A few days before the Denver Broncos decided on their playoff starter, Osweiler said that winning would be what matters the most, not who ends up starting at quarterback.
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Peyton Manning will start at quarterback for the Denver Broncos when they begin the playoffs, the team announced Thursday morning. And even though Osweiler led Denver’s comeback in a pivotal Week 16 overtime win over Cincinnati, Kubiak clearly had him on a short leash for the season-finale against San Diego with Manning able to play once again.
Despite the uncertainty under center, the Broncos managed to snag the AFC’s top seed, earning them home-field advantage and a first-round bye.
Kubiak always claimed the priority was getting Manning healthy, and based off his output last Sunday – and what Kubiak sees in practice – the head coach said there was no doubt in his decision.
It often is said that a team that has two quarterbacks really has no quarterback. “But I am excited to think about who were going to play (next) weekend and have the opportunity to help contribute in some way”, added Manning.
In Manning’s last start, November 15 against Kansas City, the five-time NFL MVP threw four interceptions and then hobbled to the sideline.
The reality is that Manning was playing at a level that ultimately should have gotten him benched had a lingering foot injury not done the trick after Denver’s ninth game.
Now, however, the Broncos’ divisional round opponent knows that they will be facing Peyton Manning, and there will be far less confusion during game preparation.
Osweiler very well may be the Broncos’ quarterback of the future, but Manning the quarterback for right now. He also has a chance to reach a dubious milestone: a Broncos loss would mark the 10th time in Manning’s career that his team lost its first playoff game with him as the starting QB. Osweiler had a quick hook by design, and Manning runs a different incarnation of Kubiak’s offense. Manning played in 208 regular season games with the Colts and completed 64.9% of his passes for 54,828 yards and 399 touchdowns with 198 interceptions for a 94.9 passer rating.
It also forced the Broncos to put Manning in the pistol or shotgun on most snaps.
The fact of the matter is that many people are questioning whether Peyton Manning has surpassed his prime and has the ability to carry off another Super Bowl win.
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The class of 2016 will be decided on February 6, the day before the Super Bowl, with inductions scheduled for August.
