So let’s get right to it. Brock Osweiler signed a 4-year, $72 million contract with the Houston Texans in March. Three days later, to fill the void in their quarterback depth chart (which included all of Trevor Siemian for a weekend), the Denver Broncos acquired Mark Sanchez from the Philadelphia Eagles for a conditional 2017 draft pick. The Sanchize will cost the Broncos $4.5 million and is on their books for only 2016.

Making the playoffs (from the weakest division in the NFL) but scoring zero post-season points at home and getting bounced on wildcard weekend, the Texans are celebrating the upcoming Brockapolypse. Entering 2016, the AFC South is expected to, again, be a terribly weak division with Titans and Jaguars still undermanned and leaving the always-hyped Indianapolis Colts to battle for the division title with Houston. Maybe Brock isn’t worth the money and maybe the rest of the roster needs more depth but, in a season where they’re hosting the Super Bowl, Bob McNair knew he had to make some kind of splash even if he knows they’ve only got an outside chance of making a playoff run this year. But, unless Brock is just a disaster from day one, the signing was already a success for Houston.

But what about for Denver and the Broncos Orange Country? They won the championship, their quarterback trotted off into the sunset, and then their back-up skipped town. From what I understand reading online comments, Broncos fans think it was prudent to let Osweiler walk, considering the value of the offer Houston made, and find some mediocre quarterback to game manage the 2017 offense while they ride their defense for another season. Also, according to internet commenters, the actress from Ghostbusters resembles a dead gorilla and Brock was so upset about being replaced by Manning in Week 17 (and through the playoff run) that he wasn’t going to resign with Denver anyways.

The Broncos host the Texans on October 24 for the Week 7 Monday Night Football match up (already being dubbed by ESPN as the Brock Bowl) and, if nothing else, we should know by then if the Denver fan base will have approved of the Osweiler/Sanchez move.

If Denver can hold off either Carolina or Cincinnati (they get ten days to prep for the Colts at home so I think that’s a safe W), they can enter the Texans game with a 5-1 record. If that’s the case, I have to imagine Denver’s 375 local brewhouses will already be crafting Sanchez Ciders and Back-to-Back Double-Stout kegs. Facing the AFC South and NFC South on their schedule, the 2016 AFC West champion (some say the Raiders may be making a run this season) may be looking at a first-round bye and a deep playoff run. Regardless of what Osweiler does in Houston, if Sanchez can lead the Broncos to another division title, I don’t see how anyone in Bronco Country can say using Sanchez as a holdover was a mistake.

However, if Sanchez goes all butt fumble in the opening weeks, collapses under the pressure of Luke Kuechly and company and can’t play well enough to hold off teams that the Broncos will be favorites against (IND, TB, ATL, SD), Denver fans will be entering Week 7 wondering what could have been.

Houston’s opening schedule is weird. Hosting the Bears? Maybe they should win. Chiefs? Probably a loss. At Bradyless P*atri*ts (because he cheated, you might recall)? Seems like it should still be a loss. Titans? Probably should win (MAYBE). Vikings should be a loss. Better beat the Colts at home but who knows…

All I can say is, if Houston is 5-1 (or maybe be even 4-2) at this point, Brock is the real deal. But if they limp into Mile High at .500 or worse….that’s bad.
I’m going to bank of the latter. Sanchez has proven to be a solid game manager (which is all Denver needs considering their quarterback play was like 31st in the league last year) and the Texans have proven to be a 9-7 franchise. And, while Brock may be the better long term investment for Houston, I doubt he’s going to be able to do enough that we’ll see Brock Bowl II as the 2016 AFC Championship Game.

Or not. Who knows? They’ll probably both get accidentally destroyed by overzealous linemen in camp and then we’ll be #contenting about old veteran Brian Hoyer versus bushy-tailed young Paxton Lynch.