I understand the fact that Peyton Manning is experienced, but to bench Osweiler is inexcusable.
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Kubiak met with both QBs on Thursday morning and then made the announcement to the team as they gathered to start prepping for the postseason.
Peyton Manning returned in the third quarter in the Broncos’ regular-season finale Sunday. That marked Manning’s first game as a backup since his freshman year at Tennessee. Manning has the left foot injury that opened the door for Osweiler to start seven games. But on Sunday, he was under center 40 percent of the time, which did wonders for their ground game.
The Broncos’ starting quarterback the previous three years, Manning led his team to a 7-2 start despite his career-worst individual single-season with 17 interceptions against 9 touchdown passes. Osweiler threw 2 interceptions, but none of them were his fault.
When Manning played well after missing so much time in the win over the Chargers, Kubiak was not going to turn back another time to Osweiler in the postseason.
Osweiler displayed the athleticism, acumen, accuracy and arm strength to run Kubiak’s offense, but his inexperience also showed. But let’s call a spade a spade: Manning’s own play in January has been inconsistent at best, and at times downright ugly.
Kubiak and Manning spoke most days, and Kubiak watched all of Manning’s workouts in some fashion – either live in person or in his office via video recording. He won one with the Indianapolis Colts and lost one with the Broncos.
“I don’t worry about who we play”, Kubiak said.
That might be the exact story we’re recounting five weeks from now-but only the most blindly optimistic Broncos fan would bet the house on it.
Winning a Super Bowl, giving Manning the second and most coveted of his career may lead him into retirement – to ride out as a champion into the sunset, leaving the job next season and beyond to Osweiler. The Broncos likely will be cautious with Stewart in practice, considering that it was an aggravation of a hamstring injury he sustained December 13 against the Raiders. “It’s something I probably expected, to be honest with you”, Bledsoe said. Kubiak said he’s not concerned that benching him will be detrimental to their efforts to re-sign Osweiler nor is he anxious he’ll crater now that he’s been benched.
The Broncos enter the playoffs as the top seed in the AFC and will play the lowest remaining seed of Houston, Kansas City, or Pittsburgh.
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His return energized the stadium and the Broncos as he led Denver on four scoring drives in five possessions.
