But what the Broncos probably need is a fresh start — and that won't come until next September.

Q: OK, Adrian Peterson is probably rookie of the year. But which rookie has been the best on defense?
— Barry, Reno, Nev.
A: Tough call. I'd say Patrick Willis of the 49ers has the lead at this point. You knew he had the physical skills, but he has played with an unusual maturity for a rookie linebacker. The result has been a lot of production. Jon Beason of the Panthers has been right there with Willis, and has been one of the most valuable players on Carolina's defense. If David Harris of the Jets keeps playing the way he did the last couple of games, he could make a run at the defensive rookie-of-the-year award. And the other player who is in the picture is safety LaRon Landry of the Redskins.

Q: There has been so much talk of the Buffalo Bills leaving western New York. What do you think the odds of that actually happening and, second, if the team does leave, will the NFL consider Buffalo for an expansion team?
— Paul S., Washington D.C.
A: Really, only Ralph Wilson can answer this question. But if I had to guess, I would say there is a reasonable chance the Bills will leave Buffalo at some point in the next 10 years. Maybe it happens after Wilson passes away. If the Bills vacate Buffalo, it will be because the team believes it cannot be financially viable in that market. It would seem highly unlikely the NFL would consider giving Buffalo an expansion team in that scenario.

Q: Do you think the Bears can come back and win the NFC North?
— Justin Herbst
A: No. They have too much ground to make up. They have been too inconsistent in all phases of their game. And the Packers look like they are going to keep winning. The Bears would have a tough time winning the NFC North even if the Packers were in another division and the only team they had to catch was the Lions. I thought the Bears were a much better team than they have become. Like a lot of NFL teams, they show the capacity to do some things exceptionally well. But they don't do it that way all the time. Given their body of work up to this point, they are looking like an 8-8 team.

Q: Who would you say are the five best left (or weak-side) tackles in the NFL today?
— Al, Jackson, Miss.

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A: The first thing I would say is there is no one playing left tackle at an elite level in the NFL this season. The level of play at the position has really fallen off. Walter Jones still is an elite pass protector, but he is not run blocking the way you would expect a great player to run block. So the best left tackles are merely good left tackles. I really struggled trying to find five who are worthy of mention. My top five, in alphabetical order: Green Bay's Chad Clifton, Denver's Matt Lepsis, New England's Matt Light, Cleveland's Joe Thomas and Indianapolis' Tony Ugoh. Best of the bunch is probably Light.