Peyton Manning… or Really High Voice Peyton Manning…?
Both stunk up the joint Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens. He, or “they” looked like a guy that spent Friday and Saturday smoking tons of that wacky tobacky and ordering endless amounts of Papa John’s Pizza. Speaking of Papa John’s and wacky tobacky, does anyone find it just a wee bit coincidental that the same year Peyton Manning joined the Broncos is the same year Colorado legalized marijuana for recreational use? And Manning just happened to buy a gazillion Papa John’s throughout the state? GENIUS!
So Manning ended Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens, throwing 24/40, 175 yards and 1 interception…
He overthrew Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas multiple times on deep routes. He “Tebow-ed” a pass to the feet of Sanders. He was sacked four times. There are obvious signs to be worried but I am here to assuage those concerns. No! I am not a “happy ending” masseur.
- The arm strength of Manning looked fine. It was the accuracy that was off.
- He still has weapons to throw to: Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders and Owen Daniels.
- The work ethic and fear of failure will help Manning elevate from the vomit.
- The Broncos defense is really really good. They totally neutered the Ravens attack. As a result, Manning won’t be needed to chase points.
Reasons to worry:
- The offensive line is…well, offensive. Losing All-Pro tackle Ryan Clady in the offseason was a huge hit. Ty Sambrailo, a rookie, is manning the left tackle position. Recently acquired Evan Mathis is at left guard. Second year player, Matt Paradis, is at center. Louis Vaszquez, the only incumbent, is at right guard. Ryan Harris, came over from the Kansas City Chiefs, is at right tackle. This unit needs time to gel. As the season progresses, this should be an adequate unit in both run blocking and pass blocking. Also, Peyton Manning has quarterbacked teams with suspect offensive lines in the past and has performed well.
- Cecil Lammey, of ESPNDenver and the Footballguys, recently spoke on a podcast that there may be some tension between Manning and coach Kubiak. Lammey is clued into the Broncos situation as he is with the team everyday. This could be something or nothing, but it has the potential cause massive disruption within the team. Personally, I believe that both men want to win and will iron out any differences as the season goes on. As with everything in the NFL, winning cures all. Keep an eye out if the Broncos start losing.
Three years ago, Peyton Manning went into Atlanta and threw three interceptions as the Falcons beat the Broncos 27-21. After that game, there was much chatter about Peyton Manning being done. After all, he was 36 years old and was coming off neck surgery. Manning went on to throw for 4,659 yards with 37 touchdowns.
The end is near, no doubt. I hate to use this cliche but, father time is undefeated. With that said, I think burying Manning is a bit premature. Manning is 39 years old. Brett Favre retired at 41, Mark Brunell at 41, Doug Flutie at 43, Vinny Testaverde at 44, Warren Moon at 44 and Steve DeBerg at 44. As long as Manning is healthy and has the competitive juices flowing, he can quarterback in the NFL.
As for the verdict of Bear of Bull. It really depends on the perspective. If you spent a high draft pick on Manning, then it’s Bear. He’s not throwing 40 touchdowns with 5,000 yards. A more realistic number is probably 4,000 yards with 30 touchdowns. At this moment, Manning’s value is in the toilet. I see progression and better numbers ahead, health permitting. So from that perspective… Bull.
Final Verdict:
Oh, wait, that’s not a bull. Not really a bear either. Here we go…
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