the Ravens flock to Indianapolis, and current division rivals duke it out inside a Minnesota dome and in front of a pirate ship in Florida. Read more »

The first quarter-mark of this 2008 season came and went last Sunday. It is true that championships are not won in September alone, but it sure doesn’t hurt to get off to a good start heading into autumn.

Four more teams won’t be in action this weekend, including St. Louis and Oakland. Notably, both teams will have two weeks to prepare under new head coaches: Jim Haslett as the Rams new interim coach and Tom Cable as the Raiders new leader. Meanwhile, both the Browns and Jets stroll into the off week coming off big wins in Week 4. Read more »

Two more days, and most NFL teams will hit the quarter pole of a 16-game season. Six bye weeks leave this weekend’s slate a little lighter than previous weeks, but there’s still plenty of Week 4 action to obsessively watch.

Divisional rivalries and an in-state shootout headline our top games to watch in this week’s edition of The DVR Report. Sunday Ticket owners with an abundance of choices and those who have the bad fortune of being away from a TV this week, press record for the following must-see games. Read more »

The home team normally has an advantage, but this week is ridiculous. Of the 16 games on display, 15 of them feature home favorites. Ironically, the only home team considered an underdog, the 2-0 Green Bay Packers, play in one of the most venerable, intimidating home stadiums in the NFL.

A road dog is a dangerous temptress, but we’re going with a few in unbeatens Arizona, Carolina and Pittsburgh; winless St. Louis; and the Brett Favre-led New York Jets. After an 8-6-1 week, resident gamer Raisin’ Brant Nelson improved to 19-11-1 in his quest for a .700 season winning percentage. Read more »