Demaryius Thomas on Manning providing a spark:
“He told us to go out and put some points on the board and that’s what we did. He told everyone to calm down. He came in and was the leader that he is. Everybody did their job, we didn’t turn the ball over, we didn’t get many penalties and the main thing was going down, calming down, going down and putting some points on the board. I think our first three drives we put 13 points on the board.”
There is something to be said about having a Hall of Fame quarterback, one of the best to ever do it, inside your huddle. At 39 years old, Manning may not have Osweiler’s arm, and he definitely doesn’t have his mobility, but he has the experience, poise and knowledge to lead this team better than anyone else.
Still, though, Manning can’t do it alone, just as Osweiler couldn’t. Manning needs his offensive line to keep him upright. He needs his running backs to find daylight. And he needs his receivers to make the tough catches. If they can all do that, the Broncos offense may have a chance to take a leap heading into the playoffs.
From what I saw on Sunday, I believe it’s possible. This is an emotional team, and Manning gave the Broncos offense an emotional spark.
