At 6’8”, Brock Osweiler is one of the tallest players in the NFL. (Getty)
It’s a new era in Denver.
After yesterday’s four-interception debacle, Peyton Manning was benched for the Broncos final quarter against the Chiefs. He was replaced by fourth-year backup Brock Osweiler, who drove the Broncos down for a late touchdown despite the 29-13 loss on Sunday.
What does this mean?
After Sunday’s loss, Broncos coach Gary Kubiak admitted that it was a mistake to start Manning. The injured starter took limited reps in practice, but Kubiak admitted he should have done a better job protecting his future Hall-of-Famer. When Manning exited the game in the second half, he had a quarterback rating of zero.
If the question is Manning’s health and not strictly his ability, it would be a different conversation. But this is not a new Manning for 2015, as the now all-time passing leader has consistently ranked among the league’s worst quarterbacks this season.
On Monday, it was revealed that Manning further aggravated injuries during the loss to Kansas City. That means that he will most likely focus on getting healthy, and be sitting for the next few weeks.
Which brings us to Osweiler. The former Arizona State product doesn’t need to step in and start calling Omahas. He’s in a talented offense, run by veteran NFL minds. As you saw yesterday, the 6’8” Osweiler has no problem standing tall in the pocket.
What Brock can do that Manning can’t , push the ball downfield.
The biggest knock is experience. Osweiler was drafted the same year Denver signed Peyton Manning, so it’s never been conceivable he would be bumped to the starting role. Before Sunday, he had completed just 17 passes in the NFL.
From a fantasy perspective, we’re pretty late in the season to be scouting quarterbacks. If that’s what you’re doing, don’t waste any more time and go put a claim in for Osweiler. Denver has a few vulnerable defenses remaining on their schedule, so look for Osweiler to put a few solid weeks together down the stretch.