Former Denver Broncos offensive lineman and three time Super Bowl champion Mark Schlereth seems like a no nonsense kind of guy.
At least he’d be that way if Peyton Manning was his quarterback.
Schlereth recently sat down exclusively with Mile High Sports Magazine‘s Robin Carlin and didn’t hold anything back when it came to his thoughts on No. 18 and what someone on the offensive line needs to do.
An excerpt from that interview is below:
Robin Carlin: You know Gary Kubiak and Rick Dennison pretty well. How do you think this offense will fit with Peyton Manning, who’s been commanding a high-powered, high-scoring passing attack for three years now?
Mark Schlereth: It’s certainly going to take time, because it’s a new system. He’s certainly going to have to adjust.
Peyton is one of those guys who’s so cerebral and he understands the game; he’s got such great football acumen. He’s just one of those guys who can look at a defense and say, “Oh, I’ve got the perfect one-on-one matchup over here,” and he’s always had the freedom to say, “Let me go to it.” The problem with that – and it’s great to have that – is that over the course of the game, just because you can get us into the perfect one-on-one matchup, does not mean, necessarily, that it’s the best thing over the full four quarters in a battle of attrition.
A two-yard gain that’s more physical and nasty, might have a more positive effect on (a team) in the fourth quarter than a quick slant or bubble screen. Because (you’re) going to wear a defense down. And that’s a hard adjustment to make when you see, “Man, I’ve potentially got the big play over here,” and not to check out of that.
The other thing that’s going to be very hard, is that Peyton is such a snap-count fanatic. He wants to get up on the line of scrimmage with all his histrionics – fake snap counts and “Omaha! Omaha!” and all that baloney – because he wants to see what the defense is going to show him. Because eventually the defense has got to show it. And if he can get them to show it, now (he) can get into the perfect play. So he loves that. He’s the best that’s ever been at that.
The problem is, for a guy like me, I want to put my hand in the dirt, and I want to walk up there, and I want to freakin’ shorten your neck. I want to try to kill you. So, let’s get some quick counts. Let’s get the pace of this thing up. Let’s beat some people up physically.
When you sit there at the line of scrimmage, calling everything and going through all of your machinations and all your checks, it makes (a player like) me play on (his) heels up front. And that’s not what’s best for this offense. So, there’s a real amalgamation that’s going to have to go on between Kubiak’s system and Peyton Manning and what (they) want to do.
That is the other issue that you have, so if I was playing right now, I’d turn to him and say, “Hey, bleepity-bleep, make this on first sound. I’m sick of sitting in my stance waiting for you to bark out orders. Let’s get some quick count going.” Do you have anyone on this offensive line or in that huddle that will challenge him?
RC: That’s a great question. What do you think?
MS: Probably not.
RC: But you would.
MS: Sure. He needs it. But, you know, I’m old.
RC: Was Jeff Saturday that guy?
MS: Saturday was totally that guy. They would get into m’fin’ shouting matches constantly, he and Peyton. You’ve got to have that guy. It’s not that Peyton is trying to take over or make your life miserable, he just has a different kind of philosophy. And sometimes you have to remind him, “What you’re doing is hurting us; it’s hurting us up front.” And (the guys up front) ultimately have to make it go. I would love to see a guy like Louis Vasquez take on that role. He needs somebody, at times, that’s on that offensive side of the ball, to get in his face about it.
RC: Do you see Ryan Harris doing that?
MS: No. I don’t see anybody doing it. Because it’s Peyton Manning. But I’m just telling you, you’ve got to have a guy that will step up and say, “N’uh uh, ain’t doing that.”
That’s some very interesting stuff. Does Manning need to be put in line? Schlereth seems to think so.
Schlereth also opened up to Carlin about the state of the offensive line now, how some guys have found a loophole to stay on rosters longer than they should and his big plans beyond television. You can read the full interview right here.
