PEYTON MANNING:
IS IT THE SHERIFF’S LAST STAND?
Nothing prepared the Broncos for the way the season unfolded with Peyton Manning. He is football royalty, belonging in the conversation among the all-time greats. No quarterback owns more playoff appearances than the five-time MVP. And yet, when the Broncos line up against Pittsburgh in the divisional round of the playoffs Sunday, his presence no longer will command full attention.
At 39, this might be Manning’s last stand in Denver. It might be his last stand altogether. Certainty about his future vanished amid his injuryfilled season.
Manning returned to the lineup as a reliever in the season finale, a performance that earned him the right to finish what he started this season. A Super Bowl title remains the only thing Manning hasn’t accomplished since arriving in Denver in 2012. No quarterback has started the Super Bowl and won with two different teams, a footnote that
can’t be dismissed as Manning chases history.
What makes these playoffs so different is Manning’s dramatically altered role. It wasn’t too long ago that any Manning misstep spelled doom, including last year’s poor performance in the divisional-round loss to Indianapolis.
Manning remains viewed as the man. But he no longer has to be The Man for the Broncos to win, a wrinkle that could serve Denver well as it embarks on Phase 2 of “kicking and screaming.”
“I really think it does help Peyton. And I think he knows that,” said coach Gary Kubiak. “He knows he’s on a good football team. Go do his job. Get us in the right plays. And lead the group. That’s what he’s been working to do.”
It is an odd dynamic. A diminished Manning could enhance the Broncos by playing a narrowly defined role.
“In the playoffs, you certainly just want to do your job,” Manning said. “It doesn’t matter how old you are or how long you’ve been playing.”
General manager John Elway painted this picture before the season, drawing on his experience. In Elway’s final year, with Kubiak as his coordinator, he passed for 2,806 yards and 22 touchdowns. During the Broncos’ playoff run leading to the Super Bowl, he completed 27-of-47 passes for 355 yards. Perhaps most important, he didn’t throw a single interception, leading to his mic-drop performance in the Super Bowl victory over the Atlanta Falcons.
At 38, Elway is the oldest quarterback to exit on top.
“With (running back) Terrell Davis, we knew we could take pressure off John,” Kubiak said.
Huge statistics have made Manning a legend. But at this point, no number carries the significance of a championship. For the Broncos — the AFC’s No. 1 seed — to realize their goals, they will lean on Manning’s mind as much as his arm. They want him to diagnose plays and to “win the chess match like he always does,” as tight end Virgil Green put it. Against the Chargers on Jan. 3, Manning checked out of a bad formation, audibling to a counter run opposite the weakside blitz. Running back C.J. Anderson delivered a big gain. This nuance of X’s and O’s brilliance remains central to Manning’s contribution going forward.
“I think it has changed dramatically for him. It can help him that he doesn’t have to do everything,” Anderson said. “Our defense is going to do what they do best. And if we can run the ball and get some things going with short passes, it’s only got to help Peyton. Eighteen is 18, man. We expect him to play well.”
Manning acknowledges this season has been “weird.” After deliberation, Manning elected to return for his 18th year. It came only after a $4 million pay cut, money he can claw back by starting and winning the AFC championship and Super Bowl. Manning worked tirelessly in the offseason, adjusting to Kubiak’s zone-blocking, undercenter offense.
It proved a challenging fit. Manning threw interceptions in all nine of his starts — the first time he began a season on such a streak — then exited Nov. 15 with a 0.0 quarterback rating and four interceptions against the Kansas City Chiefs.
A diagnosis of a torn plantar fascia in his left foot followed, providing an explanation for the worst game of his career but also creating speculation about whether he would ever return. Brock Osweiler, who will be available as a backup despite a sprained left knee, capitalized on his opportunity. He won his first three starts, and finished 5-2, including victories over the New England Patriots and Cincinnati Bengals.
However, Osweiler became the victim of a clumsy offense against San Diego. After the Broncos’ fifth turnover, Kubiak turned the game over to Manning. He caffeinated the team and the crowd, rallying the Broncos to a 27-20 victory.
“I have never been in a game where it turned like this,” defensive end Antonio Smith said. “The entire vibe changed.”
Manning’s absence shaped his return. With Manning starting, the Broncos averaged 89.0 yards rushing per game, second worst in football. With Osweiler starting, Denver gained 135.1 yards per game, seventh best in the NFL during that stretch. When Manning entered against the Chargers, he took snaps under center 50 percent of the time. Compare that to his last appearance against Kansas City when he was in shotgun 28-of-29 plays.
“It really shouldn’t change anything,” offensive coordinator Rick Dennison said of Manning starting. “We’re not going to create two or three playbooks during the year. We’re going to do what we do best — obviously focus on some specifics, without getting into those — but we shouldn’t change anything we do. All our operation will be the same.”
Calling Manning a game manager mocks his résumé, but it is not entirely unfair. The Broncos boast a gnarly defense pitted opposite of a compromised Steelers attack that is missing star wide receiver Antonio Brown and running back DeAngelo Williams.
When Manning won his lone Super Bowl in 2006, he showed elasticity with a Colts offense that finally found traction on the ground. In the divisional-round victory over Baltimore, he completed 15 passes.
This has not been his career blueprint. But blending into the background presents, perhaps, his best opportunity to return his team to the spotlight.
“He’s dialed in,” Kubiak said. “His preparation has been excellent. It’s not only been one week, but two good weeks. I think it’s been good for him. He’s ready.”