5. Week 17: Broncos vs. Chargers, 27-20
The fact that the miraculous, drama-filled, Hollywood-like return of Peyton Manning last weekend can only qualify as the fifth most-exciting game of the season just goes to show how exciting this season really was.
Obviously, Manning’s appearance was awesome, and the crowd’s response sent chills down everyone’s spine, but it would have helped if he had done a little more than go five of nine for 69 yards and no touchdowns; not that he needed to, but a touchdown or two definitely would have added to the script.
And the five turnovers didn’t help, either. Actually, they were infuriating. In reality, the Brock Osweiler-led offense was dominant on Sunday, driving up and down the field in huge chunks; if it hadn’t been for a couple tipped passes or fumbled balls, Denver would have been up by 20-plus points heading into halftime.
Unfortunately, that’s not how things work in the NFL, and maybe it was for the best.
I’m not sure whether Manning is the best man for the job — I don’t think anybody can be positive, either way — but there’s no question that he brings the highest upside, and we never would have been given the chance to find out if the Broncos didn’t shoot themselves in the foot over and over again to start the game.
