Manning (left) with Broncos GM Elway following
AFC South and NFC fans can give a sigh of relief. Future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning is reportedly finalizing a contract with the Denver Broncos. The team is looking for a trading partner to dealt Tebow, and the Manning era in Denver is about to begin. Assuming that the reports are correct about Manning being in his old playing self again, expect him to take the team “to another level” as Willis McGahee believes. Let’s see how:
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I think it’s clear that the AFC West (the division Broncos play in) is a pretty winnable division; the Broncos were able to get into the playoffs with an 8-8 record. Even though the Broncos won their division by luck (tie breakers after losing the crucial game 17), Manning is an instant upgrade over Tebow. Expect the Broncos to at least win their division, even if Manning isn’t 100%.
Don’t think that I’m discounting the Broncos. They still beat the Steelers in the playoffs, proving they’re a legitimate team. The Broncos have a good backfield with Willis McGahee and Knowshon Moreno, and they will find holes since defenses will be concerned about Manning. Wideouts Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker are young but promising, and since Manning was able to turn unknowns into household names, I expect him to have success with these guys. However, bringing in someone who has experience and chemistry from playing alongside Manning (Stokley, Clark, or some other veteran) would help the team initially through the offensive scheme change. It would also keep the offense from spluttering if the team hasn’t grasped Manning’s scheme by the start of the regular season, because the vet would start Week One. All in all, expect Manning to succeed, but the team to bring in a veteran.
I think it’s safe to say that an offensive line that was able to adapt from Orton’s drop back to Tebow’s is a good offensive line. Add to the fact that Manning has a quick release and won’t constantly try the deep ball (he runs more of a West Coast Offense, so expect short and intermediate passes), and the offensive line will be great.
Conclusion:
What can I say? The defense was great last year, and expect them to dominate again. Add Manning’s firepower, and the sky’s the limit. The team should spend the rest of the offseason focusing on their defense and offensive line (although good, it could be even better and that would make Manning even more successful). If the team can make the necessary upgrades while also adding some new toys for Manning, the sky’s the limit. Like I said though, it all depends on if Manning is at the playing level he was a little more than a year ago. That determines the fate of the Denver Broncos in 2012.
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