Broncos notes: Kubiak gives vote of confidence to Brock

Now that Peyton Manning is back and Tom Brady has an extra week to rest up, the Broncos and Patriots are headed for another showdown in the AFC championship game. He was sacked once, didn’t get picked, and led four scoring drives to turn a 13-7 deficit into a 27-20 win over the Chargers to give Denver homefield advantage through the playoffs.

Peyton Manning rode the bench before riding to the rescue for the Denver Broncos on Sunday in what might set up an enthralling run to the Super Bowl in the twilight of the quarterback’s extraordinary career.

Manning began the game as a backup for the first time since his freshman year at Tennessee, when he replaced an injured Todd Helton against Mississippi State.

Against Chicago, Osweiler played a solid game. However, for all non-Chiefs, and for that matter non-Bengals fans, you should call us when you win a playoff game.

However, it looks like the Denver Broncos might be leaning more on starting and sticking with Osweiler. And while she thinks Kubiak has enough control of the locker room to go in either direction, she thinks a return to Osweiler at this point would seem like “waffling”.

The Denver Broncos aren’t even finished with the 2015-2016 season, but the team has already announced who the team will play, and where, next year.

Manning, who missed seven weeks with a foot injury, received a thunderous ovation and promptly launched an 80-yard, eight-play drive capped by C.J. Anderson’s one-yard touchdown that gave Denver a 14-13 lead.

Manning also got rid of the ball quicker than Osweiler, although he did sustain a vicious hit from Damion Square that left him wondering how his body would feel this week.

And says when he has to make the decision on the starting quarterback, it will be about what is best for the football team. The longer this drags out, the bigger the distraction for a team that doesn’t need any more drama. Whether he’s letting balls sail over his head into the end zone on the first play of the Super Bowl or he’s throwing costly picks at the wrong time, Manning has become an expert at letting Denver down.

When Manning trotted out onto the field the fans went nuts. Does Osweiler believe his head coach has confidence in him? “And he knows his team has confidence in him”, Kubiak said.

None of that was his fault, but the Broncos needed a spark and Manning provided it. “So he’s very in-tune to the game and we just knew that things were going to be good, regardless of what was going to happen with Brock or Peyton”.

Officially, Osweiler went 5-2 as the starter and Manning 7-2.

Peyton Manning returned to help the Broncos clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Brock did a great job with this football team.

More importantly, the offense just seemed to be rejuvenated under Manning and they protected the ball, allowing the rushing attack and the defense to take over the game.

The Broncos will play the entire AFC South and the Panthers and Falcons from the NFC South. The Broncos play at New Orleans and Tampa Bay for the first time in a dozen years, the team said. Broncos coach Gary Kubiak said that Marshall did not suffer a setback in his brief work Monday.

Kubiak said Denver’s opponent – Chiefs, Texans or Steelers – won’t factor into his QB decision, either.

You may never see a better play by a kicker.