Brock Osweiler's form should keep Peyton Manning out of Denver Broncos' line-up
Monday 23 November 2015 18:18, UK
Week 11 in the NFL did not serve up quite so much late drama as the previous weekend but it did provide us with plenty of storylines to digest on this late November Monday.
Here is what caught my eye over the course of another entertaining and enjoyable eight hours in the Sky Sports studios on Sunday evening.
Did Brock do enough?
I wondered heading into Denver's Week 11 contest with the Chicago Bears if Brock Osweiler would do enough to give the Broncos an awkward decision to make when superstar quarterback Peyton Manning returns from foot, rib and chest injuries. Whenever that is!
On the one hand and purely from a football point of view, I would say that Osweiler did enough to remain the starter and that Manning should remain on the bench. While he was not spectacular, Osweiler was good enough and that's really a significant upgrade on the mistake-prone and declining Manning.
Osweiler went 20 of 27 for 250 yards, two touchdowns and, crucially, no interceptions in a 17-15 win. But Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak was insistent that Manning would be the starter when he returns from injury and I fear, wrongly and stubbornly, that he will stick to that plan. With that in mind, the Broncos might not be so keen to rush Manning back from his injuries, especially as Osweiler played well on Sunday.
More worrying for the Broncos might be the form of their defense, which is beginning to leak big plays at an alarming rate. Had the Bears scored touchdowns instead of field goals on Sunday, we might have been talking about Denver's third successive loss. Instead, we can give a nod of approval to Osweiler.
Changing of guard in Seattle?
Powerhouse running back Marshawn Lynch has long been the emotional leader of the Seattle Seahawks and his physical style has often provided a spark in games when his team has needed it the most.
But that has not been the case this season for the 5-5 Seahawks - Lynch has spent a lot of this campaign banged up and appears to be losing his fight with Old Father Time. Lynch was left out of Sunday's 29-13 win over San Francisco with a stomach muscle injury. And, in a surprising but good way for Seattle, the Seahawks didn't miss him at all.
Undrafted rookie free agent running back Thomas Rawls had a day he will struggle to match for the remainder of his NFL career. He carried 30 times for 209 yards and one touchdown and added 46 receiving yards and another score for a 255-yard day at the office.
Lynch is the older and more expensive of these two backs and the performances of Rawls this season make me wonder if the Seahawks part company with their veteran superstar after this year is done.
More big-name injuries
The Baltimore Ravens picked up just their third win of the 2015 season on Sunday evening, defeating the St. Louis Rams 16-13. But at what cost?
The Ravens lost running back Justin Forsett to a broken arm but, more devastatingly, they lost quarterback Joe Flacco for the remainder of this season and for a considerable chunk of the 2016 off-season after he suffered torn knee ligaments.
The conversation surrounding a potential 18-game regular season in the NFL has gone away in recent years and that's hardly surprising given the injuries around the league this year. Genuine superstars such as Flacco, Andrew Luck, Dez Bryant, Jamaal Charles, LeVeon Bell and too many to list here have all missed significant time with injuries and adding games in the future is not going to solve those kind of problems in such a fast and physical sport.
Jameis copies Cam
If Jameis Winston is to enjoy a long and successful career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he could do a lot worse than to copy Cam Newton, of the Carolina Panthers.
Winston did that to the utmost on Sunday as Tampa Bay recorded a stunning 45-17 road win over Philadelphia, mirroring Cam's performance during Carolina's 44-16 beat-down of the Washington Redskins.
Both quarterbacks were outstanding and looked very, very impressive. Winston threw for 246 yards and hit five different receivers with touchdown passes. He also did not throw an interception. Newton also threw for 246 yards, did not throw an interception and hit five different receivers with touchdown passes.
No wonder they call the NFL a copycat league!
Typical Sanchez
In Philadelphia's disappointing loss to the Buccaneers we saw a typical performance from Mark Sanchez, who was starting in place of the injured Sam Bradford. And it made me wonder if Sanchez is ever going to be capable of making the kind of changes that would tidy up his game.
Heading into Sunday's game, Sanchez had accounted for 95 touchdowns and 104 turnovers during his NFL career. So his performance against the Bucs was very typical indeed - he threw two touchdown passes for the Eagles but also tossed up three interceptions, including one that was returned for a Tampa score.
The Eagles have flirted with limited success under head coach Chip Kelly and are always often talked about. But the one nut Kelly has found impossible to crack in his time in Philadelphia has been the turnovers - I doubt he solves the problem with Sanchez at the helm, either.
Romo returns
What a sight for sore eyes Tony Romo was for Dallas Cowboys fans on Sunday evening as he made a welcome return during a 24-14 win over the Miami Dolphins. Romo's return helped the Cowboys snap a seven-game losing streak in his absence - their longest losing run since the 1989 season.
Romo was not perfect as he hit on 18 of 28 passes for 227 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, but it was clear to see that he provides an emotional spark for the Cowboys and instils belief in his team-mates. That belief was sorely missing with Romo out of commission.
The Cowboys looked like a team flushing their season down the toilet when Romo was out injured. But now - with six games still to play - they are just two games behind the New York Giants and could, remarkably still mount a late challenge for the NFC East Division. Their chances have certainly improved now Romo is back in the line-up.
