The time is NOW for Manning and the Denver Broncos

I’ve taking a hiatus from writing about the Broncos the last 3 weeks for several reasons. One was because of the holidays and two because I injured my back at work in November and I can’t set for long periods of time at the computer. And lastly because I knew the Broncos were in the playoffs. Today we know how who they’ll play, the San Diego Chargers. First a few words about Manning and his fantastic regular season performance.

Manning is the MVP of the 2013 Regular Season

Manning has had an astonishing 2 years with the Broncos. This year he racked up 5,477 passing yards, giving him 64, 964 for a career. 55 TD passes in a single season is remarkable benchmark. For a 37 year old QB to play at this high of level is unheard of. I don’t think there is any question that Manning may be the most talented, intelligent and hardest working QB in the history of the sport.

His tireless analysis of film and his 100% commitment to refine and perfect his game on the practice field is legendary. His execution of the hurry up offense, his ability to get rid of the football in less than 3 seconds and his vision down field are second to none. If Manning wasn’t playing QB in the NFL right now he’d have to be considered a great candidate to be an Offensive Coordinator and even a Head Coach for any NFL organization.

Historically Manning isn’t the same QB in the Playoffs

But… as I’ve said numerous times before, Manning has to finish the deal for the Broncos by helping the team win a Super Bowl. All the regular season success, the records, and the MVP awards are impressive but if a Super Bowl isn’t on his resume after having such a notable regular season the shine on his individual accomplishments will lose its luster. The Super Bowl is forever. I don’t care what other Broncos Fans may think of my opinion and I know it’s a team game but if he doesn’t play competently and help the team win it his tenure in Denver has to be considered a heartbreaking disappointment.

Despite Manning’s tremendous achievements this season he does have inadequacies. If you look closer at the 5,477 passing yards most of them have been of the dink and dunk variety, short passes, screen passes and the run after the catch padded that stat.

Manning can still throw a deep ball if he has time and an open Receiver but he doesn’t have the arm strength he once had. If he feels pressure or has to leave the pocket to throw he’s not as consistent a passer short or long.

The other part of his game that still is an uncertainty is his capacity to play in a cold and windy environment. Denver and East Rutherford can be extremely cold places to play football in January and February. In the cold of Denver last year against the Ravens, Manning had 2 Fumbles and 2 Interceptions. The 2^nd INT was a very costly one because it ended any chance of the Broncos winning the game.

Then there is the most significant of Manning’s statistics which is his past performance in playoff games. In his 16 year career Manning’s teams have been to the playoffs 12 times prior to this year and he has a 9-11 record. In 20 playoff appearances Manning has 21 INT’s and 32 TD’s, that’s only a plus 11. His career passing rating in the playoffs is a pedestrian 88.4 which is 10^th all time.

In 2005 and 2006 when he blew out the Jake Plummer led Broncos in the 1^st round of the playoffs both years as a Colt he lost to Brady and the Patriots (the odds on favorite team to face him in the AFC Championship this season) both years ending his Super Bowl run. Manning has 4-10 career record against Brady and 1-2 record against him in the playoffs.

Rivers thus far owns Manning and the Broncos

This weekend the Broncos face the Chargers in the second round of the playoffs. The Chargers have won 5 in a row going in and beat the Broncos AT HOME 27-20 on Dec. 12. Rivers career record against the Broncos is 10-4 and he has a 5-3 record against Manning, and 3 of those losses came last year when Manning became a member of the Broncos.

The Chargers after having a mediocre regular season have all the earmarks of being another team like the Ravens last year that got hot at the end of the season and made an improbable run at the Super Bowl. The big difference between the Ravens and the Chargers is that the Chargers have a much better QB in Rivers.

The time is NOW

Despite the statistical deficit that Manning and the team have against the Chargers NOW is the time to rise up and kill the failures of the past. Manning’s individual 2013 regular season stats will have less meaning if the Broncos are one and done. Manning must play well but it won’t be enough.

The real test in the Chargers game and the playoff games to follow will be if the Broncos Defense can play opportunistic football, tackle and cover better, get pressure on the QB and make plays in the 4^th quarter. The Broncos must be able to run the ball with Moreno and Ball consistently.

The Offensive Line that’s played excellent football this season must protect Manning and his great Receivers must haul in the catchable balls.

I’m convinced that Offense won’t be a problem but if the Broncos have to play a shootout game going into the 4th Q against the Chargers they could be in real trouble. The table is set, the road to the Super Bowl will go through Denver and I can’t wait to see what happens. I pray to the football Gods that Manning can exercise his playoff ghosts and lead the Broncos onto a Championship.

Broncos Defense Not Ready for Primetime

With all anger still simmering at the surface after the Chargers loss last Thursday night I decided to postpone writing about it. I’m sure many Broncos Fans felt the same as I did about the game going in, that another win was imminent.

As we learn every Sunday there are no locks, no gimme’s and that on any given Sunday anything can happen. You never assume anything and you must take them one at a time. You must be able to win the games you’re supposed to win at home late in the season to solidify your position in the playoffs.

Peyton Manning and company were coming off a short week and an impressive win over the Titans last Sunday on a cold day in Denver. He was a completely different QB than the one in the Patriots game a few weeks ago when it was apparent his game and his psyche were on ice.

But from the opening snap of the Chargers game it was obvious they wanted the game far worse than the Broncos did. The Broncos defense and special teams were horrendous. They let Ryan Matthews one of the must inconsistent RB’s in the NFL run wild for 127 yards. The Safety’s and Corners particularly Rookie Kayvon Webster gave up big pass plays to help keep drives alive. The Front 7 of the Broncos did get 2 sacks on Philip Rivers but for most of the game they couldn’t get to him. The tackling by the LB’s at the second level was as bad as you’ll see. Danny Trevathan seemed to be the only player that was willing and able to make some stops.

The first half turned into a field position game and the Broncos started drives inside their own 20 to many times and had too many 3 and outs. Manning was being contested on every passing play and the Broncos running game could never get any traction. Despite the bad start the Broncos made a run in the 4^th Q but came up short.

The worse part of the loss came when Rivers was on the NFL Network after the game talking smack and hamming it up with the panel. You’d think his team had just won the Super Bowl the way he was acting but it was nothing more than an opportunity for him to enjoy the spotlight for 20 minutes because he knows that his team won’t make it to the playoffs. He likely won’t get another nationally televised interview because all he and his team can do now is be a spoiler. I can’t stand Rivers and his appearance after the game on the NFL Network flipped the switch that ignited my mushroom cloud.

Thankfully this Sunday the Broncos got a reprieve as the Dolphins did them a big favor and beat the Patriots. They still hold the #1 seed going into the last 2 games and must hold onto it. After seeing just how bad the D can play against one of the bottom feeder teams of the NFL if the Broncos have to go on the road to face New England my money would be on Tom Brady and the Patriots.

Let’s hope the Broncos can close the deal by beating the Texans and Raiders and securing home field. Wouldn’t it be a disaster if the Broncos tanked and fell into the Wildcard Spot if they lost them both? The Chiefs are not going away and are playing good football right now.

The other hope is that Fox and Del Rio can come up with a better defensive scheme so when the playoffs start Manning won’t have to score 50 points to win a game.   

Chargers win comes second to Peyton's ankle

Manning in the air is far better than Manning on the ground hurt.

The Denver Broncos win without John Fox on the sidelines over a much improved San Diego Chargers team yesterday was a critical milestone. It completes a season sweep and buries the Chargers at the bottom of the AFC West standings with the Raiders. YES! It gives Jack Del Rio his first win as interim Head Coach, an 8-1 record and sets up a very important Sunday night match-up against the undefeated division rival Kansas City Chiefs in Denver.

This is all welcome news to Broncos Fans but why I’m I feeling apprehensive and nervous this morning? You’d think it’d be a time of excitement, exhilaration and much anticipation. It’s simple, am I the only one who could care less about what happened in the game yesterday or about the pending one this week and actually more concerned with Peyton Manning’s future health long term?

The hit Manning took yesterday with less than 2 minutes to go in the game to the back of his legs that aggravated a previous injury to his right ankle immediately deflated my enjoyment of the win. The pass Manning completed on that play give the Broncos another 1st down and helped them to run out the clock for the victory but with Manning lying on the ground in obvious pain my heart stopped.

Manning is a tough guy and he did get up and finish the game with a noticeable limp. Just because Manning is a great player and is 38 years old doesn’t make him any less immune to risk of an injury. Football is a very violent game dominated by much younger men that take no prisoners and should make no apology for hitting anyone in the mouth, even if he’s Peyton Manning. I know some will say the hit Manning took was a cheap shot but it’s a reach, it was a bang, bang play with the Chargers D desperately attempting to stop the Broncos to get the ball back. Unfortunately for Manning the blow came below the knees like some do but that’s football. Had the shoe been on the other foot and this was Rivers that went down instead would it have been a cheap shot then?

What I immediately was asking after the hit was why Manning throwing the ball in that situation to begin with? The better strategy right then would have been to hand the ball off to Knowshon Moreno even if he couldn’t run for the 1st down. Time was on the Broncos friend and the Chargers enemy and even had the Broncos had to punt the ball back to them, they probably would have had bad field position with less than a minute to go with no timeouts remaining to score 8 points. From an odds standpoint even then the Broncos had the upper hand and had been getting to Rivers with the pass rush. It was unlikely the Chargers could have tied the game.

I know Manning is a competitor and he really believed the only way the Broncos were going to win was if the ball was in his hands. In the heat of the moment you can’t blame or fault him for it but I believe Manning can still be a winner and survive to fight another day if he slows the game down just a bit and let’s some of his teammates do the heavy lifting.

Manning is only going to be a QB for the Broncos for a finite period of time and maybe that’s why he’s sometimes impatient and desperate I get that but he’s not immortal and he can’t do it all alone. From here forward let’s hope he thinks a little more of self preservation because there are still 7 games to go. The Chiefs game will be no gimme'.

The Chiefs O may be winning ugly but they’re an efficient unit with of Jamaal Charles as their stud. Their aggressive D is the real deal and they’ll be going after Manning early and often. Let’s pray that the Offensive Line can handle the onslaught and that Manning’s quick release can protect his tender ankle. I hope that Manning ego let's him hand the ball off to Moreno and Montee Ball often to slow the game down and kill the clock.

It was reported this morning that the MRI came back negative and Manning will start against the Chiefs Sunday. You know he'll be sore and have to wonder how mobile he'll be. The Broncos have won 8 out of the 9 battles so far but they haven’t won the war and without Manning out there as the Commanding General the war would be lost. So please Peyton, protect yourself.   

Broncos Comeback One for the Ages

This ranks as one of the all-time choke jobs.

I thought when Eric Decker did his little somersault and then soon after when Peyton Manning threw the pick six it was all over. The Decker blunder is headed for the bloopers Hall of Shame. I admit it, I couldn't stop rewinding the play and laughing at him. Thankfully he redeemed himself with the nice catch and TD run in the second half.

The meltdown by Philip Rivers was epic. The 5 turnovers in the second half were unbelievable. I just wonder how Rivers and the Chargers can recover from this devastating loss.

I'm trying to remember any game recently where a comeback was so swift and so completely mind numbingly catastrophic. It's been a long time and it’s about time a game like this went in the Broncos favor.

What a game! The Broncos D rose up; Manning rose up and pulled the Bolts down from the sky like dead ducks.

Wow! I still haven't caught my breath. It just does not get any better than this. Hopefully this win gives the Broncos some strong momentum going into the second half of the season.

GO BRONCOS!!!