Pelissero: Peyton Manning's limitations hinder Broncos' offense
The Denver Broncos’ offense doesn’t scare anybody right now. And even after a 5-0 start driven by their Super Bowl-caliber defense, there is reason to be concerned quarterback Peyton Manning has become so limited physically the other side of the ball simply can’t catch up.
A high-ranking executive for another NFL team who has studied the Broncos recently explained it this way: The offensive line isn’t what it was, hurting the run game and protection. They don’t have a great running back. They’re trying to figure out coach Gary Kubiak’s offense and fit it to Manning on the fly.
Manning, 39, still has a quick release. He’s still really smart and accurate underneath. But he doesn’t have much zip on the ball – even less than a year ago – and that mitigates some of the mismatches they can create with Pro Bowl receivers Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders.
“He didn’t look the same,” the executive told Paste BN Sports of Manning, speaking on condition of anonymity for competitive reasons. “Their vertical pass game has been kind of nonexistent. You’ve just got to take away the dink-and-dunk and stop the run. He can’t push it downfield like a lot of guys. And when the weather gets bad, it’s only going to get worse.”
The exception is when Manning – who threw 55 touchdown passes and won his fifth MVP just two years ago – can climb in the pocket, get a couple good shuffle steps and put his full body into the throw, as he did on a 45-yard strike to Sanders early last week at Oakland.
But look at the third-and-6 play midway through the second quarter against the Raiders, who held the Broncos without an offensive touchdown. Sanders gets the perfect matchup: one-on-one against rookie linebacker Neiron Ball on a sort of wheel route out of the backfield. Instead, Manning throws incomplete for a well-covered Thomas on a drag short of the sticks, leaving Sanders standing with an arm raised in frustration and the Broncos with a field goal.
Did Manning doubt he could make the throw with Raiders safety Charles Woodson playing center field? Or was Manning just trying to get the ball out before the rush could arrive?
The latter would be understandable, given Manning’s medical history, including neck surgeries that robbed him of arm strength years ago. He’s known to go fetal to avoid getting hit. But if he’s concerned about pulling the trigger without a shot putter’s start, that’s a whole other issue.
Woodson later caught Manning’s sixth and seventh interceptions of the season, on a throw over tight end Owen Daniels’ head in the end zone and a heave to Thomas on a corner route that hung in the air forever. The previous week, the Minnesota Vikings picked off a couple floaters, too.
“Some (interceptions) have just been poor decisions and a couple have been bad luck, but regardless, I need to eliminate them,” Manning told reporters this week. “It would be a great week to do that this week.”
It’s also a great week to run against a Cleveland Browns defense that’s giving up 149.4 yards a game on the ground. But they, like every other Broncos opponent, figure to devote more resources near the line of scrimmage because Manning rarely will beat them over the top.
The good news for the Broncos is they have a defense loaded with difference-makers that has come up with a clutch takeaway five straight weeks. The bad news is that may be all they have.
“It’s the reality of it right now,” the executive said. “They’re undefeated. But it’s going to catch them, when they play a good team.”
CASSEL GOOD FOR SHORT RELIEF
Matt Cassel’s former teammates and coaches rave about his work ethic and leadership. But can Cassel do something the Dallas Cowboys’ other backup quarterback, Brandon Weeden, couldn’t in three starts: win with starter Tony Romo on the sideline?
“Well, probably not for very long, but you can probably win a couple,” said one NFL assistant coach who knows Cassel well. “You’ve got to be mentally and physically tough, and Matt Cassel is both. Even though he’s not the most talented, he’s going to be very tough and very smart.”
Cassel, 33, doesn’t have Weeden’s arm. But he has the edge in experience, having started 73 NFL games. His last full season as a starter was 2010 with the Kansas City Chiefs, who reached the playoffs with Cassel throwing 27 touchdowns to just seven interceptions.
One knock on Cassel since: He’ll sometimes try to do too much, leading to turnovers that tend to come in bunches. He has given away the ball 44 times in 31 games (27 starts) since 2011 while bouncing from Kansas City to Minnesota to Buffalo and now Dallas.
Cassel’s next chance comes Oct. 25 on the road against the Giants after this week’s bye.
CAN PANTHERS RALLY?
Here’s a question Cam Newton and the unbeaten Carolina Panthers probably will have to answer sooner than later: How does their offense adjust when they have to play from behind?
They’ve yet to trail by more than 10 points (and by 10 just once, for 6½ minutes in the second quarter against the Saints) or in the fourth quarter. That’s ideal for a Panthers team that needs to play dominating defense and run the football to be successful.
The loss of top receiver Kelvin Benjamin to a knee injury in camp was a huge blow. Tight end Greg Olsen is now easily the Panthers’ top receiving threat, with speedy Ted Ginn the only real perimeter weapon (and he’s inconsistent). Jonathan Stewart is averaging 3.7 yards a carry.
“They don’t have some of the weapons they’ve had in the past,” one coach who has game-planned against the Panthers this season told Paste BN Sports. “It’s a matter of containing Cam, in the run game as well as making him become a pocket passer.”
Sunday’s trip to Seattle could be telling. The Seahawks have led in the fourth quarter of every game this season, but they’ve uncharacteristically blown those leads in three of them.
In last year’s divisional playoff loss at Seattle, Newton rushed for 37 yards on 11 carries and was 23-of-36 passing for 246 yards with two interceptions and two touchdown throws – both to Benjamin, who led the Panthers in targets (10), catches (seven) and yards (75).
INSIDE RUNS
— How strong is the expectation the New England Patriots will drub the Indianapolis Colts in Sunday night’s rematch of the AFC title rout that spawned Deflategate? After opening as 5- to 6½-point favorites at various sportsbooks, the Patriots were -9½ to -10½ as of Thursday afternoon.
— If the Colts let coach Chuck Pagano walk after the season, don’t overlook the possibility he stays in the AFC South. At least one and perhaps multiple jobs figure to open up in a division where Pagano’s Colts teams have won 16 consecutive games, an NFL record.
— Worth noting as speculation swirls about Sean Payton’s future with the Saints: A head coach technically can’t be traded. Under the NFL’s anti-tampering policy, another team can request permission to speak to and sign a coach who’s under contract (as Payton is) after the season ends. Before permission is granted, the teams can agree on compensation to release the coach from his existing contract if he agrees to a new one. In other words, a team can’t send a coach packing against his wishes unless it fires him. Also, the new team still must comply with the Rooney Rule by interviewing a minority candidate.
— Keep an eye on the division of labor in the Seattle Seahawks’ backfield against Carolina. They’ve wanted to lighten the load on Marshawn Lynch for years, and Thomas Rawls’ emergence in Lynch’s recent absence might earn him continued action. Not bad for an undrafted rookie out of Central Michigan who signed for a $15,000 bonus.
TOM'S TOP 10
(Last ranking in parentheses)
1. Green Bay Packers (1): Mike McCarthy’s time with the defense may be paying dividends.
2. New England Patriots (2): Don’t dismiss the impact of losing left tackle Nate Solder.
3. Cincinnati Bengals (5): Derailed by injuries in 2014, Tyler Eifert looks like the missing piece.
4. Denver Broncos (4): Wade Phillips may have been their most important offseason addition.
5. Seattle Seahawks (3): Too high at 2-3? Not if the defense jells and somebody finds Jimmy Graham.
6. Pittsburgh Steelers (6): Rebounding for a road win in Ben Roethlisberger’s absence was huge.
7. Atlanta Falcons (7)*: A lot hinges on how well Julio Jones can play through a bad hamstring.
8. Arizona Cardinals (8): Still not “retired,” Bruce Arians gets his shot at the Steelers on Sunday.
9. Minnesota Vikings (10): Player who’s not getting enough credit: nose tackle Linval Joseph.
10. New York Jets (NR): No surprise Todd Bowles is getting the most from a talented defense.
Dropped out: St. Louis Rams (9).
*Note: Does not factor in Thursday night’s result.
Follow Tom Pelissero on Twitter @TomPelissero.
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