The Broncos should sack Manning in week three so the Seahawks can’t. By Zach Sheely
“There isn’t much to gain from a week three win in the NFL, but there is a whole lot to lose, and it’s easy to foresee the sluggish-of-foot Manning taking much abuse at the hands of Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril and company – again.”
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John Fox should give Peyton Manning the day off when the Broncos visit the Seahawks in Seattle, Sept. 21.
Sit the Sheriff, a guy who’s started every game he’s ever played in the highly anticipated
Super Bowl 48 rematch? Absolutely.
The Seahawks made the Broncos look feeble on that frigid February night in New Jersey, and the defending champs appeared even better in the Thursday night opener in Seattle, dismantling a Packers team many picked to compete for the NFC crown.
Aaron Rodgers ran for his life – something Manning can’t do – forced from the pocket on nearly every snap as the Seahawks edge rush raced around the Packers tackles like turnstiles, sacking Rodgers three times. The Packers were only able to muster 255 yards total yards of offense.
It was a tough game to stomach for Broncos Country. On a night when the Seahawks unveiled their championship banner, Broncos fans were subjected to replay after replay of the ineptitude of the Broncos and Manning in the Super Bowl, succumbing to the Seahawks Nascar-fast pass rush over and over.
There isn’t much to gain from a week three win in the NFL, but there is a whole lot to lose, and it’s easy to foresee the sluggish-of-foot Manning taking much abuse at the hands of Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril and company – again.
The Broncos offensive line is better than the Packers patch-work unit, and the return of Ryan Clady should be a big time boost in pass protection, but this Seahawks defense is fast and physical and thrives on creating chaos in the pocket. Seattle looks unbeatable, especially at CenturyLink Field, where they’ve won 16 of their last 17 games, outscoring opponents by an average of 30-13. The “Hawk’s Nest” is the best home field advantage in the NFL, and is one of the loudest stadiums around since Mile High was torn down. Against the Seahawks this time around, the Broncos can expect some noise.
That’s not to mention the Seattle offense, which looked superior to the 2013 version. Marshawn Lynch is already in beast mode, with 110 yards on a mere 20 attempts and two touchdowns against Green Bay. The return of Percy Harvin, who is a threat to score every time he touches the ball, is a nice boon, and he affords the Seahawks the ability to stretch the field. Russell Wilson is clever and mobile, and fast becoming the model quarterback which NFL teams will seek.
This Seahawks team, barring major injury, is unequivocally The Team to Beat in the league.
John Fox should hand the keys to the more mobile Brock Osweiler against Seattle, like a father letting his son drive the Corvette to the prom. Why not give him some actual game experience? He can’t do much worse than Manning did in the Super Bowl, and maybe his mobility might be the key to beating this team. Wishful thinking, but it would be a better option than watching Manning dance around like he’s trying to get out of quicksand as the pocket collapses around him.
Yes, this is the NFL and each game matters, but for the Broncos, who don’t have much to show for consecutive 13 win seasons, this year should be more about getting into the playoff tournament healthy and fresh, and not so much about scoring, touchdown records and awards.
The Broncos are certainly the class of the AFC, and without Peyton Manning they’re probably playing for a top ten draft pick. Facing the Seahawks would be a great litmus test and chance at some redemption, but this team’s psyche could suffer permanent damage with a repeat of Super Bowl 48.
Last season, Gregg Popovich, coach of the Spurs, sat his entire starting five in the first regular season matchup against the Heat, fresh off their loss to the Heat in The Finals the year prior. The Spurs of course got the last laugh, returning the favor and beating the Heat handily in The Finals rematch. With an earlier than usual bye week, the Broncos would do well to follow the Spurs model and keep their aged veterans well rested to have any hope of beating Seattle in an actual Super Bowl rematch.
Manning gives the Broncos their best chance to win, but at 38 years old, and in his 17th year he relies on his wit and football acumen to dissect defenses more than physical skill set. Unfortunately, it’s hard to outwit a relentless pass rush.
The Broncos should sack Manning in week three, so the Seahawks can’t.
