A hero was needed.
It was one of those crazy Monday nights in Denver. It was cold and ugly. Nothing was going the Broncos way. With everything on the line – a division title, a playoff berth, even a playoff bye – the home team could not have looked worse. Flat. Slow. Inexplicably uninspired.
At halftime, the scoreboard and the box score were reasons to leave. Behind backup quarterback A.J. McCarron, the Bengals had thrashed the league’s top-ranked defense. Cincinnati amassed 204 yards of offense and a whopping 16 first downs; Denver could only muster 89 and five. Trailing 14-3, with an offense that couldn’t stay on the field and a defense that couldn’t get off of it – Denver trailed the time of possession battle to 21:14 to 8:46 – there was little reason for hope. Even a late second-half drive stalled out, as most of them had lately, in the red zone. Choosing to forego the rest of the third-coldest game in Broncos history – a bone chilling 16 degrees at kickoff – would have been a justifiable decision for any of the 76,868 on hand.
If the Broncos were to win, a major change of fortune would be required; heroics were a must. And lucky for those who braved the cold, a hero arrived. Scratch that – many heroes arrived.
After the game, Broncos quarterback Brock Osweiler predictably called it a “team win,” only this time, the cliché could not have been more appropriate. The list of second-half heroes is lengthy.
Osweiler himself went 27-for-39 on 299 yards passing. C.J. Anderson, who had been a non-factor for the better part of the night, sprung for a 39-yard, “do-it-yourself” touchdown scamper. Demaryius Thomas, who was a missing man in the first half, got past “the drops” and hauled in multiple, miraculous, drive-saving catches. Tight end Owen Daniels was sure-handed when he had to be. Gary Kubiak’s decision to go with a no-huddle offense seemed to change the pace and the Broncos fortunes. Even the Broncos’ patchwork offensive line only allowed one second-half sack.
On the defensive side of the ball, Von Miller came alive. The “No Fly Zone” secondary – which looked more like Denver International Airport in the first half – suddenly shut down McCarron and his talented receiving corps, allowing just 81 passing yards. Derek Wolfe and Vance Walker each had timely sacks. Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips switched up his scheme, going zone and seemingly confusing McCarron.
And in overtime, even kicker Brandon McManus, who shanked a potentially game-winning kick bigger than Texas with just :04 left in regulation, boldly recovered to drill a 37-yarder. Then, DeMarcus Ware recovered a fumble that sealed the win.
Heroes arrived in droves, and now the table is set. All the Broncos have to do is beat the hapless Chargers in Denver next weekend and the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs is all theirs. Easy enough, right?
Well, these are the Broncos. The team that has been consistently inconsistent all season. The same unit that lost to the Oakland Raiders – at home – just two weeks ago. The same offense that couldn’t score a touchdown against the same Chargers for three quarters just three weeks ago.
A storybook ending could still be in the cards. Maybe Brock the Backup will do what other backup greats – Roger Stabach, Kurt Warner, Tom Brady – have done, take his team to the Super Bowl and become a fixture for years to come.
Or maybe he won’t. Maybe he goes cold in the wrong half – hey, it’s happened before. Maybe he gets injured; knock on wood, but Osweiler is already banged up. Tomorrow’s injury report will likely reflect shoulder and elbow injuries; behind a suspect offensive line, his jersey hasn’t exactly stayed clean since taking the reins against Chicago on Nov. 22.
Or maybe, just maybe, a storybook ending takes place, but Osweiler doesn’t factor into every chapter. Maybe one more hero is required.
The question will be asked again and again, but make no mistake, Osweiler will start next week and every week, so long as the team continues to win and he’s healthy. It’s quite possible that the great Peyton Manning has already played his last snap for the Denver Broncos, but this team has come too far to let things land in the lap of the backup to the backup, Trevor Siemian.
Peyton Manning the backup? Why not?
In the NFL, it seems that “the story” wins more often than not. Ray Lewis wins on his way out the door. The Saints win, triumphing over both the Colts and Hurricane Katrina. Tortured soul John Elway rides off into the sunset with two Lombardis in tow.
Why wouldn’t the greatest quarterback to ever live somehow factor into the Broncos’ miraculous journey to the third world championship in franchise history? Perhaps Manning sparks an offense that’s been shut down. Maybe he comes in if Osweiler has to come out. Maybe Gary Kubiak channels his inner Bill Belichick and makes the New England Patriots (heck, why not?) prepare for both Manning and Osweiler in the AFC Championship.
It’s hypothetical, but it’s also conceivable. The Broncos might have the greatest backup quarterback in the history of football just waiting to be the hero.
Two weeks ago, Ian Rapaport reported that Manning would not want to serve as Osweiler’s backup. Manning called the report “bulls***.”
Well, Peyton Manning, it’s time to grab a clipboard and assume the position. Forget about Al Jazeera and start loosening up the ol’ wing. It’s quite possible that Denver could use you now more than ever. It’s not the way you probably scripted it, but it could be a story more glorious anyone could have imagined.
If the Broncos are to win another Super Bowl they’ll need a hero.
It might be you.
