Even if Peyton Manning is healthy, the Broncos may be considering riding out the Brock Osweiler train during the 2015 season.
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Two hours later, on his weekly show on KOA 850, the team’s flagship radio station, Kubiak clarified his comments.
Mack had a franchise record-tying five sacks in last week’s upset win in Denver in a dominant performance to cap an impressive three-game stretch that has displayed all of Mack’s abilities.
On Sunday, Osweiler finished the game with zero touchdown passes on 51 pass attempts, the 52nd time a quarterback has thrown at least 50 passes and no touchdowns since 1965, and he’s just the sixth member of that group to do so without also throwing an interception.
“Obviously it’s a coverage we should have handled better”, Kubiak said.
Denver Broncos quarterback Brock Osweiler (17) warms up prior to an NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2015, in Denver. However, after the contest they would be knocked down to 3rd, as the Raiders would come into Mile High Stadium and do something I have not seen them do in quite some time – Win a game in Denver.
“That’s the next step: that [Manning] is coming back for practice”, Kubiak said at his Monday press conference.
Osweiler is coming off his first 300-yard passing game, one that was ruined by Khalil Mack’s five sacks, his receivers’ buttery fingers and a leaky line in a 15-12 loss to the Raiders.
And Mack’s game on Sunday is no more a 1-game thing than the other two superstars’ were.
Peyton Manning: The Broncos quarterback sat out for a fourth straight week due to a torn plantar fascia in his left foot. But Manning has made enough progress to get back on the football field. The question was, ‘What is the difference?’ and I said it’s how Peyton prepares. With Denver holding the Raider to minus 12 yards in total offense for the first half, they were playing like the number one defense. “I think there’s a strong likelihood we’ll have to bring another guy in”.
Clearly, there is offensive line influence on sacks. The Colts are now 6-7, but still tied with the Houston Texans atop the putrid AFC South. Frank Gore has rushed for 762 yards, but is averaging a career-low 3.6 yards per carry, and has yet to break 100 yards in a game this season (he had 98 in Week 5).
Asked Monday for his plan for Manning this week, Kubiak said he wanted to talk to Manning first.
The rumors surrounding the Denver Broncos will likely depend on how they continue to do under Brock Osweiler.
“Mack is still as good as anybody in this league after this game”, Osweiler said.
Green said he’s never sensed animosity from the defensive players, and linebacker Brandon Marshall said the league’s top-rated defense doesn’t hold any grudges against the NFL’s 24th-ranked offense. “He’s just getting better and better”.
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“I wasn’t making the right read at times”, he continued.
