Never has a 7-2 team been surrounded by so much turmoil.
The Denver Broncos will hand 6’8″ quarterback Brock Osweiler his first career start against the Chicago Bears on Monday (AEST) as Peyton Manning recovers from plantar fasciitis.
But the injury, which Manning has reportedly been battling for more than a week, is a blessing in disguise because at least it saved the Broncos from making a difficult decision.
Either tap their ageing gunslinger on the shoulder in a season where he is set to break more of Brett Favre’s NFL records or let him continue throwing ducks and hope the Broncos can continue to be competitive in spite of him.
The injury saved them from making that call, for now. Because Father Time is undefeated and judging by Manning’s play this year he is about to claim another victim.
In case you missed it, Manning, 39, has been awful this season. By Peyton Manning standards, by any starting quarterback standards. He leads the league in interceptions with 17 and has thrown only nine touchdowns.
Attribute those figures to any other player at mid-season and they would be riding the bench. But the Broncos somehow managed to keep winning, riding their defence and special teams to seven straight wins to start the season.
But it couldn’t last. In Week 9 against the Colts it came down to Manning to lead a game-winning drive. On the first play, with pressure coming from his left, Manning threw a wobbly pass over the middle intended for Demaryius Thomas that was picked off by Colts cornerback Darius Butler.
The Colts ran out the clock and the Broncos lost for the first time. There was nothing the defence could do. Then last week against the Chiefs, Manning turned in undoubtedly his worst performance as a pro.
He finished five of 20 for 35 yards, no touchdowns and four interceptions. He had a passer rating of zero and his immense regression was complete.
Eventually he was hooked in the third quarter while the Broncos trailed 22-0.
Ironically, the humiliating honour of being benched for Osweiler came in the same game Manning passed Favre to become the NFL’s all-time passing yards leader.
What an indignity. But now with the ‘injury’, the Broncos can hand the reigns to Osweiler against the Bears and delay the inevitable another week.
They can’t win with this Peyton Manning. Not in the playoffs. Not in a Super Bowl. The Colts game just reinforced that fact and perhaps it too was a blessing.
If the Broncos had kept winning with Manning at the helm then management and the coaching staff would not have been able to see how their quarterback fared in the clutch.
A playoff run was always going to come down to Manning. On third-and-eight, with the run game ineffective as it has been so often this season, Manning would have had to throw a dart to move the chains and give the Broncos a chance.
Would you back him to make that throw? I can’t see how.
It’s a real shame one of the greatest ever regular season quarterbacks looks like going out this way. But like boxing, very few quarterbacks get to finish on their own terms.
They usually play one too many seasons, get hit one too many times and throw one too many interceptions.
Manning did not immediately commit to playing in 2015. His hesitation was telling. Perhaps he should have listened to his gut.
It might have been a more dignified and fitting farewell than the one he will receive in 2015.
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