Says Denver cannot win title running current style with Tebow. Terry McCormick
It seems every team in league, except the two in the Super Bowl this week, are being speculated about regarding how Peyton Manning should or would fit into their plans.
There have already been numerous reports of interest from the Jets, Dolphins and Redskins if Manning is set free by the Indianapolis Colts. Delusional fans in Tennessee have taken to the web to try and talk Peyton into coming there.
The latest columnist to play the "what if" game with Manning is Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post, who says a healthy Manning could be just the tonic to make the Broncos championship-ready. Kiszla says that, barring marked improvement from Tim Tebow as a passer in the off-season, Denver can't count on its young left-hander to deliver the necessary goods in today's pass-happy NFL.
There is certainly some truth to that part of it. Tebow has to improve as a passer to take the next step as a quarterback. But the notion of Manning landing in Denver or anywhere else is really taking on a life of its own. And what of Manning's health. That is the trump card in all this.
Going way back, Manning's situation is somewhat reminiscent of when baseball's Kansas City Royals (yes, they were once a relevant franchise) simply released Bo Jackson out of the blue because of a hip injury he sustained playing in the NFL. Fans and followers of nearly every team wanted their team to go after Bo. But the simple truth was, Jackson's hip was so badly damaged that he eventually needed hip replacement surgery. To his credit, Jackson did manage to resume his baseball career with an artificial hip, but he went from being one of the most gifted athletes ever to take the field to being a part-time DH.
The guess here is that the Indianapolis Colts doctors and team officials already have some idea as to whether Manning will be able to play in 2012 and if he will be anywhere near the same player physically as he was before. But it may be one of the other 31 teams that assumes that risk.
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Terry McCormick covers the Titans for TitanInsider.com
If Peyton goes to the Donkeys, I will scream. I hope you guys keep playing Tebow for a decade. KC will reap the benefits of that.
Jan 31, 2012
12:21 PM
What a laugh, Kiszla doing the Denver Post justice. These are the goobers who proclaimed Kyle Orton would make them "legitimate" and they got all excited over one preseason game at Dallas. Kyle Orton would bring them to a 10-6 or 11-5 record... Orton and Lloyd in the Pro Bowl... Career years for both...
Saw it coming from a mile away in the preseason, an absolute train wreck with Orton at the helm. Absolutely vanilla running game and a one dimensional offense with "Orton to Lloyd" all day long.
Peyton Manning? That's just a better version of Kyle Orton on the Broncos.
I'm sure Peyton would be thrilled to go to Denver with all the weapons and targets they have on offense. His immobility -- like Orton's -- would land him in IR soon enough behind our line.
People don't realize what Tebow does for our running game, it's not even his yards, but the threat of him running forces defenses to spread out and hesitate. Teebs deserves credit for a big part of our running game, a facet of the Broncos that would tank when an immobile pocket passer took over. We managed to lead the league in rushing but the fact is we can get a lot better running the football.
Yeah, maybe we'll land Manning, that's after we get new offensive lineman and wide receivers -- ain't happenin.