Broncos Name Peyton Manning Playoff Starter
Rumors of Peyton Manning’s demise have apparently been premature. The superstar quarterback missed six starts this season due to a tear in his plantar fascia but looked very good in relief of Brock Osweiler in last Sunday’s regular season finale against the San Diego Chargers. There had been much speculation that Manning was ‘done’ and that he might have played his last NFL game. Guess again. On Thursday, head coach Gary Kubiak named Manning the team’s starting quarterback for the playoffs.
Manning dressed as a backup last Sunday but replaced starter Brock Osweiler in the third quarter. Head coach Kubiak said that he ‘played a hunch’ and it definitely paid off. Manning led the Broncos to four straight scoring drives and the 27-20 victory. Kubiak told the two quarterbacks on his decision on Thursday morning and informed the team in the morning meeting. He said that the move is what’s best for the team: “Looking forward to Peyton leading our football team, feel very good about that. Best for our football team, but I also know Brock will be ready to play.”
Manning didn’t have much to say: “I’m just looking forward to being able to contribute. No issues coming out of the game Sunday.” Brock Osweiler was a bit more effusive, expressing his disappointment at the decision but reaffirming his commitment to the team: “It’s a bit of a disappointment. It’s hard to hear you’re not going to be the one playing. … However, I’m a big team player. You’re going to see the same exact guy out of me that you’ve seen, you know, the whole season. Bottom line: I just care about this football team winning games. And if Coach thinks Peyton gives the team the best chance, then I fully support that.” Osweiler went 4-2 as a starter and led the Broncos to home field advantage in the AFC.
Kubiak also told the media how good he feels about the decision: “I feel really good about this. I feel good about how far Peyton has come, where he’s at physically, mentally, everything. I could see it happening the last two weeks. I’m excited for him to get going.”
Denver will begin their playoff campaign on January 17 against the lowest seed that survives out of Saturday’s wild card games meaning they’ll face either the Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs or Houston Texans.