Although Osweiler was sacked five times and he faced constant pressure from a mediocre Bears defense, the young quarterback avoided the costly turnovers which have plagued Manning throughout the season. In the boot-action, Kubiak offense, Ronnie Hillman got going, finishing with 21 yards on 102 carries, averaging 4.9 yards a pop, helping maintain drives for Osweiler and Denver’s offense. But he got stopped by a crowd with the Broncos ready for the run on the conversion, and Chicago came up short after winning two in a row.
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He drove the Broncos 74 yards in four plays for a touchdown on their first possession, finding a wide-open Demaryius Thomas for 48 yards and the score on his second pass. It was the longest completion of Osweiler’s four-year career, previously all spent as Manning’s backup.
Broncos coach Gary Kubiak announced the decision to start Osweiler on Monday afternoon, revealing that the injured Manning is in Charlotte consulting with noted orthopedic foot specialist Dr. Robert Anderson.
Osweiler led the Broncos to their only points against the Chiefs. He showed signs of improvement in his first real test.
However, Manning started for the Broncos since he signed up for the team up until recently.
On Sunday, everyone saw Kubiak’s offense in its purest form.
Osweiler threw for 250 yards and two touchdowns in the Broncos 17-15 win over the Bears on Sunday. He did a steady job of controlling the offense and not making silly mistakes. Granted he was facing a sub-par Bears defense, but he still did a satisfactory job.
Sports discusses the recent announcement that Brock Osweiler will start for the Denver Broncos this Sunday against the New England Patriots. That will be a tough test for Osweiler as this game could be a playoff preview. Manning might even consider One More Last Hurrah in 2016, which hardly sounds like a good idea after all the errant ducks we have watched him throw in 2015. Marcus Mariota is the future of the organization at quarterback, but like Manziel, learning behind Manning for a year or two wouldn’t hurt him. Manning is at senior citizen age for football standards at 39.
One final miscue decided the issue: Rams quarterback Case Keenum fumbled when hit by Courtney Upshaw, and teammate Lawrence Guy recovered at the St. Louis 41 with 54 seconds to go.
That chatter was shut quiet with a 29-10 Broncos defeat of Green Bay and a 340-yard Super Bowl-worthy performance from the “noodle man” himself in Manning. More importantly, he was able to do it while taking snaps under center, something the aging Manning struggled to do, especially after his neck surgery. It kind of takes the crowd out of the game.
Now, am I suggesting that this year’s Broncos will have an identical turn around as last year’s Patriots?
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They could also sign a free agent this offseason to fill the void. They also need someone with a strong football mind, and it’s hard to find one stronger than that of Peyton Manning. He completed six passes for 20 yards or more, many after he eluded the rush, against a defense allowing a league-low 2.6 such plays a game this season.
