Kyle Orton

Willis McGahee involuntarily took a seven-figure pay cut when the Ravens released him shortly after the NFL lockout ended. The running back signed a three-year deal with the Broncos reportedly worth $7.5 million, including $3 million guaranteed, and it sounds as if he is hammering out a niche with Kyle Orton and the offense. At Thursday's practice, though, an errant throw from Orton sailed out of the back of the end zone and hit a car in the players' parking lot. It was McGahee's Porsche and the damage done was a shattered windshield.

Is this a trick question? Steve Svekis Sun Sentinel This is like trying to select the valedictorian of summer school. I'm taking Orton if my idea of success is unspectacular but decent production, enough to get a team to 9-7. If I want to put fans in the seats, go with Tebow, despite the disconcerting transformation of his Broncos-propelled crystal carriage into a smashed pumpkin the past 10 days. Poor John Elway and John Fox are in a no-win situation Sunday.

Heisman stock Rising: Okla. RB Adrian Peterson: 32 carries, 240 yards, 3 TDs Falling: Utah QB Alex Smith: 184 yards, 2 INTs, 1 TD Top performers Kyle Orton, Purdue: 522 yards passing, 6 TDs J.J. Arrington, California: 100 yards rushing in all his games Game of the day Ohio State 37, No. 7 Michigan 21: For just the third time in the rivalry, the loser goes to the Rose Bowl.

The timing is a little peculiar, but the Denver Broncos said adieu to former starting quarterback Kyle Orton on Tuesday. He had a good fantasy run under Josh McDaniels, but turnovers did him in with new coach John Fox. Where will Orton wind up? We will find out in the next few days. But Houston and Chicago lost their starting quarterbacks to injury, as did Kansas City, which isn't in the playoff hunt. Teams with worse records than the Texans and Bears get first dibs, but if the bottom-feeders pass, those two teams are intriguing destinations.

Rest of the season Dan Pompei Chicago Tribune One of the reasons it took a while for Broncos coach John Fox to listen to the Tebow chants is it will be difficult to turn back to Kyle Orton now. Barring injury, it makes sense for the team to stick with Tim Tebow the rest of the way. The Broncos are 1-4 and going nowhere anyway. What they need to do is find out if Tebow can play, and the only way to do that is to give him an extended look. It might mean living with some rough performances.

Key Play SCORE: 0-0 QUARTER: First, 25 seconds remaining SITUATION: Bears' ball, second-and-seven at the Ravens' 9-yard line PLAY: The Bears had driven from their 22-yard line, with running back Thomas Jones accounting for 36 yards on five carries. After a Ravens timeout, Bears quarterback Kyle Orton (18) faked the handoff to Jones (20) going right, and Orton rolled back to his left. Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs (55) went for the fake, leaving fullback Marc Edwards (49) uncovered in the flat.

Is this a trick question? Steve Svekis Sun Sentinel This is like trying to select the valedictorian of summer school. I'm taking Orton if my idea of success is unspectacular but decent production, enough to get a team to 9-7. If I want to put fans in the seats, go with Tebow, despite the disconcerting transformation of his Broncos-propelled crystal carriage into a smashed pumpkin the past 10 days. Poor John Elway and John Fox are in a no-win situation Sunday.

STANDING TALL RB Tiki Barber was one of Wellington Mara's favorite Giants. Yesterday, five days after the Giants' owner died of cancer, Barber rushed for a career-high 206 yards with runs of 57 and 59 yards against the Redskins. PROLIFIC PANTHER The Panthers' Steve Smith continued to be a one-man wrecking crew, notching his fifth 100-yard receiving game in seven outings. He rolled up 201 yards on 11 catches, including his eighth touchdown reception of the season, in a 38-13 rout of the Vikings.

Free agency officially opened Friday, and the Eagles wasted no time making an enormous splash by signing cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha. The five-year deal with the former Raider is worth a reported $60 million, including $25 million guaranteed. Asomugha, 30, a four-time All-Pro selection during eight years with the Raiders, was considered the top free agent available. Asomugha has recorded just three interceptions in the last four seasons, but opposing quarterbacks rarely challenge him. "He'll be a great addition to our cornerback corps," Eagles coach Andy Reid told NFL.com.

CHICAGO - This is what 24 hours in the life of Michael Phelps look like these days: (These days being the aftermath of the Beijing Olympics, in which Phelps went from a very good swimmer whom few knew to an even better swimmer whom the country has made the celebrity du jour.) The Rodgers Forge native flew from New York to Chicago on Tuesday night on a six-passenger jet loaned to him by CitationShares, a company that sells fractional ownership in aircraft. He spent Tuesday night in an Imperial Suite at the Hilton Chicago.

Four NFL teams, four distinctly different situations, and one identical, well-worn audible: Old quarterback out, new quarterback in. Rookie Christian Ponder is taking over for Donovan McNabb in Minnesota. John Beck is replacing Rex Grossman in Washington. The just-acquired Carson Palmer will step in for the injured Jason Campbell in Oakland (although the Raiders have yet to say whether Palmer will start Sunday.) And the Tim Tebow era is officially under way in Denver, where the ineffective Kyle Orton has been benched.

Rest of the season Dan Pompei Chicago Tribune One of the reasons it took a while for Broncos coach John Fox to listen to the Tebow chants is it will be difficult to turn back to Kyle Orton now. Barring injury, it makes sense for the team to stick with Tim Tebow the rest of the way. The Broncos are 1-4 and going nowhere anyway. What they need to do is find out if Tebow can play, and the only way to do that is to give him an extended look. It might mean living with some rough performances.

In last week's installment of Fantasy Fodder, I cautioned you to not panic and trade away one of five notable early-season disappointments if your team was stuck in the cellar. I hope this past week was better for you. This week, we're going to turn the tables. If you're in first place in your league and closing in on a playoff spot, don't stand pat. Now is the time to feed on the desperation of owners who feel their season slipping away. If you have depth to burn, start working the phones -- or the Internets if you are socially awkward -- and try to set up a 2-for-1 or a 3-for-2 trade to upgrade your starting lineup.

Willis McGahee involuntarily took a seven-figure pay cut when the Ravens released him shortly after the NFL lockout ended. The running back signed a three-year deal with the Broncos reportedly worth $7.5 million, including $3 million guaranteed, and it sounds as if he is hammering out a niche with Kyle Orton and the offense. At Thursday's practice, though, an errant throw from Orton sailed out of the back of the end zone and hit a car in the players' parking lot. It was McGahee's Porsche and the damage done was a shattered windshield.

Free agency officially opened Friday, and the Eagles wasted no time making an enormous splash by signing cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha. The five-year deal with the former Raider is worth a reported $60 million, including $25 million guaranteed. Asomugha, 30, a four-time All-Pro selection during eight years with the Raiders, was considered the top free agent available. Asomugha has recorded just three interceptions in the last four seasons, but opposing quarterbacks rarely challenge him. "He'll be a great addition to our cornerback corps," Eagles coach Andy Reid told NFL.com.

This is what a football team with a running game looks like. And this is why it matters. The Ravens outrushed the Broncos 233-39 Sunday in a physical beatdown worse than the 31-17 final score indicated. By the second half, the Broncos were getting pushed all over the field. The Ravens rushed for 161 yards after intermission, salting away the game. This is what winners do. The Broncos, by contrast, were happy to add to Kyle Orton's exorbitant, increasingly meaningless passing statistics.

Purdue at No. 20 Iowa Quick slant: A matchup of Big Ten teams going in opposite directions. About Purdue: The Boilermakers started 5-0 but have lost three in a row. After averaging almost 42 points in winning their first five games, they've scored 41 total in the past three. QB Kyle Orton - who has a hip pointer - has struggled lately and isn't getting help from the running game. The defense has been better than expected behind SS Bernard Pollard and LB George Hall. About Iowa: The Hawkeyes (6-2)

Chicago-- --The last line of defense, literally, was the defense. When all else failed, the Ravens always had their defense. When there was no other reason for hope, the Ravens' faithful could always turn to the defense. When the predictions of division titles and Super Bowl berths surfaced, the defense was the reason. It's almost unfair, even now, to place the blame on or anywhere near the defense when the Ravens lose a game like yesterday's 10-6 slopfest against the Bears. The Ravens fooled everybody with their shtick about ramping up the offense this season.

After weeks of trying, the Ravens seem to have discovered their offensive formula for winning football games again. It's not pretty, and it certainly isn't what you would expect from a franchise-caliber quarterback like Joe Flacco. But for now, it's the ideal game plan. Instead of Flacco throwing the ball all over the stadium as he did in the opening weeks, the Ravens now come out trying to establish the run. They nickel-and-dime teams down the field with their passing attack, using running back Ray Rice and wide receiver Derrick Mason.

CHICAGO - This is what 24 hours in the life of Michael Phelps look like these days: (These days being the aftermath of the Beijing Olympics, in which Phelps went from a very good swimmer whom few knew to an even better swimmer whom the country has made the celebrity du jour.) The Rodgers Forge native flew from New York to Chicago on Tuesday night on a six-passenger jet loaned to him by CitationShares, a company that sells fractional ownership in aircraft. He spent Tuesday night in an Imperial Suite at the Hilton Chicago.