The Denver Broncos are moving forward with Brock Osweiler, but just how forward is the biggest question. Peyton Manning has officially been benched for Week 11 while he deals with injuries. The Broncos are still very much contenders in the playoff race and now keeping that a reality is on the shoulders of Osweiler. If the backup quarterback struggles, will they push Manning back on the field or is the veteran on the sidelines for good?
According to ESPN.com, Manning is suffering from a torn plantar fascia in his left foot. That opened the door to start Osweiler without having to use the excuse that Manning is sitting due to his struggles on the field. Head coach Gary Kubiak would only talk in the short-term saying that Osweiler will start until Manning is healthy. How long that will take is anyone's guess.
"[I] told the team this week that Peyton is not going to play," Kubiak said, via ESPN.com. "That Brock is going to play this week and that all of our full attention is going to be to getting Peyton back and healthy. That decision has been made. I know that's the best decision for him, to get him back and healthy, and we need to know where we're heading this week."
According to ESPN.com, there is no guaranteed timetable for recovery. Eli Manning suffered from the injury and did not miss a game. The Broncos are not having the same luck with Manning. Kubiak told the media that Manning did not agree with the rest, but understands he must do what is best for the team. So with Osweiler under center, will the Broncos offense change for the better?
Kubiak told the media that Osweiler is the perfect mirror to Manning and that the team is confident he can carry the Broncos as they remain in playoff contention. Emmanuel Sanders is expected to be healthy for Week 11 after getting tested for a concussion. The game will be the biggest concern as CJ Anderson and Ronnie Hillman continue to struggle in the backfield. With very little playing time under his belt, Osweiler will have to deal with nerves on the field. If the quarterback can get a win against the Chicago Bears, chances seem great that he will be the starter again in Week 12.
"It's my first regular season start. I'm not going to put the weight of the world on that," Osweiler said, via ESPN.com. "At the end of the day, it's just a football game. That's how I'm going to treat it. I'm going to prepare the same way that I prepared every other week when I was the backup or whether I was starting a preseason game."
