This game will have a legitimate shot at being the lowest scoring Super Bowl ever.
Manning is done as a starting QB after this Super Bowl, win or lose. If even half the rumors of what he’s battled this year in terms of health issues are true another season on the field might actually kill him, and I’m only half joking. The man is a certified football genius, and someone somewhere is chomping at the bit to put that to good use, either on the sidelines or in the front office. If Manning wants to continue to contribute to NFL football, he’s got a dozen different ways he can make a huge impact without having to be under center.
Plus, as Mark Asher points out above, Brock Osweiler is legit. He did a fine job in relief of Manning this season, and they have to be thinking about signing him on as the QB of the future at this point, especially since they’re going to be in no position to draft a serviceable starting QB after this season drafting at the bottom of the order.
If the Broncos win, Manning is done. No question. He retires on top, a hero for the ages. If the Broncos lose, I suspect he still retires, though he could surprise everyone by agreeing to restructure his contract and return as a backup and mentor to Osweiler in an effort to get them to another Super Bowl. It would be crazy for sure, but nothing Peyton Manning does surprises me anymore. The man just loves football, so I can’t see him walking away from it completely no matter what happens a week and a half from now.
I wouldn’t be at all surprised if one of these days Manning becomes an executive with the Browns. He and Haslam are good friends due to their Tennessee connection.
That’s about all I can see him doing. These players don’t want to work the 80 hour weeks the coaches work. Working in more of a GM role seems more like his style. That, or he may go the broadcaster route. He can be funny.
As long as he stops the annoying Nationwide ads.
♫ I_don’t_think_I_like_your_tone. ♫
olaf
1628
I love Manning and I really hope he can pull out a win in the Super Bowl. The Denver D is great and Wade Phillips is very good at his job. I think it is going to boil down to can Denver contain Newton on the ground. I am 100% sure they can confuse him with coverage/schemes. But Newton is a QB the NFL has never seen. If he gets confused, he can run. He is an amazing athlete and a large human who can take hits. He won in high school, he won at Blinn, he won at Auburn. Pressure is not going to get the better of him. Can the great Denver D and Phillips stop all of that? Not sure. But even if they do…Denver is a team that is not going to light up the scoreboard. Manning will need to play mistake free and Denver will need to score more than they did against Pit and NE.
Nixxter
1629
♫ I_don’t_think_I_like_your_tone. ♫
I can’t hit the mute button fast enough when any ad he’s in comes on. Unfortunately that would carry over to him being a broadcaster or any other role that involves putting him in front of a camera. It’s like they put that horsey looking jock in high school in … Been this way forever which makes me question how the entire industry of advertising works (and I never hear anyone else saying it).
Unfortunately it colors my feelings about his as a QB too. I have no reason to dislike him on the field. In fact, we both have the same neck issues (my left arm is affected and his continued play has no doubt aggravated his condition). And, I would still like to see him and Broncos win and go out on top.
Alstein
1630
I can see the Panthers holes on D being something Denver will have a hard time exploiting. Carolina’s biggest vulnerability is the deep ball, and Manning isn’t as good at that now. Brains-wise, Kuechly is the smartest LB in the NFL, and probably can match Manning in brainpower. Offensively, I think Carolina will be able to run on Denver, and won’t be throwing it all that much- Carolina’s offense is different than most other NFL teams, which is one reason why they’re so effective- they don’t play like anyone else.
Denver can win this game, but if both teams play their best I think Carolina wins by at least one score, as they attack Denver’s weaknesses better than Denver attacks Carolina’s.
No football today, right? No, wait, there is that all-star game in Hawaii. Unfortunately, it seems to be on ESPN. So no football for me today.
CraigM
1632
No, you had it right the first time. No football today, period. Now stop trying to lie to us about some silly thing claiming to be football in Hawaii.
Man Detroit fans are having nightmares of when Barry Sanders retired all over again with the rumor Calvin Johnson has told the Lions he’s not coming back.
Playing for the Lions must be soul sucking. Can’t blame him.
Shefter at ESPN reporting confirmation that he also told family that 2015 was his last year.
Man.
NM, forgot about 2011 and 2014.
I know a lot of Lions fans get angry when I say it, but I think this is actually good for the Lions. He just hasn’t been worth the money they were locked in on him of late, and this frees up a TON of salary cap.
The Lions made a run at it. They had a QB, a stud WR, and a good defense. They just never quite got over the hump and like most NFL teams, they have turnover due to salary cap.
I think Johnson is doing the right thing. Get out while healthy. The Lions are not contending for a Superbowl next year.
He’s forcing them to release him. He will be playing elsewhere this year.
olaf
1639
Who watched the Pro Bowl?!?!?! Yeah, me neither. I saw the highlights though.
The Demaryius Thomas story with his mom is a nice story. Well nice now. But it really highlights how shitty the “War on Drugs” is.
rshetts
1640
No he is not. If he retires the Lions retain his rights whenever he chooses to come back. This is not a ploy, he has been playing injured for 2 years. He has legitimate health concerns and he has never pulled this kind of bullshit. If he decides to continue to play he will be a Lion. Also, nothing has changed since his initial announcement in early Jan. This recent report is just ESPN trying to create a story. Its very likely that he will in fact retire but until he actually does, none of this speculation matters. In fact while the ESPN report is based on old news from early January local reports from just last week say that Johnson is now leaning towards playing one more season. It wouldnt be the first time a football player said he was retiring after a tough and painful season, only to change his mind once he had some time to heal and think about it.
As far as the Lions benefiting if he actually does retire. In the long run, yes I agree. It will help their salary cap situation a lot and allow them to make some positive moves. It would actually be better for them though, if he did defer retiring until after the 2016 season as they wont get a lot of cap relief this year regardless.
