Five NFL Contenders Searching for Answers

Albert Breer - SportingNews.com

Every year, teams go into training camp with questions. And they're never all answered by the time the regular season beckons.

Witness Brandon Marshall.

The situation between the Broncos and their star receiver was unsettled as camp opened -- no new contract, no trade on the horizon.

And it's even more unsettled now. Marshall has been suspended until Denver picks up preparations for the opener in Cincinnati, and chances are the relationship between team and player will remain contentious.

Giving Marshall a trade or a new contract would set a terrible precedent for a new regime that already saw one player, quarterback Jay Cutler, stage a wildcat strike to get out of town. Broncos coach Josh McDaniels and G.M. Brian Xanders know that.

So no trade. No new contract.

And no telling what might happen when Marshall returns -- and since he values paychecks, still playing on the rookie contract of a fourth-rounder, he almost certainly will. McDaniels is treating the situation accordingly.

"When we came here, we made a lot of decisions to change some of the things that were in place," McDaniels said. "We feel good about where we're at going forward. This (Marshall situation) doesn't mean anything in terms of what our season is going to be like or what our players are going to do on the field starting in September."

The lesson: The NFL isn't a place to find sympathy. Either solve your problems or push forward.

Here are four other trouble spots for contending teams that will be dealt with, one way or another, as the NFL shifts into regular-season mode with cuts and preseason finales this week:

Giants: Wide receiver

It seems as if every five minutes, the Giants' receiving corps is about to arrive and then it doesn't. Consistency is, quite clearly, the issue.

Steve Smith, the most proven of the bunch, dropped a potential touchdown pass Saturday night on a deep post from Eli Manning. Mario Manningham, in the midst of an impressive camp, only caught four of the 12 passes sent in his direction against the Jets.

Rookie first-round pick Hakeem Nicks -- whose six catches Saturday night were more than any other wideout has had over the first three preseason games – shined but he mostly was working against backups. Then you have game-tested Domenik Hixon, offseason-stud Sinorice Moss and rookie giant Ramses Barden. The Giants' receiving situation isn't close to being sorted out.

"There were some inconsistencies, obviously, and we can't have that," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said after the game. "We had some opportunities for big plays we didn't convert. We dropped balls.

"We just keep working, what can I tell you?"

Patriots: Pass defense

Indications are that Tom Brady (shoulder) is going to be fine for the Sept. 14 opener vs. Buffalo, and while coach Bill Belichick is working through his backup options, last year's big problem -- even bigger than losing Brady for 15 games -- looks like it could be this year's weak spot as well: The pass defense.

Eagles wide receiver Brandon Gibson is tackled by Patriots safeties Brandon McGowan (30) and Patrick Chung (25) on Aug. 13.

Besieged Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell threw for 190 yards in a half of action Friday night, and that's even with missing a sure touchdown deep to Santana Moss, who had gotten behind the defense.

The Patriots have used four high draft picks on defensive backs -- Terrence Wheatley, Jonathan Wilhite, Patrick Chung and Darius Butler -- the last two years and brought in vets Shawn Springs and Leigh Bodden. New England also traded for Derrick Burgess to juice a sagging pass rush.

Cowboys: Offensive identity

After building his offense around top targets Jason Witten and Terrell Owens and the passing game the last two years, Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett is playing with a reshuffled deck in Dallas.

If Roy Williams is going to be the true No. 1 receiver who draws extra attention from opponents, he hasn't shown it in preseason. Logic would hold that with perhaps the league's best trio of backs -- Marion Barber, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice -- this would become a more run-heavy crew. We'll see.

But one good sign is how persified the offense has looked in a pair of 90-plus yard drives the last two weeks.

"That's not easy the way defenses are playing," Witten said. "To continue to put drives like that together, it just shows you we have a lot of different weapons."

Vikings: Harmony

Coach Brad Childress' control of the locker room already was tenuous before any of this Brett Favre business started. There was the Troy Williamson incident two years ago and then his quick hook for Tarvaris Jackson last year. The result is some players lack trust in their coach.

Favre reportedly has little support amongst his teammates, who been working sweating alongside Jackson and Sage Rosenfels all offseason.

The splintering in the locker room over quarterbacks appears to be just another sign that Childress could be on shaky ground. If this team gets off to a rough start or Favre gets hurt, look out.

Staff writer Albert Breer covers the NFL for Sporting News. E-mail him at abreer@sportingnews.com.

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