THAT'S MY TAKE

Sunday Edition

October 14th, 2012 

That's My Take

 Is Peyton Manning Holding Back the Broncos?

When the 2012 season kicked off there were a lot of questions surrounding the Broncos offense. After all the team had just taken a huge risk investing a great deal of money and an entire city's hope on a player who had not seen any real action on the gridiron in more than a year; but this was not just any player.

After their humiliating loss last season to the Patriots in divisional round of the playoffs, it was very apparent to the Broncos' GM John Elway and the top brass that they did not have everything they would need to secure the top prize. They were still missing a big piece.

When the opportunity presented itself, the Broncos made the move for Manning believing he was the missing piece. We are six weeks into the 2012 season and have we seen enough to know if the Broncos have made the smart move.

There’s little doubt the post-Tim Tebow Era seems to be the right direction, but at 2-3 some may be second-guessing the move for Peyton. He has had his struggles and limitations, but one thing we have seen, he’s a sharp as ever on the field when it comes to his football IQ.

Through five games, Peyton is showing the veteran leadership and savvy of a four-time MVP winner, and he may have lost a little zip on the fast ball, but his is still more than capable of making many of the needed plays to win. And while the Broncos had an inclination of what they would be getting when they signed Peyton, one thing they may not have realized is what they already had waiting for Manning when he took the field.

It’s quite apparent Manning is on a completely different level than his 10 other teammates. He is leading and still making plays and what Bronco fans are quickly finding it appears his Achilles heel at the moment is not his arm, but his teammates. In the teams last two losses, Manning’s teammates have turned the ball over three times.

Through the team’s first five games, Manning has given the Broncos opportunity to win, but at critical moment his playmakers are falling short and making mistakes. This was something most did not expect to see, but maybe what we are seeing is Manning is still Manny and the rest of the team needs to learn to raise their level of expectation and play.

The Bronco’s have a big test coming up on Monday night and while it looks like Peyton is ready to go (completing 66% of his passes, 1,499 passing yards, and 11 touchdowns), other players will need to be ready to rise to the next level if the team is not to be held back.

That’s My Take.

By David Ortega