I don't hate Peyton Manning for being a stat whore and serial underachiever in the playoffs. I blame the mediots who made him more than who he was, and tried to elevate him over Tom Brady. They are the ones who have perpetrated the myth that Manning is even on the same level as Tom Brady. The gap that lies between them has been there long before Peyton's arm started to die.
However as fans, as much as we hate him as a long time rival, we should respect him as a skillful QB, in a league that doesn't have too many of them. It's not his fault he compares so badly to TFB. Against 99% of the league's QB's he still compares well. Face it we are just pissed (and rightly so) that the ESPN's of the world have just exaggerated his skills. But didn't we ALL think that while Brady handed off to RB's four times for TD's, Sunday, Manning would have thrown for at least 3 of them.
BTW- I expect Manning to keep getting better as he gets used to the hybrid he and Kubiak are developing. We've seen this act before when Chad Pennington used his Million dollar mind and 10 cent arm to cobble together an 11-5 season back in 2008. I would expect no less from Peyton. He certainly has enough tools around him to manage it.
But just like in 2008, a combination of the attrition of a long NFL season, cold weather, and better competition will likely keep the Broncos out of a bye and likely ANOTHER one and done for Peyton. You couldn't help but notice that almost every successful long throw he made the other night was a jump ball that his receiver bailed him out of. Down the road, those could all be picks as defenses begin to know his capabilities better.
Schmessy said it well. The Broncos could be 8-0 and barring draconian injuries, I wouldn't fear them. They have a great defense, no doubt, but if Gronk is still standing, they have no answer for him. The Denver D isn't better than the Bills, and we saw how that went without a running game, which we will have by the start of the playoffs. I know people are thrilled with our OL, but when Wendell and Stork come back it WILL be better.