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Jay Cutler is flapping his gums in a different area code these days but the blood feud between his old team, the Denver Broncos, and the San Diego Chargers is alive and well and might even move to a new level.
With the AFC West lead on the line today in Denver, you can expect an intensity that might spill over into open hostility.
Denver used to save most of its venom for the hated Oakland Raiders and, before that, the Kansas City Chiefs. But with the Raiders and Chiefs barely able to compete these days, the juice in the division is all between the Broncos and the Chargers.
Last year, the two teams got into a war of words, with QBs Philip Rivers and Cutler in each other's faces. Earlier this year, in San Diego, the Chargers were insulted by the Broncos and a pre-game melee ensued.
San Diego has won four of the past five division titles, a string that relates directly to the ascendence of Rivers as the dominant QB in the division. Aside from being a premier pivot, winning five of his seven starts against Denver, he has proven himself unafraid to get under his opponents' skin.
"He's a rare trash-talker; you don't see quarterbacks trash-talking," Broncos corner Champ Bailey said. "I'm used to it now. It was shocking to see him do it at first. I know what kind of person he is now, got to talk to him a little bit, and he's just a competitor."
After racing out to a 6-0 record and a 31/2-game lead in the AFC West, the Broncos have lost three in a row and are looking like candidates to join the 2003 Minnesota Vikings as the only NFL team to start 6-0 and miss the playoffs. Those Vikings finished 9-7, on the outside looking in.
As if they didn't have trouble enough, the Broncos won't know until game time whether QB Kyle Orton's injured ankle will let him start. If he doesn't, backup Chris Simms, who hadn't played a down until coming on in relief last week in Washington, will get the start.
A perfect 10?
Just what Peyton Manning needs: More time in the pocket. That's what the latest injury to a Baltimore defender -- Pro Bowler Terrell Suggs -- means for Indianapolis as it looks to push its record to 10-0 today against the Ravens.
The Ravens defence has been decimated by injuries all year and now Suggs, a premier pass-rusher, is out for an indefinite period with a sprained knee, suffered when Cleveland QB Brady Quinn hit him low -- and paid a fine for it -- last week after an interception.
If both Indianapolis and New Orleans are able to stay perfect today, they will become the first pair of teams to start a season 10-0 since the 49ers and Giants did it in 1990.
Run amok
Last week, Chris Johnson gashed the Buffalo defence for 132 rushing yards. This week it's Maurice Jones-Drew's turn to pile up the yards against the NFL's worst run defence.
Not only are they the worst, they'll be without their No. 1 run-stopper, Marcus Stroud.
Welcome home, sort of
A scheduling quirk sees three teams playing in the city each used to call home. The Colts are back in Baltimore, the city Bob Irsay abandoned in the middle of the night in 1984. The Tennessee Titans are in Houston where they were known as the Oilers until 1999. And the Arizona Cardinals are in St. Louis, the city they left in 1988.
This comes just six days after the Baltimore Ravens paid a visit to Cleveland, where they were born as the original Browns franchise, leaving in 1999.
In a related matter, the Oakland Raiders were denied an application to play against USC today. Something about the Trojans having a policy against putting amateur teams on their schedule.
KEN.FIDLIN@SUNMEDIA.CA
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WHO TO WATCH
JOE FLACCO
Ravens QB -- With Baltimore's defence hurting, Flacco is going to have to step up and match Peyton Manning's production. Flacco hasn't thrown a TD pass in the past two games.
ELVIS DUMERVIL
Broncos DE -- Since Denver's QB situation is murky, Dumervil, the NFL sacks leader with 12, is going to have to be in Philip Rivers' face all day to keep this game a defensive battle.