With Tom Brady out for the season and guys like Peyton Manning and Carson Palmer struggling their is an early shake-up in fantasy quarterback rankings. Here are a handful of players that are on the rise:

JAY CUTLER, BRONCOS
With Brandon Marshall back and a young stud like Eddie Royal to throw, Cutler has emerged as must-start fantasy signal caller. He's already totaled 649 PaYd and 6 PaTDs through just two games and clearly is the focal point of Denver's high-powered attack.

PHILLIP RIVERS, CHARGERS
The extra time to gel with Chris Chambers and the emergence of young wideout Vincent Jackson have helped Rivers show up a top-five fantasy QB early on. I am not sure that the consistency is going to be there from week to week, but with L.T. battling a toe injury, the Chargers are operating as a pass-first offense.

AARON RODGERS, PACKERS
You can't ignore the fact that Brett Favre's replacement has already tossed six TD passes. Sure, this week's blow up was against the Lions but he was also impressive against a stingy Vikings' D in Week One. Rodgers can be trusted as a starting option until further notice.

ELI MANNING, GIANTS
Manning was held to just a RuTD in the opening week win over the Redskins, but he busted out for three TD passes in Sunday's win over the Rams. The Giants are a run-first team and that could leave you disappointed some weeks, but that won't be the case in Week 3 as the G-Men host the Bengals.

KURT WARNER, CARDINALS
The Arizona starting job belongs to Warner. He had a perfect QB rating in Sunday's blowout over the Dolphins and with weapons like Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin at his disposal the sky's the limit. The primary concern around the two-time MVP still remains to be injuries as durability has always been a question with Warner.

TRENT EDWARDS, BILLS
He's thrown for over 200 yards and a touchdown in each of his first two games this season against the Seahawks and now the Jaguars. Edwards, unlike many on this list, is still available in most league and appears to be a servicable fantasy backup QB option with some upside.

For two weeks I have said the Bengals are facing a must-win game. And for two weeks the Bengals have made their case that they are back to being the worst team in the NFL and once again one of the biggest laughing stocks in professional sports.

The offensive line once again proved to be the team's biggest problem, but there are plenty of fingers to point in this one.  The Bengals' problems continue to grow...

• Carson Palmer no longer gets the benefit of the doubt. He looks awful right now through 2 games
• Where did TJ and Chad go? It's like they are still not showing up
• If you are going to win in the NFL you need to convert a third down (3 of 13 yesterday; 5 for 26 on the season)
• Chris Perry got lucky vs. Titans. He fumbled twice, but neither time was the ball recovered by the Titans
• Where's the pressure? Kerry Collins was given all day to throw on nearly every play
• The Bengals are averaging just 184.5 yards of total offense per game

Next up the 2-0 New York Giants, the defending champs in the Meadowlands. After watching Joe Flacco and Kerry Collins beat them, the Bengals are not wanting to face Eli Manning. I started the season with a 6-10 prediction for Cincinnati's so-called NFL franchise, I am now bumping back to 3-13, but I will be the first to admit I do not know where the three wins are going to come from.

Here's the Bengals next 6 games:

• 9/21 at Giants
• 9/28 BROWNS
• 10/5 at Cowboys
  
• 10/12 at Jets
• 10/19 STEELERS
• 10/26 at Texans
  

Carlos Zambrano became the first Cubs' pitcher since 1972 to toss a no-hitter, picking up his 14th win as the Cubs beat the Astros in Miwaukee, 5-0.

Zambrano, who was making in his first start in 12 days after getting a anti-flamatory shot for his aching shoulder, was amazing. He struck out 10 batters and walked just one batter to slow down the surging Astros.

The game was supposed to be played as a home game for the Astros. However, damage casued by Hurricane Ike forced MLB to move the game to a neutral site, Miller Park in Milwaukee. The site was from neutral though as over 23,000 fans, dressed mostly in Cubs' blue, showed up to root on their team and watch a bit of history. The no-hitter is the first in MLB history at a neutral site.

Houston, not happy about playing in Milwaukee from the outset, played wearing the road jerseys to make a point.

And it was a road game in every sense of the word. The Brewers sold only lower-deck seats, but the game attracted 23,441, virtually all of them wearing Cubs gear and screaming with delight as Zambrano, who struck out 10, walked one and hit a batter, closed in on history.

Astros owner Drayton McLane said his team was left with no choice except to play at Miller Park because every other stadium had a schedule conflict or possible weather issues. The Astros could have played the games in a real neutral site, but McLane didn’t trust the weather forecast about Hurricane Ike or was reluctant to give up three big home crowds.

“There was just no other choice,” McLane told the Houston Chronicle. “We wanted Phoenix, Tampa Bay, Arlington, Atlanta, you name it. There was nothing else.” 

It was just the second loss by Houston in their last 16 games. That success, coupled with the double-header sweep the Phillies had over the Brewers on Sunday has thrown a wrench in the latest NL Wildcard standings:

NL WILDCARD STANDINGS
(thru Sunday's games) 

Team               W      L     PCT   GB
Milwaukee        83    67    .553    -
Philadelphia      83    67    .553    -
Houston (12)    80    68    .541    2
St. Louis (9)     78    71    .523    4½
Florida (8)        77    72    .517    5½