Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning. He returned to action Sunday when he relieved Osweiler in the second half and led the Broncos to a 27-20 win over San Diego that secured the AFC’s top seed.
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The Broncos open the playoffs against the Houston Texans, Chiefs or Pittsburgh Steelers at 2:40 p.m. January 17.
That’s the thing: Denver’s dominant defense could very well render less meaningful coach Gary Kubiak’s quarterback decision. Or, at least, nobody is saying who the starting quarterback is. What will work, however, is to play both Manning and Osweiler.
The Denver Broncos made a switch at QB to Peyton Manning in the season finale against the San Diego Chargers, but it might have been the switch over to Tyler Polumbus at the right tackle position that made the biggest difference for the Broncos going forward. Manning missed six games from Week 11 through Week 16 due to a plantar fascia injury, with Osweiler going 4-2 as the interim starter.
The Broncos were trailing, 13-7, at the time and had committed five turnovers. His superior recognition and line calls helped the Broncos gain a season-best 210 yards rushing. What he lacks in arm strength and movement he more than makes up for in panache and pedigree.
In their win over the Chargers, Manning also, for the first time in his career in the National Football League (NFL), played the backup role, but still did a great job. Manning brought a spark to the offense and his presence on the field seemed to lift the running game. He acknowledged after last week’s game that his shoulder was sore, but he did not expect it to keep him from playing.
Kubiak surely won’t hesitate to go back to him if he has to.
This is no longer a case of Kubiak having to contort and conform his offensive philosophies to Manning’s.
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That’s the mindset you want in your quarterback heading into an AFC scramble that is as jumbled as any playoff bracket we’ve seen.
