Broncos quarterback Brock Osweiler’s opening-drive touchdown march against the Bears on Sunday fired a shot over Peyton Manning’s bow, signaling he is ready to take over starting duties from the beleaguered NFL legend.
In his first career start Osweiler, a 2012 second round draft choice out of Arizona State, fired 27 passes completing 20 for two touchdowns and no interceptions in a 17-15 victory for the Broncos in Chicago.
Up until Sunday, Manning started the Broncos’ previous 2015 contests. The certain Hall of Famer wallows in his worst season of his career mustering only a 67.6 passer rating. On top of that, he continues to nurse a partially torn plantar fascia in his left foot and sore ribs.
Injuries played a part in why Manning was pulled last week in Denver’s loss against the Kansas City Chiefs. His final stats for the game included four interceptions yielding a mind-blowing 0.0 passer rating for the day. He threw for 35 total yards before getting the hook in the third quarter.
The Denver Post reported that the Broncos’ overall offensive execution under Osweiler’s guidance may have been the most balanced all year. The 6’7” Osweiler threw for 250 yards in the air and the Broncos compiled a season-high 170 yards on the ground. Moreover, no one committed a turnover.
Sunday the Broncos face Tom Brady’s Patriots. Given that Manning may continue to ride the pine, the question arises: Have we seen the last Brady-Manning NFL face off?
According to ProFootballTalk.com, Peyton Manning says no. The site reports that Manning plans to continue tying his cleats next year. However, another team may suit him better than the Broncos under head coach Gary Kubiak, the site suggests. A team in which Manning controls the offense to his liking and enjoys say in personnel may be more attractive for the NFL leader in career passing yards.