Peyton or Brock: Who gives Broncos best chance for a storybook ending?

“This ain’t no place for the weary kind. This ain’t no place to be losing your mind. This ain’t no place to fall behind. Pick up your crazy heart and give it one more try…” 

It is almost like Ryan Bingham wrote those lyrics for Peyton Manning’s last postseason run as quarterback of the Denver Broncos. The storybook ending script appears to be there for the taking if Manning wants it.

After the Broncos fifth turnover on Sunday, it was beginning to feel like Week 14 against the Raiders all over again. I was watching in disbelief from the top row of Section 541 when I told my best friend Ben, “I can’t believe that I’m saying this — but Kubiak has to get Peyton Manning in this game.”

Then, it happened. The Sheriff entered the game to a standing ovation. It felt like a Disney movie. Seriously. Everyone got caught up in the magic of it all.

Suddenly the offense found new life, as running lanes the size of Texas emerged for the first time all day. Peyton made a couple of nice passes, the defense made some big plays, Brandon McManus made two clutch field goals. Before you knew it, the West was won for a fifth straight year and the road to Super Bowl 50 in the AFC will have to go through Denver.

But let’s not forget how the Broncos got here — Denver acquired home-field advantage because they owned tiebreakers over New England and Cincinnati because the Broncos came back from double-digit deficits to defeat both teams with, oh yeah, Brock Osweiler under center.

If history is any indication, Peyton Manning would have been equally effective as “Frosty the Snowman” in that blizzard against the Patriots. It took Peyton six attempts to beat Brady, Osweiler only needed one. Since the Broncos signed Manning in 2012 they have gone 1-3 in the regular season against New England. The lone victory coming in November with Brock Osweiler under center.

Shall we compare statistics between Peyton and Brock this season? Alright, let’s go….

• Manning averaged an interception every 19.5 pass attempts. Osweiler was significantly better as he threw an interception once every 45.8 pass attempts. That’s almost 2.5 times less than Manning.
• Manning averaged 6.8 yards per attempt while Osweiler averaged 7.2 yards per attempt.
• Manning threw 9 touchdown passes on 331 passing attempts. Osweiler threw 10 touchdown passes on 275 passing attempts. That’s one more touchdown on 56 fewer attempts.

Brock Osweiler could be three plays away from never losing his job. That’s how slim the margin for error is in the National Football League. Imagine if DeMaryius Thomas and/or Vernon Davis don’t drop perfectly thrown passes on fourth down against Oakland? You have to wonder what happens if Vernon Davis doesn’t unnecessarily fear for his life and drop a fourth down pass against the Steelers? And who even knows how much differently Sunday’s game would have gone if Emmanuel Sanders hadn’t been stripped of the ball inside the Chargers 10 yard line in the second quarter.

Look, I get it. Brock takes a lot of sacks and the offense goes three-and-out way too much with him in the game. I’m not refusing to acknowledge either one of those things as a severe problem. I also know that Peyton Manning went 5/9 for 69 yards in his best game of the season. He sparked the team, he didn’t hop into the DeLorean and go back to being vintage PFM. And let’s not forget Tyler Polumbus replaced Michael Schofield at right tackle and blocked his tail off, despite having barely played all season. He, not Manning, was the biggest reason for the offense’s improved play on Sunday afternoon.

Here’s what I know, Peyton has gone one-and-done in the playoffs nine times in his career. His team was the favorite in eight of those nine losses. That’s twice as many one-and-dones as any other quarterback in the Super Bowl era and while blame for those losses shouldn’t solely rest on his shoulders, the undeniable fact is that Manning is the only common denominator in each of those defeats. Even worse, in playoff games decided by one possession Manning has gone 3-7. He’s the king of comebacks, in every month but January.

Gary Kubiak cannot become a prisoner of the moment and allow himself to think Peyton Manning is about to transform into Roy Hobbs in “The Natural” before riding off into the sunset with a Lombardi Trophy in his hand. The evidence clearly supports that Peyton Manning is great up until January. This season he wasn’t even decent until one half in January, albeit it was a magical half, but not because of him. He chokes in the big moments where legends are made. Luckily for him, he’s got enough records to be a regular season legend. That’s not hating, it’s being factual.

Brock Osweiler is the Broncos best option at quarterback heading into the playoffs. He beat the top teams in the AFC and he did so with a little comeback magic of his own. If the Broncos are going to reach Super Bowl 50 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California on Feb. 7, 2016, it will be with Osweiler taking snaps from Matt Paradis because history has shown that when the playoffs arrive Peyton Manning and his teams disappear. This isn’t a hard decision to make. Brock on, Broncos Country.