After an entire offseason of hearing about Peyton Manning’s diminishing arm strength, we finally got to see what the 39-year-old quarterback could do Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens…well, kind of.
All I saw in Sunday’s matchup was just how bad the Denver Broncos offensive line really is this season. If you missed the game, it’s basically a miracle that Manning lived to see halftime. As over-used as the whole “he would have been better off with my couch blocking for him” joke is, it may actually be true in this case.
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that the Broncos have the worst offensive line in the NFL this season. Sure, Russell Wilson was sacked six times to Manning’s four, but the St. Louis Rams also have one of the best defensive lines in the league. It’ll be interesting to see how many times Manning hits the turf Thursday against Justin Houstin and the Kansas City pass rush.
So, back to the original point: Sunday was not a good sample of what Manning still can or cannot do. Maybe we’ll get a better idea of it tomorrow if the line can prevent Houstin from ripping Manning’s fivehead of his shoulders.
Until then, don’t you dare blaspheme the living legend.
“We all think it’s blasphemy…because Peyton, he still has it, you know,” said Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall. “He has what it takes. I think it’s just a matter of time because it’s a new offense…I definitely think it’s going to turn around. I have no issues or worries about anything.”
The chemistry between Manning and his receivers and O-line definitely looked off Sunday, so let’s hope it’s just growing pains to Gary Kubiak’s new style.
“If you’re gonna try to make a summary for the season in Week One,” said Manning, “then it’s not gonna be a great summary. That’s why you don’t make a summary in Week One.”
Valid point. If you generalize everything based off this past week, the Tennessee Titans are the frontrunners for Super Bowl 50.
Now let’s see if Manning can shut everyone up.