The Denver Broncos have not yet made it official, but Brock Osweiler is expected to get another start over Peyton Manning in Week 15 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Head coach Gary Kubiak did not say for sure whether Manning would be able to return next week, but a report from Mike Klis of 9NEWS has Osweiler going under center for his fifth straight game over Manning.
The Broncos lost on Sunday against the Raiders to fall to 10-3 and that was the first time that Osweiler has lost since taking over for Manning. According to Pro Football Talk, Kubiak did not say whether or not Manning would be able to practice this week, adding that while Manning "had some good days last week," he is not ready to make anything official yet. Klis reports that Osweiler is expected to start again and that could put Manning on track for a potential return in Week 16.
Osweiler has played fairly well since taking over for Manning, but after the loss against the Raiders it will be interesting to see how the Broncos handle things once Manning is healthy enough to return. Osweiler won his first three starts for the Broncos and while the offense has been a bit more efficient with him starting, Kubiak said the plan is for Manning to play once he is healthy enough to get back onto the field.
The Week 16 matchup is a big one for the Broncos, as the team has the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night football. That matchup could help decide which of the two teams gets a first round bye in the playoffs and depending on how things go with Manning, it could feature two backup quarterbacks against each other. The Bengals have Andy Dalton dealing with a hand injury and he could miss an extended period of time, leaving AJ McCarron to start, while Manning potentially could not be ready to return, leaving Osweiler to start again.
Osweiler put up 308 passing yards against the Raiders on Sunday, but he did not throw a touchdown pass and his performance may have quieted some of the noise that the Broncos should keep Osweiler in once Manning is healthy. According to the Denver Post, Manning has been able to start throwing and also went through drills last week with the team. Klis reports that even if Manning is able to practice on a limited basis this week, it's likely that Osweiler will start again.
The Broncos had Ronnie Hillman as the feature back on Sunday, as CJ Anderson was out while dealing with an ankle injury. Hillman is a good start option for the fantasy playoffs next week, while Juwan Thompson may also get some carries if Anderson's injury lingers into this weekend. Hillman had 19 touches in the game and was the lead back with Anderson out and he remains a solid PPR option for fantasy owners after making seven catches out of the backfield on Sunday.
