Stud No. 1 – Brandon McManus
From Week 12 through Week 16, Broncos fans were starting to wonder if the Brandon McManus who lost his job to Connor Barth in 2014 had returned. Over that five-game stretch, McManus missed one kick in each game, including an extra point.
The worst of the lot was a dead-pull shank against the Bengals that would have won the game. McManus got redemption in overtime, eventually booting the Broncos to victory.
He got much more than that on Sunday, tying a playoff record with his five field goals on five attempts. He accounted for 65 percent of Denver’s offense on the day and did so in some of the toughest conditions of his career. At one point McManus faced a 30 mph cross-wind, yet nailed kicks of 51 yards, 45 yards and two from 41 yards.
Adding to his stellar performance, he was six-for-six on kickoff touchbacks despite that vicious wind.
In the January issue of Mile High Sports Magazine, McManus told Julie Browman, “I always want to be the person who attempts the game-winning kick. I want it to come down to me.”
McManus didn’t have to kick with the game on the line Sunday, but it did ultimately come down to him.
