Rumors continue to swirl about the patriarch of Lucas Oil Stadium, Peyton Manning, possibly packing his bags and taking his talents and injury risk to another town. Manning has been the Indianapolis Colts for the past decade and half, reaching two Super Bowl and winning one,  four MVP awards, and is literally the reason Indianapolis host the Super Bowl this month. If/when 18 leaves town, he will have plenty of admirers in free agency, whether he is fully healthy or not (more likely). Every team searching for stability at the quarterback position has been speculated as a possible destination for the perennial Pro Bowler and each team has their pros and cons. If Peyton decides to continue his career elsewhere, he will have to weigh his options.

Miami Dolphins

Pros: New Dolphins Head Coach Joe Philbin is a pass-first play caller that will allow Peyton to air it out at will. The Fins have a number one target with Brandon Marshall and a reliable slot presence in Davone Bess, who will allow Peyton to share the ball as he likes. Jake Long is one of the best left tackles in the game so Peyton has clear protection from his blindside. Miami’s owner Stephen Ross is not afraid to spend money, which means Manning may only lose a few million from his deal with Indy.

Cons: The Dolphins for the most part are a team in flux. They have a new coaching staff and a questionable running game (not that Peyton is use to great running backs over the past five years). While Marshall and Bess are productive receivers, the rest of the pass catchers on the roster are underwhelming. The Dolphins could also be changing their defense which would involve a transition period for the team and could setback Manning’s goal of winning now.

Arizona Cardinals

Pros: Like the Dolphins, the Cardinals have a fantastic receiver in Larry Fitzgerald. That is pretty much where the similarities end. The Cardinals have a seasoned coach who took the team to the Super Bowl in 2008. Arizona seems to have figured out their running game with oft-injured Beanie Wells. Peyton can get use to great field position with returners like Andre Roberts and more specifically, Patrick Peterson.

Cons: The biggest issue with a Cardinals/Manning marriage is the fact that the team already paid Kevin Kolb and the Eagles to fill their quarterback opening just a summer ago. Kolb was inconsistent and oft-injured during his debut season with the Cards, so taking on a guy coming off of neck surgery may not be the best answer. Along with Kolb, comes the fact that despite the heavy payment for the former Eagle, Ken Whisenhunt refused to change his system to fit KK’s needs. Why would Peyton be any different? You can make the argument that he has run an offense on his terms for over a decade, but he is also likely to be on the team for just two years. With that said do the Cardinals want to deal with the loss of another future Hall of Famer, just when the team is in the swing of things and stunt their growth? To make matters even worse, Arizona may the worst offensive line in the league, which is not a great environment for a quarterback coming off of major neck surgeries. Add in a lack luster defense and Peyton may have bitten off more than he can chew with Arizona.

Washington Redskins

Pros: A lot of pundits believe Washington is Peyton’s most likely destination. They have a Super Bowl-winning coach with an offensive line that continues to improve. The owner of the Redskins, Dan Snyder, (for all his faults) is loaded and willing to pay a Pro Bowler or three (I’m looking at you Adam Archuleta). If Peyton wants to bring any of his Indy buddies with him to Washington, Snyder is very likely to oblige. Mike Shanahan can definitely take heat off Manning with his unusual success with average running backs. Also, Fred Davis and Chris Cooley have similar styles to Dallas Clark, one of Peyton’s favorite toys in Indy.

Cons: Much like Peyton’s current owner, Jim Irsay, Dan Snyder tends to stick his nose into things at the worst possible times. Offensive Coordinator Kyle Shanahan has had trouble adjusting to veteran quarterback’s strength and tends to hold too much control of the offense, which may turn off fellow control freak, Peyton Manning. The NFC East features stiff competition, that have dominated the division for years. Not to mention, Peyton’s brother Eli plays in the division. At best, the Skins with Peyton are maybe third in the division on paper, which may not be enough to entice the future Hall of Famer. To add onto the undesirables, Santana Moss is aging and the other Washington receivers leave something to be desired.

San Francisco 49ers

Pros: Of all the teams on this list, the 49ers are probably the most likely to have a win-now attitude and ability. A once-considered afterthought, Alex Smith, led the team to the NFC title game, so imagine what they could do with a guy like Peyton at 75 percent? Peyton Manning succeeded Head Coach Jim Harbaugh in Indy, so there is familiarity there. Harbaugh is a fiery coach in the mold of Jim Mora Sr. who was Peyton’s first pro coach, so that may energize the four-time MVP. Michael Crabtree is a decent wide receiver but the real prize is Vernon Davis, who could be the most dynamic option Peyton has had since Marvin Harrison. Another plus is the team’s defense. The 49ers only allowed one 100-plus game this past season, which means Peyton will have plenty of opportunities to control the clock. With an offensive line the caliber of San Fran’s that shouldn’t be a problem.

Cons: If Jim Harbaugh is honest and Alex Smith understands his value, then there won’t be a new quarterback in the Bay Area. If Peyton dodges that issue, he does have the inconvenience of moving his newborn twins and wife across the country. For all the success that San Fran had last season, they are still very young, so Peyton may have to readjust his leadership skills to fit the youth on the team. Also, of all the teams on the list, the Niners are the least likely to overpay a questionably healthy Manning.

Seattle Seahawks

Pros: Despite the fact that Pete Carroll is built more for younger talent, Peyton could be enticed by Carroll’s open mind. For all of his quirky decisions, Carroll is one of the more innovative coaches in the league, something Peyton may find refreshing. Seattle is another team with an owner who will pay big bucks for a winner. If Peyton wants Reggie Wayne or Robert Mathis to join him on the West Coast, all he has to do is ask. The Seahawks have a talented back in Marshawn Lynch, who can carry the load if Peyton feels the effects of his surgeries early on. The Seahawks also have a decent backup quarterback (Tavaris Jackson) who has starting experience. The backup option allows Peyton to take his time to heal if he has a setback during the training camp and/or (worst case scenario) the season. The defense is also great at causing turnovers, so Peyton has a shot at putting up big point totals like in his prime.

Cons: As mentioned before with the 49ers, a lot plays on Manning’s desire to move his family out West. Also, while Carroll is an outside-the-box thinker, he is coming off one of the worst drafts in quite some time (that didn’t involve Al Davis). The offensive line is consistently inconsistent which may scare the Super Bowl winner. Longevity is the name of the game, so Peyton may want to go to a place with more protection. To pile onto the Seahawks, they paid big money for Sidney Rice and Zach Miller last offseason, with very little to show for it. Those types of big money moves could cause problems when it comes to negotiating a contract with Manning.

Wild Cards

Kansas City Chiefs

Pros: Matt Cassel and Kyle Orton have proven to be mediocre starters and Scott Pioli may want to add his former rival to give his team a better passer. The Chiefs are a fast pace offense and adding Peyton’s arm could set the AFC West on fire. There is little competition in the division, so the former second home of Joe Montana could become Manning’s new playground.

Cons: Romeo Crennel has come out and said he wants Cassel and Orton back in KC, which would likely put a hitch in Peyton’s arrival. As mentioned before, the Chiefs are fast paced, so that may not groove with Peyton’s patient, strategy-driven style of play.

Dallas Cowboys

Pros: Jerry Jones is known for making a splash and paying for it too. Jones recently came out and praised Peyton’s brother and pretty much threw his current QB, Tony Romo, under the bus. This could be a shot in the dark, but it could be the move Jones needs to make.

Cons: Peyton is known for taking control of his offense and doesn’t like a controlling owner. The Cowboys have a lot on their payroll already so it may not make sense to add a large salary to the mix with a Pro Bowl quarterback already on staff.

Cleveland Browns

Pros: A move to Cleveland would keep Peyton close to home and give him the best front office of the options. Mike Holmgren has two first round picks to play with, which could go towards adding weapons for the aging Manning. Much like Miami’s Jake Long, Joe Thomas is among the elite of the blindside protectors, which is something Peyton will no doubt appreciate.

Cons: While the Browns will no doubt look to upgrade over Colt McCoy, the plan could be to go younger (Robert Griffin III, Matt Flynn). The Browns also lack a lot of offensive weapons which could be a nail in the coffin when courting Manning.

SCOTT JACOBS

Roger Goodell has come down hard on NFL players who’ve made stupid decisions since he took the throne as the king of the NFL, but today the commish handed down arguably his biggest punishment to date, in a case that sends a strong message (well, kind of) that the legal system isn’t always the final tell all.

Donte Stallworth, who killed an innocent man while driving drunk with a blood alcohol level of .126 back in March, was sentenced, and served most of a 30 day jail sentence, after pleading guilty to DUI manslaughter, but apparently Goodell and his NFL croonies felt that wasn’t enough.

Because today, Goodell suspended Stallworth for the entire 2009 season.

Yes, Stallworth immediately stopped right after he hit Mario Reyes, a Miami construction worker, and he even called 911 to inform them off the crash, but despite his honesty and refreshing move not to run from the consequences, Stallworth is still getting the NFL’s cold shoulder.

And it’s a message that needed to be sent.

Stallworth’s jail sentence, which turned out to only be 24 days made a mockery of the legal system, even though Stallworth cooperated fully.  Whatever he paid the family of the late Mario Reyes was enough to dock off considerable jail time, which is wrong in itself, but I kind of assumed the NFL would pull another Vick, with the idea that Stallworth had paid his debts to society and it was time to give him a second chance.

Boy was I wrong.

And I’m happy to be wrong, because when it comes down to it, even though Stallworth cooperated, he’s still guilty of killing a man.  He may not have done it on purpose, but last time I checked, life is precious in this society of ours, and if you take one away, you’re going to pay.

Many will argue that the penalty was not harsh enough.  Think about it: how many businesses would still keep a man around who got himself into that type of mess in the first place?  The NFL and sports leagues in general have always been the type to allow more leniancy then say average jobs.  Leonard Little is the perfect example.  In 1998 he drove drunk and killed a motorcyclist.  Six years later he was arrested for drunk driving and speeding.  Yet, he is still playing in the NFL, almost as if nothing ever happened.

Stallworth isn’t totally off the hook with the law just yet though.  Although it sounds laughable, the wide receiver still has two years of house arrest to do, tacked on with eight years of probation (for what that’s worth).

One things for sure though, and it’s not like what I’m about to say will serve as any revelation to anyone.

It pays to be rich and a celebrity in this country.

Because without his fame and fortune, chances are Mr. Stallworth would probably still find himself in jail.

Instead, he has to sit out a season.

Big freaking deal.

Photo: AP

SCOTT JACOBS

And then there was one.

The Cleveland Browns beat the New York Giants at their own game on Monday night stunning a nation now soul searching for an elite NFL team, and bringing new life to a season that had thus far been a major disappointment.

Browns 35 Giants 14. This one was not close. The Browns took a ton of penalties, hovering around double digits in yellow flags, yet they controlled the game, controlled the clock, and handed the so called far superior G-Men loss number one. And with it, the Titans, the Tennessee Titans, are the NFL’s lone unbeaten (Just go buy a lotto ticket now if you had that one on your betting scorecard).

The Giants drove to Cleveland’s six yard line with eight minutes and seven seconds left in the game, and appeared to be on the verge of closing the gap, when Eric Wright stepped in front of Eli Manning’s pass and took it to the house for six, securing a win no one saw coming. It was the third of three picks for Manning, who had just one pick going into the game. But not tonight!

With the Browns clinging to a 20-14 lead, it looked as if everything was ready to unravel. Penalty after penalty stalled the possession, and it just seemed like a matter of time before Cleveland made a back breaking mistake. But it never happened. Not tonight! Fourteen plays later, Braylon Edwards was slam dunking the ball over the goalpost and the Browns were up 27-14.

A 17-14 game at half, the Browns finally brought their A game. The game that people have expected of them all year and had yet to get. Until tonight! Derek Anderson exploded for 310 yards and two touchdowns, and Edwards finally had his breakout game– five receptions, 158 yards, 1 touchdown and the Cleveland Browns (the Cleveland Browns) beat the G-Men.

A stunning win. Not only because the Giants were perfect on the road, and hadn’t lost a road game since week one of last year, but also because people were ready to crown them as the top team in the league. So much for that. It’s a good thing the NFL doesn’t hold weekly polls that decide who goes to the Super Bowl, because like college football, their polls would be blown to pieces. And the unbelievable NFC East, all of a sudden looks very beatable. With the Giants, Redskins, and Cowboys all losing, this weekend, last place Philadelphia was the only one to secure a win this weekend. And with the play of the NFC South– you may see where I’m going with this– dare we ask if the NFC South is the best division in football? The Bucs and Panthers and Falcons are all 4-2. And the Saints are 3-3, and unlike the Cowboys who are falling apart right now (losing Tony Romo for four weeks and Felix Jones too), the South is healthy and rocking.

But that discussion is for later down the road.

Because if sports teaches us anything on a weekly basis, its that nothing is impossible. Improbable yes. Impossible, no.

And so Tennessee is the last unbeaten in the NFL.

Kerry Collins’ Titans. This is why we love sports. This is reason number one! C’mon, Kerry Collins? We couldn’t make this stuff up if we tried.

MITCHELL BLATT

The Browns have started out free agency by resigning the fourth ranked QB for interceptions, and Dante Stallworth, Corey Williams, and Shaun Rogers. Stallworth will add another deep threat to an already-strong receiving core of Kellen Winslow, Braylon Edwards, and Joe Jurevicius. Williams and Rogers are much needed improvements on defensive line.

But, the Browns overpreformed greatly last year, beating only one winning team, and now, with a much tougher schedule, will be hard-pressed to do as well, even with the new acquisitions.

Last year, the Browns won 10 games, bringing ecstatic expectations to a city that some were reffering to as “Believe-land.” They played only three winning teams and beat one. That’s why I don’t believe.

Their scoring margin of +20 points, was the second smallest for a team with 10 or more wins. Only two other double-digit win teams, the Titans and the Giants, had scoring margins of less than 100 points.

Even against the worst teams, the Browns could hardly win. They lost to the Raiders week three. They beat the Rams by 7. They beat the Ravens by 3, after a missed field goal was overturned. They beat the Jets by 6. Their only win over a winning team was a 3 point home win over the Seahawks, a team that went 3-5 on the road.

Now, how do you think they are going to do against a schedule that features 9 winning teams? In 2008, they face the Colts, Cowboys, Giants, Jaguars, Titans, Eagles, and Redskins, not to mention the Steelers twice.

If the Browns win one-third of their games against winning teams, like they did last year–and that would constitute a good preformance against those teams–they would need to win all 7 of their games against losing teams to match last year’s 10 wins.

Considering that they had a 9-3 record against losing teams last year, I don’t think that’s going to happen. Only two of their opponents with losing records are non-division matchups. They did have a 3-1 record against the Bengals and Ravens last year.

The number that sticks out is 1. To be perfect (even against the far-from-perfect) is hard for anyone, especially the Browns. The Browns are about as consistent as a John Kerry-Barack Obama “change” ticket.

Nowhere is that inconsistency more evident than with running back Jamal Lewis. Jamal Lewis acheived five 100 yard games. Half of the Browns wins were 100 yard games for him. There were only two games that he broke 60 yards and the Browns didn’t win. During one particularly brutal stretch early in the season, Lewis ran for 56 yards, 64 yards, 11 yards (then injured), missed the next game, 61 yards, 37 yards, then 35 yards.

The NFL happened to be pretty weak last year and the Browns had an easy schedule. Now they have a tough schedule, and they won’t do as well. They open next season with the Ravens and the Bengals at home, what will probably both be big wins, so the hype might continue for a little bit. But, week three is the Steelers and week five is the Colts.

The rest of the division features the same tough schedule as the Browns, all facing the entire NFC East and other tough AFC opponents, so the Browns may be able to contend for a division title with 8 or 9 wins. But, having lost to the Steelers twice–the Browns haven’t ever beat them since 2004–the Steelers will win.

There are new rules for the football economy: Have one big season as a young quarterback, and you’re set for life.

Just look at Tony Romo. The Cowboys QB was offered $67 million over six years after just one year as a starting quarterback. Derek Anderson might be this year’s Romo.

It’s not so much because Anderson threw for 3,787 yards and 29 TDs–though that certainly plays into it. It’s because depth charts reveal names like Tavaris Jackson and Cleo Lemon as a team’s starter.

Derek Anderson is a restricted free agent, and the Browns want to keep him, but having drafted Brady Quinn, you have to wonder how much the Browns are willing to shill out for an unproven, 19-interception guy who threw away the team’s playoff chances in a number of games, notably against Cincinnati week 16. The market for him will likely generate asking prices far exceeding anything rational for the Browns’ future.


The days when each team could have a capable, if not good, quarterback are long gone. With league expansion, the talent level of key positions has slowly been eroding. It has come down to the point where a star quarterback means a team is so much better than the competition, that every team either has a star or is looking damn near everywhere for one. Which is why a breakout season means so much for Derek Anderson.

Average doesn’t cut it anymore. Heck, even good quarterbacks are one step away from the firing squad. Carson Palmer is getting questioned in Cincinnati after throwing for 4,131 yards. Philip Rivers had a bad season with a bad coach. Now he’s hearing it.

Tavaris Jackson

Yet, Derek Anderson, who had an average season, might have a hefty contract next season. Being in his third year overall and first year starting, 3,787 yards and 29 touchdowns looks good.

Especially when Vince Young had 2,546 yards in 15 games and 9 interceptions and 17 touchdowns. When Tavaris Jackson couldn’t even break 2,000 yards for Minnesota, an average of 159. Kellen Clemons averaged 153 for the Jets, and Brodie Croyle averaged 136 for the Cheifs. Then we’ve always got old friends like Joey Harrington, Jon Kitna, and Rex Grossman.

Some of these team’s rosters read like quarterback obituaries:
Carolina Panthers: Vinny Testaverde, Matt Moore, David Carr, Jack Delhomme, Brett Basanez
Chicago Bears: Kyle Orton, Brian Griese, Rex Grossman

You can thank Michael Vick for this one:
Atlanta Falcons: Chris Redman, Joey Harringon, Byron Leftwich, DJ Shockley

There’s so many unknown quarterbacks, you have to start associating their names with music to remember them. Like the Washinton Redskins fourth stringer, Sam “I Ain’t No Hollenbach Girl” Hollenback.

Point is, with so many teams and so little talent and so much desire for owners to change their fortunes quickly, hot young quarterbacks sell. And with the desire to get good and remain good, what’s hot last week, may not be hot this week. You know it, Marc Bulger (just below Trent Edwards in QB rating this season). You know it, Chad Pennington. And you certainly know it, Donovan McNabb.

So if you do get that big contract as a franchise-saver, Derek Anderson, just remember one thing: The fans aren’t going to give you the benefit of the doubt when you fumble the game-winning field goal snap because you were spending too much time with your girlfriend in Cancun the week before the game.