Post Classifieds
Peyton Manning not done just yet
By Tony Fiorello
On April 21, 2012
Whenever a legendary athlete who has played in one city for a long time suddenly switches teams, it can
be a bit jarring, especially if the athlete has had a lot of success earlier in their career.
Not only is it rare when such a figure leaves their team for a new one after a long time, but it's even
rarer when someone has success away from his original home. More often than not, the image of seeing
these athletes in colors other than the ones we're used to is a sad one.
I could go on and on with examples of this. Michael Jordan with the Washington Wizards, Willie Mays
with the New York Mets, Emmitt Smith with the Arizona Cardinals, Jerry Rice with the Seattle Seahawks
- you get the idea.
But some do enjoy glory with a new team. Joe Montana with the Kansas City Chiefs, Ray Bourque with
the Colorado Avalanche and Brett Favre with the Minnesota Vikings certainly fit the bill.
Recently, another all-time great was released by his now-former team, only to sign with a new franchise
- Peyton Manning.
I believe that Manning will continue to play nearly as well for the Denver Broncos as he did for the
Indianapolis Colts. Granted, if his neck injury flares up again, this could all be rendered a moot point.
Assuming that he's healthy enough to play, here are three reasons why he'll succeed in Denver:
Denver's coaching staff is flexible. Throughout his career, Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy
has shown that he is willing to adjust his offensive system in order to win. From running Josh McDaniels'
wide-open scheme to running a conventional offense to operating a zone-read option offense with Tim
Tebow, McCoy has demonstrated that he can mold his offense to fit the personnel he and head coach
John Fox are given to work with.
Given that his mastery of the Colts' no-huddle offense was a major factor in his success, Manning and
the Broncos are bound to incorporate many facets of Indianapolis's scheme into their playbook. In fact,
that process has already begun, as Denver has signed two of Manning's former teammates to help
install the scheme - tight end Jacob Tamme and wide receiver Brandon Stokely.
The personnel the Broncos have fit the scheme. No team in sports can succeed without contributions
from more than one person, and that is certainly the case in football. Manning can't be the end-all, be-
all for Denver; he needs good players around him in order to lift the Broncos to a championship-caliber
level.
At its peak, the Colts' offense featured an offensive line that was nimble in pass protection and excelled
in zone blocking, wide receivers and tight ends that were quick and excellent route runners and running
backs that could run with power and speed. The Broncos' offensive unit possesses all of these traits,
which spells trouble for their opponents.
The environment in which the Broncos play. Considering that the Colts' fast-paced offense made it hard
for opposing defenses to substitute personnel (and also tired defensive players quickly), Denver's high
altitude should favor the Broncos' offense.
The Broncos' fan base is also notoriously loud. This is an advantage to defenses, as opposing
quarterbacks can have a hard time communicating with their teammates while dealing with noise. It is
an especially huge advantage for the Broncos' defense, as it ranked among the best in the NFL in sacks in
2011.
Because of these aspects in play, I fully expect the Denver Broncos to become one of the league's best
teams in 2012.
Tony Fiorello can be reached by email at fiorello.record@live.com.
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