I grew up a 49ers fan, and I remember the 1992 season in which on the last game of the season, Joe Montana was set to play for the first time in almost two years.
It was a Monday night game against Detroit, and Montana entered the game in the second half, tossing for two scores as the 49ers won, clinching home field throughout the playoffs.
Even though he was back, Montana rode the bench in the playoffs, including a devastating 30-20 loss against the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Championship game. People wondered out loudly (remember, this is before social media, let alone the internet) whether Joe Montana should have started the game instead of Steve Young.
However, the decision was easy. Joe Montana hadn’t played in nearly two years, and during that span, including the 92 season, Young developed into a Pro Bowl QB.
It is quite possible, that had Montana started, perhaps the 49ers do beat Dallas, and go on to knock off the Bills in the Super Bowl, however, such a move would have been entirely unfair to Steve Young, who did lead the 49ers to the best record in the league in 1992.
I see much of the same with the Denver Broncos right now.
Peyton Manning is a legend, a first ballot Hall of Famer, and a major reason for the success of the Denver Broncos the last couple of seasons, which have included a Super Bowl appearance. However, Peyton in 2015, isn’t the same Peyton from a year ago.
He’s beat up, including missing 6 games with torn plantar fascia. His last start at home, was a woeful 5 for 20 game in which he tossed for just 35 yards and four interceptions, and yet now, he’s being asked to take back the starting job, and lead the Broncos to the Super Bowl, and it’s just very difficult to see that happening.
Denver has the defense and the running game, but I don’t believe they are doing themselves any favors with starting Peyton over Brock Osweiler.
Like it or not, Brock is their future, and he needs this game more than Peyton does. Why prolong the playoff experience for Osweiler by a year just so Peyton Manning can play? It makes no sense.
Yes, Osweiler has struggled, including a terrible second half performance against Pittsburgh (where he played with an injured shoulder), and it seems that since then, there has been this knock on him.
He’s not lights out, and Denver isn’t putting up 35 a game like they did several times last season, but the fact is, he gives the Broncos the best chance to win on Sunday. He’s much more mobile than Peyton, has a bigger arm right now, and is probably healthier too, which could factor into the Steelers game going up against their very agile front seven.
Study the past. Although it was painful back in 1992 to lose to Dallas with a legend sitting on the bench, in the end, it was very much needed experience for Steve Young. Two seasons later, Young led the 49ers over the hump, beating Dallas, and later on, winning the Super Bowl. That’s what Denver ought to be looking at here. Long term, starting Brock Osweiler would have been the right move.
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