Denver Broncos: Brock Osweiler Or Peyton Manning Roundtable
By Erik Lambert
Sep 14, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) warms up along side quarterback Brock Osweiler (17) prior to the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
This is going to be a question that dominates headlines in the next few weeks. Do the Denver Broncos stick with the younger and healthier Brock Osweiler the rest of the season, or do they go back to the aging and hobbled future Hall of Famer in Peyton Manning who may still have just enough left in the tank for one more run?
It’s not an easy one to answer for anybody, so the question was posed to the NFL Mocks staff in another roundtable. Their answers were a little surprising.
Sayre Bedinger:
Peyton Manning just lost his cast today, and is still wearing a boot as he begins rehab. He will still not be healthy for a few weeks yet, which means the Broncos will have to take a look at where they are at realistically with 2 or 3 games left. I’m not convinced Manning is going to be healthy enough to play again this season, but if Osweiler remains unbeaten as the QB, the offense has certainly been better wth him in it. So, yes, they should.
Matthew Holowiak:
I think at this point, it’s Osweiler’s team. He looked much more comfortable in the preseason and seems much more comfortable now that Peyton did at any point this year or the end of last year for that matter. He is in a contract year and they need to put their confidence in this young man and name him the starter moving forward. He may not have the mind of Peyton Manning, but who the hell does?! At his point he is the more talented quarterback between the two and he gives them the best chance to win.
Joe Wedra:
I think you have to stick with Osweiler right now. No matter how healthy Manning is, it’s hard to strip the youngster from his spot at the helm of this offense. Remember, what’s needed at this point of the season is a safe QB who doesn’t make mistakes. At this time, Peyton Manning is certainly not that guy. Ride with Osweiler and let him lead a storybook finish!
George Stockburger:
You need to stick with what’s worked, and that’s Osweiler. He has the best teacher in the world in Peyton Manning and is on a roll. It’s time to learn what you have in him and see if he can sustain a playoff run. Honestly, the offense wasn’t running well with Peyton in and the defense was carrying this team, so no harm/no foul at this point in playing Osweiler.
Erik Lambert:
Fortunately the Broncos have a little more time to ponder on this decision. It will be awhile before Manning is able to return from his plantar fascia injury, which means they get a few more weeks to evaluate Osweiler on the field. So far he has looked good but teams are starting to get more tape of him, and thus can start game planning against him.
If he doesn’t play well then the answer is easy. However, if he does play well then it becomes difficult. Based on my own experience of NFL history, I’ve learned that teams who go back to the established starter tend to not do well.
In 1997, Rich Gannon came in for the injured Kansas City Chiefs starter Elvis Grbac and won five-straight going into December. Instead of sticking with him, the Chiefs went back to Grbac. The Chiefs went into the playoffs and managed just 10 points at home against the eventual champion Broncos (wink wink). A few years later in 2001, the Patriots faced the same scenario with Tom Brady and Drew Bledsoe. They went the other way, deciding to stick with Brady.
The rest is history.