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

WHAT'S THE LATEST

February 10th, 2011 Thursday

What's the Latest

The Offseason Has Begun
The Packers and Steelers played, Green Bay prevailed and Aaron Rodgers was named MVP. With the conclusion of the 45th annual Super Bowl the offseason has begun and with that all 32 teams must now address free agency, the coming draft in April, coaching changes, roster evaluations, and personnel changes. The next scheduled event on the NFL calendar is the NFL combine which is scheduled to start February 23rd and run through March 1st. The Draft will follow in New York City on April 28th and last three days. As fast as teams get started with their offseason activities, all of this could seemingly come to a halt if the league and Union don’t get their act together and get a deal done.

Labor Talks Underway
The scheduled talks between the League and Union have begun, but they don’t seem to be off to a good start. As quickly as the talks started they have apparently reached an impasse and the two sides have already cancelled a 2nd day of meetings (originally scheduled for Thursday). With the current collective bargaining agreement set to expire in less than a month, the two negotiating teams are certainly not evoking a lot of confidence that a deal can be done soon. Despite the recent negative press a NFL spokesman said “the two sides are fully focused” on reaching an agreement before the March 4th deadline. With so much (money and fans) to lose, let’s hope smarter heads prevail and soon.

Broncos WR Out 6-8 Months
The Bronco’s rookie wide receiver Demaryius Thomas suffered a torn Achilles tendon injury during a workout in Atlanta and is expected to be out six to eight months. The Broncos’ young receiver has great potential to be a star in the league, but needs to stay healthy. Thomas saw limited action in his first season, but did show some signs of brilliance catching 22 passes for 283 yards with two touchdowns. His rookie campaign however was flawed with several injuries (fractured foot, concussion, sprained ankle) that kept him out of six games. Head coach John Fox sounds confident that Thomas will rebound.

The Future Has Arrived
The former Auburn quarterback Cam Newton held a workout for the media in San Diego on Thursday. Newton went through his daily workout throwing passes and completing agility drills. Newton has been working six days a week since late January working with quarterbacks coach George Whitfield Jr. and hall of fame quarterback Warren Moon. There seem to be a lot of mixed reviews about Newtons’ potential and future at the next level. He appears to be a truly gifted talent, but even with the attributes and skills to play the game it takes a lot of hard work, commitment, and dedication on ones part to be successful. These are things that only time will tell, but for now it looks like Newton is the future for some NFL team and he has arrived.

By David Ortega