Was Peyton Manning the reason behind the Broncos' late-season shift toward a run-dominant offensive approach? The team closed the season by winning four of its final five games while throwing significantly less than they did during the early part of the season.
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When the shift first started, speculation emerged that Manning may have been injured or that Denver was trying to rest his arm for the playoffs. Although Manning did suffer a thigh injury, it apparently had nothing to do with the changes in the offensive philosophy the team employed.
According to ESPN, Denver head coach John Fox was not even willing to discuss the notion that something was wrong with Manning. "He's one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game," Fox said. "Statistically the top three this year, his performance kind of speaks for itself."
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When he was told that Manning's performance dipped noticeably near the end of the season, Fox replied, "Everybody's got opinions, but I don't see that."
Manning did his usual practice work this week, and afterward, he said, "I feel pretty good physically. Like all players, I've battled through some injuries. I think the bye week came at a good time for us, gave some guys a chance to get healthy."
The Broncos claim they have just been running the ball more out of necessity after they ran it a mere 10 times in a loss to the St. Louis Rams. The decision allegedly has nothing to do with injury concerns for Manning, Julius Thomas, or anyone else.
"We've tried to find different ways to win football games, and hopefully that prepares us well when we get into these playoff games and anything can go on," Manning said. "... You never know what it's going to be, and [I] think we've proven we can win games different ways. Hopefully that serves us well potentially on Sunday."
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