National Football League notes: Osweiler to start, Manning to get second opinion

Quarterback Brock Osweiler’s performance against the Bears this past Sunday helped lead to a Broncos win – and has convinced many fans that he should replace Peyton Manning on a longer-term, and perhaps permanent, basis.

Whether it’s the Denver Post’s Mark Kiszla, Mile High Report, or Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, everything we’ve heard in the last week has only pushed forward the belief that something fishy is going on down at the Broncos facility; the belief that Manning’s injury is simply the ideal excuse for John Elway and the Broncos to move on to Brock Osweiler. The defense is the primary issue. “He’s a very composed young man and the more he plays, I think, the better he’s going to get”. Manning looked like a poor fit for Kubiak’s system from the start this year, so a new team that will allow him to have full control of the offense could be an appealing scenario. Kubiak may be an offensive-minded coach, but he knows where his bread is buttered with this team.

Per ESPN’s Chris Mortensen, Osweiler learned of the decision after Kubiak spoke to Manning. Osweiler then started against Chicago while Manning focused on rehabbing his foot injury. They are clearly making strides under Fox, who split with Denver in January after leading the Broncos to four first-place finishes in the division and a trip to the Super Bowl.

Obviously, the Patriots will be a much bigger challenge than the Bears, and television won’t get its Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning matchup. When asked Monday if Osweiler could keep the job, Kubiak said the team would take it “week to week”. “We’re used to his cadence, his calls, and he’s really been each week in the game plan”, Harris said. Osweiler threw for 250 yards and two touchdowns. Manning flew to Charlotte, North Carolina, on Monday for a second opinion on his left foot, and his future for the rest of the season and his career remain unclear. He has 17 interceptions to go with only nine touchdown passes and was benched last week during a game against Kansas City in which he compiled a passer rating of 0.0. And we won our eighth game.

“On the two-point conversion, I have to do a better job of getting two yards”, said Langford, who was held to 25 yards on 13 carries. “That’s hard for him, but he’s been great with me”. “That’s all you have to do in this offense: Don’t turn it over”.

We’ll see if it’s what the Patriots want. It’s quite ironic actually to see him achieve history by becoming NFL’s all-time passing yards leader and at the same time performing in probably the worst game in his storied career during the Broncos’ loss to the Chiefs last week.