Peyton Manning’s understudy, Brock Osweiler, was mistake-free, and that’s exactly what the Broncos needed from the birthday boy (he turned 25 on Sunday). Osweiler led the Broncos to a 17-15 victory over the Bears on Sunday, and played very well, throwing for 250 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions.
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Osweiler threw a 48-yard touchdown to Demaryius Thomas on Denver’s first possession of the game and a 10-yarder to Cody Latimer early in the fourth quarter to make it 17-9 after Chicago cut the lead to one. During this time, the Denver Broncos won three AFC West titles, played 57 games in the regular season and was able to reach the Super Bowl once.
“It was encouraging for a first start in this league”, Kubiak said. Osweiler was handed the reins and may claim the starting job going forward.
Kubiak informed his staff of the decision to stick with Osweiler on Monday morning and planned to tell players shortly afterward, sources told ESPN’s Chris Mortensen.
At the Broncos team store, Brock Osweiler jerseys are hot off the presses and flying off the shelves.
“Any time you can start a football game like we did with the first drive, it’s huge”, Osweiler said after the game.
“The message this week was, ‘Let’s protect the football and play, ‘” Kubiak said.
In a season where nothing has come easily, former Denver coach John Fox threatened to spoil the Broncos’ coalesced offense.
The Bears were also without their top two receivers in Alshon Jeffery (groin, shoulder) and Eddie Royal (knee) along with veteran safety Antrel Rolle, who had been sidelined by an ankle injury and then had a knee problem crop up Saturday. We already know Peyton Manning won’t be there next year. “He’s always been a part of our team and he got an opportunity to show the world, show you guys what he can do – what we’ve always seen in him”. As a matter of fact, he will be left in Denver to proceed with the rehab, while the rest of the Broncos travel to Chicago.
And with Osweiler at the controls, the offense did something it hadn’t done all year: play a game without a giveaway. Quarterback Jay Cutler marched Chicago 65 yards in 80 seconds with running back Jeremy Langford scoring on a 2-yard run.
“I would do the same thing”, tight end Owen Daniels said. “It was a relief because I don’t think they got down there by honest measure (because of penalties)”.
“I don’t think people really understand how big a difference a field goal and a touchdown is in a game”.
Based on what we’ve learned from Kubiak this season, it appears that the message is being written in the sand.
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Having Sanders in the lineup is going to allow the Broncos to open up the vertical passing game, and take a few shots deep downfield on those play-action passes that were working so well against the Chicago Bears. 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.
