Four and out: Surprises from the NFL in Week 10
By Dani Bostick
4. Did fans just witness the end of Peyton Manning’s career?
The Denver Broncos announced it will bench Peyton Manning in favor of backup quarterback Brock Osweiler in coming weeks after news that the future Hall of Fame quarterback has a torn plantar fascia.
#Broncos coach Gary Kubiak says at his press conference that Peyton Manning will not play this week. “That decision has been made.”
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 16, 2015
This decision was not entirely unexpected. Manning has been showing signs of age throughout the season, throwing inaccurate passes and troublingly frequent interceptions.
Before he was benched, Manning broke Brett Farve’s yardage record, surpassing 71,838 career passing yards. Again, like the end of his career, breaking Farve’s record was nearly inevitable for Manning, who has enjoyed a long, incredibly productive career, marred only by the 2011 season which he sat out with a neck injury.
Still, after Manning’s splendid performance against the Green Bay Packers in Week 5, fans could hold out hope that he would rebound and return to his normal level of play. (Normal for Manning is quite exceptional). Instead, on Sunday, he threw four interceptions and only completed five passes for 35 yards before he was benched.
Fans have become accustomed to Manning’s inconsistent level of play, but they are also used to his legend status. The possibility that we have seen the Last Game is a lot to process.
Next: 3. The Bears and the Chiefs seem to have salvaged their seasons