Manning goes from young Colt to big Bronco

The wait is over.  Peyton Manning is packing his bags and going to the AFC West.  The four-time MVP will be the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos.  

Manning is not just a great acquisition for Denver; he is a game changer.  However, Broncos fans should not reserve hotel rooms in the Big Easy for Super Bowl XLVII just yet.  The Broncos are a young team.  Manning has to go west and train a new offense to really block and stop bucking around.

The good thing for Denver is that Peyton is revered for his work ethic and skill.  His presence commands respect and he will not have any difficulty gaining trust in the locker room.  This is important because the offense is going to completely change from a run offense to a pass-first offense.  Plus, Manning’s play calling is unlike any other QB.  Listening and trusting is key.

I’m not really concerned with Peyton’s health.  Reports about his exams have been favorable.  It has been over a year since he played in a NFL game.  It will take him some time to get back to 100%, but he is a champion and ready to compete.  He is ready to get to work and will be in Denver next month for OTAs (organized team activities).  

One player does guarantee a Super Bowl, but a guy like Manning will surely improve Denver’s 8-8 record last season.

Ciao!

Heels & Helmets®

Peyton Manning goes team hunting

After 14 years with the same team, in the same city with the same fans, Peyton Manning is moving on.  Last week he and Colts owner Jim Irsay held an emotional press conference to announce that the 11-time pro bowl quarterback would no longer be the offensive leader of the Indianapolis Colts.  While it was a sad day in Indianapolis, it made a lot of other fans hopeful about the prospect of their team landing the quarterback.

I read that 12 teams were going after the future hall of famer, but not all of them were announced.  Over the weekend, Manning visited the Denver Broncos and the Arizona Cardinals.   

The Broncos rolled out the red carpet for Manning.  They sent a charted plane for him and provided a tour of the facility with team leadership.  It is widely know that he is close to John Elway, vice president of football operations for the Broncos and John Fox the head coach. 

The Arizona Cardinals were not out-done by Denver.  They held meetings, tours of the facility and had their all-pro receiver, Larry Fitzgerald join them for half of the day.  Manning has a good relationship with Arizona’s head coach, Ken Wisenhunt.

Peyton is back at his home in Florida.  He will continue training and weighing the options for his new team.  A visit to the Miami Dolphins has not been planned, but they are one of the teams who expressed interest in having the NFL’s biggest free agent join their locker room.  It is possible that Manning could “take his talents to South Beach.”

Manning’s agent, Tom Condon, did not attend either one of the visits.  It is clear that for Manning, the first step in the process is football.  When you are Peyton Manning, you know that the money will come. 

Ciao!

Heels & Helmets®

The Tebow difference

Eight weeks ago the Denver Broncos looked lifeless.  They had only won one game and sat last in their division, the AFC West.  After their bye week (Week 6), they returned with a new starting quarterback and transformed into a new team.  The new leader on the Broncos’ offense is Tim Tebow.

I was asked if the difference in Denver’s performance was because Tebow’s style was similar to the wildcat.  While many people refer to wildcat as an offense, it is not actually an offense system.  It is a formation used in an offense system.  In this formation, the ball is snapped directly to the running back.  Tebow can play in a wildcat formation because he is athletic and runs well.  He can throw defenses off by taking the snap and running or lining up as a receiver. 

Denver uses an option offense.  Tebow is a dual threat to defenses because he can pass or rush.  As a result, Denver has an "option" to allow Tebow to rush like a running back.

Tebow is good, but there are a lot of good QBs in the NFL.  Not many of them have completely turned their teams around as a new starter in the middle of the season.  The difference is that he believes that he can win.  It is clear that his belief is contagious in the Broncos locker room.  Since he took over Denver has only lost one game and are now in first in their division. 

All of the wins were not pretty.  Five of them came when the game was tied or the Broncos were down entering the fourth quarter.  Tebow fights until the end and keeps his teammates fired up to get the win.  That is the difference he brought to Denver.

Ciao!

Heels & Helmets®

Time to give Tebow some credit

Tim Tebow is the current starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos.  He is a polarizing player who many fans love and just as many love to hate.  The way he plays the game and his unabashed expression of his religious beliefs causes great debate among fans.  Some believe that he is not and will not be a “NFL” quarterback because of his inferior passing skills and reliance to run.  Others think he is entertaining and will grow into a great quarterback.  Many people admire Tebow for being confident enough to speak about Christianity, but some think that he is over the top with his relig

Tebow took over the starting QB job last month.  At the time, the Broncos had only won one game.  Since then, Denver has won five out of six games and are on the cusp of reaching the playoffs.  Even with a 5 – 1 record as a starter, there is still a lot of debate about Tebow’s ability.  The critics say that the credit for Denver’s surge should be given to the defense.

Denver’s defense has done a great job and yes, defense wins championships.  However, the quarterback is a key position.  Not just for conducting the offensive game plan but for the leadership.  Just ask Indianapolis Colts fans how important a QB is.  They know that there season would be completely different if Peyton was playing.

Tebow does have some growing to do, but this does not mean that he is not the reason that the team turned things around.   His passing has been average, but he has found a way for the Broncos to win and he has motivated his teammates to desire to win.  He is not Tom Brady, but give the guy some credit for getting Denver above a .500 record.

Ciao!

Heels & Helmets