Denver Broncos Didn’t Know If Peyton Manning Would Return Vs. Chargers

By Cory Buck | Dec 15, 2014

Dec 14, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) calls the coaches during the fourth quarter against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports /

Denver Broncos head coach John Fox admitted he was ‘unsure’ if he’d see Peyton Manning in the team’s Week 15 victory again after Manning left late in the first half.

The Denver Broncos may have witnessed their own version of the Flu Game in their Week 15 victory over the San Diego Chargers. After Peyton Manning required several bags of intravenous fluids between Saturday night and Sunday morning just to get up to speed for the game in San Diego, he suffered a thigh injury in the first half that put his status in doubt.

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But this is Peyton Manning and this game was for the division crown, so of course he pulled through and gave the Broncos everything he had in a 22-10 victory. After Broncos fans got a quick glimpse of Brock Osweiler at QB, they quickly wondered what the deal was with Peyton. It didn’t take long for Manning to answer their concerns. Among those worried was coach John Fox.

Fox told the Denver Post he was ‘unsure’ if Manning would return for the second half after he left the game with a thigh injury in the first half. That combined with Manning’s illness and his history of toughness would have been plenty of reason for Manning to sit the rest of the game out. Nothing doing for the Hall of Famer though.

“Until Peyton made the cavalry entrance (out of the tunnel) at the start of the third quarter, we were prepared otherwise,” Fox said, “but I think it’s a tribute to the kind of toughness Peyton has and the kind of competitor he is that he got up (off the table) and did a tremendous job in those conditions.”

Peyton may not have dominated in his version of the Flu Game like the man who made the two words famous, but he did enough to keep his team on top. That’s enough for the Denver Broncos.

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