Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, right, passes against the San Diego Chargers during the second half in an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
He’s Back
It’s a good problem to have when you start a game with a future hall of fame quarterback as your backup. When it was clear that Brock Osweiler was struggling, as was the offense, head coach Gary Kubiak made the change to start the second half. The result was Denver clinching home field advantage throughout the playoffs. The difference was pretty noticeable in that Peyton was setting up the offense to succeed. His blitz pickup is the best in the game and when he audibles it almost always works in the end. That’s what the Broncos offense was missing with Osweiler, but that doesn’t mean that he was a bad quarterback. The Broncos would not be in this position without him. While this isn’t how Denver thought they would get to this point, but at least they’re in a position to win.
GLENDALE, AZ – JANUARY 03: Wide receiver Jermaine Kearse #15 of the Seattle Seahawks catches the football to score a 24 yard touchdown during the second quarter of the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at the University of Phoenix Stadium on January 3, 2016 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
A Familiar Scene
Don’t look now, but Seattle seems to be pretty pissed off with the way they’ve been playing in the last two months. Their domination of the Arizona Cardinals to finish the season just sealed their spot as the team that no one wants to play in the NFC. Russell Wilson was putting up insane numbers without Jimmy Graham and Seattle’s running game really didn’t need Marshawn Lynch who has been out longer than Graham. It’s possible that Lynch will return to play in the playoffs, but do they really need him? I’d say yes, since they wouldn’t have played in the last two Super Bowls without him. Lets just see if they actually listen to good wisdom this time and give him the ball when necessary.
New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) watches the ball he fumbled on a Buffalo Bills’ Mario Williams (94) sack during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Bill Wippert)
There’s Always One
This years one team that blew their chance of clinching a playoff spot goes to the New York Jets. All they had to do was win and they were in. With their loss and to of all teams the Buffalo Bills, they now get to watch all the playoff action from home. How sweet it was for former Jets head coach Rex Ryan to end his former teams playoff hopes by beating them in the final game of the season. One interesting fact I found out before the game was that Jets WR Brandon Marshall has never played in the playoffs. In his entire career that started in Denver and led him to stints in Miami, Chicago and now New York, not a single playoff appearance. It could be the curse of Brandon Marshall or just the fact that when you become too one dimensional by throwing the ball constantly in a close game, you’ll end up blowing it and wonder how it all went wrong.
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