Manning leads Broncos past Chargers 27-20

Rivers found Antonio Gates in the corner of the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown on the second possession of the second half to give the Chargers a 13-7 lead, which prompted the Broncos to bring in Peyton Manning, who had missed the last six games. He will back up Brock Osweiler. The week after was the Kansas City debacle, when he threw four interceptions and completed just 5 of 20 passes.

Jameis Winston threw for 325 yards, but was intercepted twice as the Bucs (6-10) finished last in the NFC South for the fourth time in five years. Under his direction, Denver clinched a playoff spot.

That said, a little work in a meaningful and tight game, not only gives this Broncos team some confidence, it likely has to get Manning fired up that he played well the first time out. Quarterback Brock Osweiler would be the starter as Peyton Manning’s foot continued to heal. And it could be argued that his two interceptions, one of which hit receiver Jordan Norwood in the hands before being picked, weren’t either. He said that Osweiler didn’t do anything necessarily wrong, a point we mostly agree with. When Manning was listed as the backup against the Chargers, it was his first backup role since his freshman year at Tennessee.

Asked about Manning’s unusual and still-evolving season, Kubiak said, “He’s the ultimate professional”.

With Osweiler, the Broncos didn’t get any turnovers and they committed five.

Manning’s stat line – 5 for 9 for 59 yards, no TDs, no interceptions and one sack – belied the impact he had. Manning, who has been sidelined since November 15 with a torn plantar fascia, has been dealing with another off-field issue after he was named in a report by Al-Jazeera as having obtained HGH through his wife.

THE OTHER REPLACEMENT: Manning entered the game at about the same time as backup right tackle Tyler Polumbus, who replaced the struggling Michael Schofield. With Polumbus in, running backs Ronnie Hillman (117 yards) and Anderson (95) did most of their damage, including Hillman’s 23-yard burst for the winning score. The Cowboys, who came in at 4-11, are on their way to their most losses since going 1-15 in 1989, the year owner and general manager Jerry Jones bought the team. (Given how futile 4-12 San Diego was, he would have had to have been pretty bad.) The only question that matters is whether Manning can hold up well enough physically to win three consecutive games against playoff teams.

“We’ll sit down”, Kubiak said after the game. “That’s what I concern myself with”.

With the loss, the Chargers officially have the No. 3 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Denver’s pass protection was a bigger issue than Osweiler. “I knew he was ready to go”.

Head coach Gary Kubiak made his decision in one of the oldest, time-honored ways imaginable. His status is trickier in large part because the Chargers are also dealing with the potential move to Los Angeles.

WE’RE NO. 1!: The close of the regular season isn’t only about playoff berths; it’s also about draft order. The top seeds in the AFC, with opening-round byes, are No. 1 Denver and No. 2 New England, while in the NFC, it’ll be No. 1 Carolina and No. 2 Arizona. Riding the success of their defense, look for the Broncos to be one of the teams to beat on the road to super bowl 50.