In case you were holding out hope that Peyton Manning would be back after a week’s rest, I’m sorry; Brock Osweiler will make his second start against the Patriots this Sunday.

If you thought that game against the Chicago Bears put Osweiler under the spotlight, just wait until he’s playing on national television against Tom Brady and the undefeated New England Patriots. That’s a gut-check moment if I’ve ever seen one.

The reviews coming out of Osweiler’s first performance were almost entirely positive, but this game will give us a much better indication of whether the Brocket Launcher is capable of carrying Denver deep into the playoffs.

And who knows? Maybe Brock will be able to pick Brady’s brain a bit before the game. I’m sure he knows a little something about taking over for an injured veteran and leading his team to the postseason.