Peyton Manning can still play, just differently
There have been rampant rumors of Peyton Manning’s demise. The Denver Broncos quarterback looked shaky at best in his team’s 19-13 win over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1, and there has been ample discussion about whether or not the 39-year-old can still spin it well enough to play in the National Football League.
Next: Ranking The 32 NFL Offenses For 2015
Fans and experts alike are on both sides of the fence, and each side is noisy. In truth, both are correct.
On Sunday, Manning completed 24-of-40 passes for 175 yards and an interception. It was a bad performance from a man we are used to seeing at the peak of his powers. The average of 4.4 yards per attempt was the worst figure of Manning’s career, but it did not happen entirely because of velocity. In fact, much was due to a horrendous offensive line and a blend of schemes with head coach/offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak.
Manning can still makes all the throws inside the numbers. His zip on the ball when throwing slants and crosses was there. The idea that Manning can’t drive the Broncos down the field is laced with incorrect placement of blame. Manning has more than enough left in the tank to score some touchdowns, but not until the five men up front start doing their jobs.
The only real problem for Manning in terms of his arm is getting the ball to the boundary and throwing deep. At this juncture of his career, Manning must heave the ball when throwing over 20-25 yards. This leads to being very inaccurate and ultimately, he will throw a few interceptions because of it. Opponents will understand this and cheat the safeties up and drop the linebackers, hoping to take away the short zones between the numbers. If teams can effectively force Manning to throw corner and out routes, Denver is in trouble.
Here are a few throws from last week which illustrate both the good and bad we will see from Manning in 2015:
This is a nice throw by Manning in the first quarter to Demaryius Thomas. Manning has great anticipation and rifles a pass in a tight window. Jimmy Smith has pretty good coverage and help on both sides. If Manning is late, or the ball flutters, he could be in serious trouble.
On the other hand, this is an example of Manning’s uncomfortable feeling in Kubiak’s system. Manning rolls out on a bootleg left and has a wide open route underneath. Instead, Manning continues to roll and sees Thomas wide open. Here’s the result of Manning throwing on the run with no pressure to speak of:
Manning throws the ball in front of Thomas and into the dirt. It is inaccurate and should never have been made. The right choice was the first option.
Throughout the game, Manning showed these tendencies. At one point, Manning made a very nice throw on the boundary to Sanders, but it was the only time he threw a ball with purpose in that spot all day. Most of Manning’s throws were underneath, giving Denver’s receivers a chance to make a play after the catch.
Against the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night, expect a ton of crosses and pick plays. The Chiefs play an aggressive press-man defense, making it tough to throw deep due to needing increased time to throw. However, if Sanders and Thomas can beat the press, the middle of the field could be wide open depending on linebacker coverage responsibilities.
Ultimately, Kubiak and Manning will have to scheme receivers open underneath. If they can, the Broncos are a legitimate Super Bowl contender. If not, it could be a very long season.