Broncos Recap: Manning leads Broncos to Home Field

The Broncos used a huge second half and the return of one of the all time greats to secure home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.

Three hours later and I still cannot believe what I have just seen. It was not as thrilling as last week’s game, but it was just as meaningful.

The Broncos took a 7-6 lead into the half and struggled right out of the gate. Gary Kubiak noted that a spark needed to happen and shockingly benched Brock Osweiler in favor of Peyton Manning.

From that point on, the rest was history. Manning led the Broncos down the field on his first possession and scored a touchdown. And while the Chargers made it interesting towards the end, the Broncos ultimately found a way.

Ronnie Hillman’s touchdown run with a little under 5 minutes left in the game was the deciding score as the Broncos went on to win by the score of 27-20.

Due to the Dolphins winning earlier today over the Patriots, the Broncos secured the AFC West division for the fifth straight year, a first round bye for the fourth straight year, and home field advantage for the third time in four years.

I have to give credit to Manning for helping the team execute and it soon became a team effort. C.J. Anderson and Ronnie Hillman helped out Manning by running the ball effectively. And the defense continued to stand strong, allowing only ten points off of five turnovers.

I honestly do not believe Osweiler did anything wrong. In fact, in my personal opinion, the only turnover he was responsible for was the fumble that slipped out of his hands as he got sacked.

The biggest thing to take away from this is that Manning did not throw the ball a whole lot. He let the running backs handle most of the duties. And the interception by Shiloh Keo was huge as it would lead to the go-ahead score.

Next: Broncos vs. Chargers First Half Reactions

The Broncos will get some much deserved rest before they host a wild card winner during divisional round weekend. That will either be on January 16^th or 17^th, depending on the schedule. They will play either the Texans, Chiefs, or Steelers during the divisional round.

Now, the stage is set and the Broncos will look to run the table knowing they will not have to do any traveling. Go Broncos!