Whatever side you come out on, there’s no doubt that Peyton Manning and the Broncos offense have become quite the conversation starter, and I don’t see that changing any time soon.
On Monday, the conversation extended into Dove Valley where head coach Gary Kubiak was asked about the team’s offensive struggles. And like any good head coach, there was a whole lot of “coach speak.”
Let’s try to read between the lines and see what Kubiak was actually trying to say:
On Demaryius Thomas’ dropped passes:
“He’ll correct those things. He’s a hard worker. He’s hard on himself. The one play there is a big glaring one because it could have probably gotten us pretty close to field goal range in regulation. He was targeted 17 times yesterday, so he gets a chance to make a lot of plays and we count on him. When he doesn’t make a play, I know he’s hard on himself. I know he’ll bounce back. We’ve got great expectations for him, but nobody is harder on himself than he is.”
There’s no way Kubiak patted DT on the back and said “You’ll get them next time, buddy.” Those drops weren’t bad; they were inexcusable, and they’re not the first ones we’ve seen this year, either.
It would be one thing if either catch was even slightly contested, but he was wide open. When you’re getting paid as much money as DT is getting paid, you CANNOT drop passes like that; it’s literally his job.
But Kubiak and the Broncos don’t really have a choice here. Despite the drops, DT is still a great wide receiver, and Denver needs him confident and at his best. Crucifying him on the podium isn’t going to do anybody any good.
On the offensive line:
“I think that’s the best we’ve played this year up front. I saw vast improvement with various players. We played a lot of people. [C/G] Max [Garcia] played a lot in the game. I liked what I saw from him. [T Tyler] Polumbus continues to give [T] Ryan [Harris] a break and [T Michael] Schofield continues to grow. I’m encouraged by how we played. That was a big positive coming out of the game. We haven’t arrived by any means, but that was a big step forward. I’m excited about what they can become if they’ll just stay the course and keep going.”
Evan Mathis is on thin ice.
The big-time free agent signing has yet to pan out, and now the man he came in to replace, Max Garcia, is slowly working his way back onto the field. Against the Browns, Garcia came on at left guard for several series (15 total plays) in place of Mathis, and I don’t think it was just because Mathis is dealing with some lingering injuries.
The Broncos like Garcia, and they’re going to find a way to get him onto the field.
On Peyton Manning’s turnovers:
“He’s got some decisions I know he’d like to have back. When you’re the quarterback, you’re the guy pulling the trigger all the time. We know we have to improve in the turnover department. As a coach, you always look at it and say, ‘Okay, were we doing something on that route, maybe, that I shouldn’t be asking him to do?’ or those type [of things]. That’s how you look at things. There is no skating around the fact that we’re turning the ball over too much. He and I have got to get that improved, and we will. That’s important for our team.”
Kubiak understands as well as anybody that the Broncos’ offense is a work in process, but I think it’s only just dawning on him how big of a task it actually is.
I never thought I’d see the day when a coach was asking whether they were asking “too much” of Peyton Manning. Really, just think about that for a second. It’s crazy, and I don’t think Kubiak could’ve expected that when he got to Denver, either.
But that’s the way things are right now, and finding a solution may be the difference between another playoff flameout and a Super Bowl championship.