i disagree with the prevailing notion that the nfc is stronger than the afc. texans, pats, broncos, steelers, ravens = tough top 5. titans, bills, jets, chargers, bengals = slugfest for the remaining playoff spots.
Bad pick, IMO. He would have a better shot to win it all with the 49'ers. They have better WR's, Top RB (Gore) and a very good defense. Add Peyton to the mix and they win the Super Bowl.
Deserved better how?? He's being replaced by one of the greatest QBs of all time, and he will be traded to a team that now needs his services. This is the NFL....not Little League.
Is it me or is Skip Bayless's recent tweets suggest that he's on the verge of an emotional breakdown?
Saints, Packers, 49ers, Bears, Giants is equally a tough top 5 if not tougher. Then you also have Falcons, Lions, and Eagles (who I think will rebound from last season).
It's really not that close, even if you discount the 49ers and Broncos from the equation. The Giants, Packers, and Saints are elite teams. They beat, top to bottom, the AFC elite of the Patriots, Ravens, and Steelers. Then the 2nd tier, Falcons, Lions, Bears, Eagles... smokes the AFC's second tier of Texans, Bengals, Jets, Chargers, etc. (Texans are really the only competitive team of that bunch). This is as strong as the NFC has been after pretty much getting handled the entire 00's. Manning will embarrass the AFC West and waltz his way into the divisional round after stomping a mudhole in some sad sack wildcard team like the Titans, Jets, or Bengals.
in my original post, btw, i wasn't implying that the afc was way better, but that they are fairly even. we won't know til the season gets going, but big question marks for saints, bears, eagles. as far as the texans, it's Super Bowl or bust this year for kubes.
Why does everyone assume that this mean that Tebow gets traded? They need a backup and I don't think a team is really going to give up very much for him.
I think we might be getting a little ahead of ourselves: a) we don’t even know if Manning can make all the throws yet; b) their offense is not good (though obviously better if Manning is healthy) and c) their defense, which has some upside and showed some promise, was mostly lousy last year (though, again – better with a healthy Manning). They won 8 games last year by beating some bad teams in wildly unconventional fashion – and then tried to give away a bad division by losing their final 3 games while being outscored 88-40. The Patriots beat them 86-33 in two of their final five games (both in Denver) and they lost a must-win against the Chiefs on the season’s final week (also at home), 7-3. If Manning’s healthy (and that remains a big, big if), Denver is a better team… but it’s not a very good team beyond him. And don’t sleep on San Diego – they’re quietly putting together a solid offseason – and guess which team Manning has his lowest career QB rating against? (Hint: It starts with “San” and ends in “Diego Chargers”) Also - I’ve always thought Manning was a shrinker – after reading Peter King’s column (in which he relates, from sources, that Manning didn’t want the pressure of being an instant SB contender in SF (or to compete against his now more heralded brother) and ran from his legacy in Tennessee*)… this feels like the Mario Williams choice: safe and lazy and a little problematic from a nerves standpoint. *BTW, if you haven’t read King’s article… I’m loathe to recommend it, but the section on how Manning has essentially crippled the Titans’ offseason and reinforced what a PITA Adams is to work for is worth your time. They had their eye on Mario Williams and got waylaid by Adams dropping the Manning edict on them, putting their pursuit of Williams and all other FAs on hold so they could placate Adams’ request. Which has now netted zero. Good times.
Of course we are, that's required to bother having a discussion, otherwise we just sit around twiddling our thumbs saying "if this if that". It's kind of a given that any scenario where the Broncos are succeeding, Peyton is healthy, so it goes without saying IMO. I assume that since Peyton got paid, he's healthy and can perform. I don't think somebody would toss him that many millions of dollars, and jettison a fan favorite, to sign a guy who might not even take the field. Stellar running game, despite not being able to throw the ball to save their lives. Manning instantly makes them a top 10 (at the very least) passing team. I see nothing but upside written all over that defense, would be shocked if they don't wind up top 12. If not top 10. Tim Tebow sucks. Totally disagree and putting my money on it. (Peyton's cohorts... Saturday, Clark, Collie, etc. will undoubtedly land in Denver, would this change your mind any?) Can you provide a link to this? The Chargers always manage to field a good defense, but simply cannot get s**t together. I'm not worried about them. Solid offseason? Eddie Royal is their best add, and they lost a very important cog in Tolbert, and an all-pro in Jackson. I'm not impressed with their offseason at all. It's a push to me, at best. Safe? How? He's replacing Jesus in shoulderpads. There is no "safe" choice. Anywhere he goes, he'd be expected to give them the world. Lazy? How? What does that even mean? He shouldn't have chosen the team that gives him the best chance to win? Problematic? How? What? Huh? Mario Williams? Wut... Mario visited one team, saw mega bucks, and made his decision within 24 hours. That is the exact opposite of what Peyton Manning just did. Stop for a moment and consider you're quoting PK, a guy we both universally despise. I know you think Manning is a choker, but come on. Even if those things PK says *were* true, it does not make Manning's decision any of those things which you describe, nor are those attributes mutually exclusive with any of the other legitimate reasons Manning may have made his decision for. Yes, it was lovely the way the Manning chase cost the Titans their entire offseason, especially Mario Williams.
Agreed 1000%...better team on both sides of the ball...warmer climate...and Tebow will be a backup somewhere
I don't buy that he's a shrinker by going to Denver at all. He went to a team that went to the AFC Divisional game with poor QB play. Their defense is solid and improving and have a solid run game as well as some WRs with potential. I wonder how much working with Harbaugh came into play. I don't see he and Peyton getting along for some reason.
Maybe they did, maybe they didn't, but we do know that 1) he didn't prefer the NFC and 2) Bud Adams and company are a bunch of slimey turds. I have no doubt that Elway played a huge part in recruiting him. Who would you rather work for? There's positive and negative subtext that can be pulled from ANY decision he made.
