Peyton Manning Credits Offensive Coordinator With Crucial Play Call

By Ethan Finkelstein | Nov 24, 2014

Nov 23, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) motions at the line of scrimmage during the second half against the Miami Dolphins at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos won 39-36. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports /

With the Denver Broncos down 28-17 nearing the end of the 3rd quarter in Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins, an audible on a crucial 4th down conversion was the product of offensive coordinator Adam Gase; so says quarterback Peyton Manning.

Let us flashback to Sunday. The Broncos are down 28-17 with very little time left in the 3rd quarter. Team needed to convert a crucial 4th and 2. If unsuccessful, they faced the sobering prospect of a two-possession deficit heading into the 4th while handing possession back to Miami. That’s when, according to quarterback Peyton Manning, offensive coordinator Adam Gase called for an audible after witnessing a defensive package he felt the original play would falter to. The rest, as everyone can discern right now, is history; as the Broncos went on to score a few plays later and eventually won the game 39-36.

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This NFL season has provided quite a bit of unpredictability. This game; one between a team fighting for its division and the other for wild card hopes, lived up to that notion. Peyton Manning showing humility, however, is still something that catches almost no one off guard.

“To tell you the truth, Adam made the change. We got to the line of scrimmage pretty early and we had time on the clock and so Adam actually made the change from the sideline. It was critical. We ran the ball to the left and it was a good thing that we changed it because we really didn’t have a good play based on the look that they were showing early and we did make the change. I think it was what Adam wanted to get to all along,” said Manning.

Sunday was a must win for the Broncos. Going into that game, they were just 1 loss better than their AFC West divisional foe Kansas City Chiefs. A setback against Miami would have meant that the winner of next week’s contest in KC would be in the driver’s seat for the division crown.

Perhaps, more importantly, the win keeps them in step with the New England Patriots for the number one seed in the AFC. They still hold a virtual 2 game lead with 1 more win and the head to head nod. Should the Broncos be serious about another Super Bowl run, they will have to pry away home field advantage again, as Brady and crew have looked unstoppable at Gillette Stadium as of late.

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