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DENVER -- If success is determined only by the size of your bank account, then Brock Osweiler is your man. He was offered an $18 million wage to work for the Houston Texans?and a $16 million wage to work for the Denver Broncos, and he took the extra loot. In that context, Houston, we have no problem.But we all know that happiness and prosperity in life, even in pro football, are often defined by things that have nothing to do with dollars and cents. Take championship rings, for instance. How much money do you think Dan Marino would give back if it meant adding a Super Bowl title to his otherwise staggering legacy?Someday in the distant future, Mr. Osweiler -- never to be confused with Mr. Marino -- might wonder if he shouldve taken a home-team discount to keep playing for a Marino contemporary who does own multiple Super Bowl rings, John Elway, a legendary quarterback who has a chance to become a legendary executive.Osweiler?sure had to be thinking that way Monday night, when the Broncos made the NBA-sized quarterback look smaller than the fine ink in his $72 million deal. Osweiler threw the ball 41 times for a grand total of 131 yards in this 27-9 defeat. He opened with a three-and-out after the Broncos won the coin toss and elected to send their defenders right at him, and things went south from there.Osweiler was all over the place with his passes, and the Broncos hit him hard on or after delivery every chance they got. Osweiler yelled at wide receiver?DeAndre Hopkins, a much better football player than the quarterback, after one throw to nowhere. He dropped one perfectly fine shotgun snap, and on the first play of the fourth quarter, he fumbled away a pass attempt that was more like a Comedy Central routine.I looked up in the fourth quarter before that last drive, and he had like 70 yards passing, Broncos cornerback?Aqib Talib said. And I just smiled on the inside. Thats what we wanted to do. We wanted Brock to come out here and struggle, and he came out here and struggled.Talib was asked at his locker if the Broncos were motivated not only to end their surprising, two-game losing streak but also by a desire to prove to Osweiler that he shouldnt have left.Definitely, definitely, the cornerback said. We know he looked up at those passing yards in the fourth quarter. And maybe it wouldnt have looked like that if he had stayed.Talibs colleague in the secondary, T.J. Ward, said the Broncos had identified an alarming weakness in Osweilers game.We knew that he struggles with disguises, Ward said. Wed seen that from playing here and the film, so we tried to do that. We started kind of slow in the beginning, but we got better as the game went on, and it affected him.Not much didnt affect Osweiler in this game, and that mightve had the Broncos wondering if they shouldve tried to re-sign him after all. But Elway did want him, and he drafted him in the second round to someday lead the franchise the same year he signed Peyton Manning.Osweiler slammed that door in his former boss famous face, and that was a worse decision than any he made Monday. Elway has taken the Broncos to seven Super Bowls as a player and general manager. Elways teams won three of those big ones, and yeah, hed probably trade a lot more than his economics degree from Stanford to make that number four or five.Osweiler left that guy for a Texans franchise that has won two wild-card games in its 14-year existence. No offense to Bill OBrien, once a quarterback whisperer in New England, or Rick Smith, a good general manager. OBrien and Smith definitely know what they are doing, and they definitely understood that they were taking a big, fat gamble on an athletic, 6-foot-8 kid with seven career starts to his name.You can understand what the Texans were thinking. They were sick and tired of the middling quarterbacks in their rotation, and they needed to try something drastic at the sports most important position before they wasted another year of J.J. Watts prime.But what in the world was Osweiler thinking when he left this near-perfect situation in Denver? For that matter, what in the world was his super-agent, Jimmy Sexton, thinking?Denver is a defending champ with a passionate fan base, a terrifying defense, a former quarterback (Gary Kubiak) as head coach and a former quarterback, Elway, as the GM who proved last season that?he knows how to build a team that can win it all while removing a ton of pressure from the limited man under center. Elway has proven to be a lighting-fast learner too. The Broncos were coming off a 4-12 season when he was hired in 2011, and he has won five consecutive division titles, 58 regular-season games, six postseason games and one Super Bowl in two tries. Osweiler walked out on that program because he said he fit better in OBriens system.How did that fit work out Monday?Extremely disappointing was how Osweiler described the performance. The Broncos, he said, are a great football team. They are very well-coached. They came in playing all three phases today.Yes, they did, just like they did when Osweiler was one of them. So, of course, he was asked if he had any regrets about leaving a championship team.Absolutely not, he said. I always told people that I never live my life looking in the rearview mirror with any regret.Osweiler said he was surprised the boos that greeted him werent louder. Hey, the fans arent stupid. Brock Osweilers return to Denver in the colors of the Houston Texans wasnt exactly LeBron James return to Cleveland in the colors of the Miami Heat.Even so, Osweiler should still be the Broncos starter -- not the less talented Trevor Siemian?--?and the quarterbacks representative, Sexton, has to take a hit for that. Too often, agents confuse the richest deal with the best deal. If Sextons client is telling the truth when he says his benching late last season?for a returning Manning didnt drive him out, then what was the deal? Osweiler wouldnt have faced the burdens of replacing the record-breaking 2013 Manning. He wouldve been replacing a shell of Peytons former self.Osweiler said what he said about the Texans giving him the best opportunity to be successful,?and Elway said what he said about spending his money on players who want to be Denver Broncos and want to be here. The Broncos GM smartly saved his free-agent pennies for Von Miller, Super Bowl MVP and the kind of weapon Elway knew he needed for the Cam Newtons of the world, after he saw what Seattle did to Manning on that godforsaken Super Bowl day in New Jersey.This isnt to say Osweiler wont develop into a pretty good player in this league. He beat the unbeaten Patriots last season, and he delivered a thrilling comeback against the Colts last week, and he made a sweet, third-and-8 run against Denver in the third quarter. There are reasons one of Osweilers assistant coaches at Arizona State, Matt Lubick, brother of Broncos assistant Marc Lubick, assured Elway in the winter of 2012 that the kid would end up as one of the steals of the draft.But Osweiler is struggling now, while?the Broncos are the Broncos, and Elway has beaten the Patriots in one AFC Championship Game with an offensive-minded team (2013) and in another with a defensive-minded team (2015). He has already joined Bill Belichick, Pat Riley, R.C. Buford and Theo Epstein among?the best personnel guys in sports.As he headed for his car after this sweetest of October victories, a smiling Elway stopped near a stadium barrier to mingle with players family members and others looking for photos. He always walks -- or hobbles -- with his shoulders pinned back and his barrel chest puffed out. It seemed on this night that his chest was puffed out an extra inch or two.Why not? It was painfully clear that Brock Osweiler, former Bronco, had put his money on the wrong horse.Air Force 1 Uomo Saldi . According to a report from the Vancouver Province, the Lions are expected to replace former DC Rich Stubler with defensive backs coach Mark Washington. Air Force 1 In Saldo .com) - Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Roger Federer were easy first-round winners Tuesday at the Australian Open. http://www.airforce1justdoit.it/ . The judges scored it 48-47, 48-47, 49-46 for Jones (19-1). It was the champions closest call. Despite the loss, it was a remarkable show by the confident Swedish challenger, who had the best of the early rounds and then hung on in the fourth and fifth. Air Force 1 Just Do It Nere . How great will be revealed in the next couple of days at the board of governors meeting in Pebble Beach, Calif. Air Force 1 Just Do It Bianche . Perez, 35, posted a 1-2 record with a 3.69 earned-run average in 19 relief appearances last season. His season ended Aug. 9 due to a torn ligament in his left elbow. Perez joins infielder Andy LaRoche and catcher Mike Nickeas with minor-league agreements for 2014 that include invitations to attend spring training.RALEIGH, N.C. -- Its not enough that the Carolina Hurricanes are dealing with yet another slow start to the season. Now the team has to face life without All-Star defenseman Justin Faulk for what may be an extended period of time.Faulk suffered an upper-body injury earlier in the week against New Jersey and was placed on injured reserve prior to the Washington Capitals coming to PNC Arena on Saturday. Its unclear how serious the injury is to the 24-year- old two-time All-Star, but there likely was some bad news revealed Friday from an MRI taken a few days ago.The Hurricanes have missed the playoffs seven straight seasons and have started 3-6- 4 this season for 10 points -- worst in the NHL.Faulk had scored three goals and registered three assists in 11 games prior to his injury. The defenseman missed 18 games in the second half of last season with a lower body injury after he became the first player in NHL history to score his first 12 goals of a season on the power play.Faulk ended with 16 goals after scoring 15 the season before.Faulks loss further depletes an already young and inexperienced defensive corps. RyanMurphy moved into the lineup in place of Faulk in a 4-2 loss to Anaheim on Thursday night.Thats been a mystery that third pairing, Carolina coach Bill Peters said. There have been a bunch of combinations and we havent found one that has been 100 percent successful for us, so were still looking there.Peters will also look to a variety of players to fill the vacant point position by Faulk on the power play, one of the bright spots so far this season for Carolina, which is 9 th in the NHL with the man advantage.Now we have an opportunity to play some guys on the power play who are chomping at the bit, Peters said. Weve got some guys who can step in there and away we go. Now they get their opportunity to show what they can do. Its all the scheme, just soome of the personnel shifts around.dddddddddddd. Its all about confidence on the power play.The Hurricanes will get their first look at the Capitals on Saturday night in the second game of a five-game homestand. Over the last four seasons the Hurricanes are just 6-10- 2 against Washington.The Capitals, who won 3-2 in overtime Friday night at Chicago, will be at the midway mark of a three game road swing when they play in Raleigh.The Capitals, who are in a situation with games on back-to-back nights against a team with more rest, might consider lineup alterations. Still, making changes isnt something that coach Barry Trotz is committed to.When you have a healthy back end, I think thats a unit you try to keep as stable as you can, Trotz said.The Capitals are also evaluating whats happening at the other end of the ice.Id like to see a little bit more offense from all our lines, Trotz said, especially realizing that might be necessary Saturday night given the long game a night before.The Hurricanes are trying to improve their home record.Good starts at home are big, but we have to worry about ourselves, Peters said. Playing at home is an opportunity to get some traction. Were looking forward to the challenge.Carolina also announced the club was sending forward Phil Di Giuseppe to its AHL affiliate in Charlotte. In his second NHL season, the left wing hasnt registered a point in 11 games after notching seven goals and 10 assists in 41 games with the Hurricanes last year.This game comes just a day after the Hurricanes announced that forward Bryan Bickell has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.Bickell, 30, scored one goal in seven games in whats his first season with the Hurricanes. He was acquired in June from the Chicago Blackhawks. ' ' '