Manning played like crud in the SB, left too many plays on the field

[chad72]

Some plays I got from the Orange Mane that confirmed my suspicion that Peyton was terrible this game. The descriptions are from that poster on Orange Mane, has done a decent job.

 

Play 1:

 

 

1st play: 2nd and 7 on our 38. This is the play that Manning hit DT on the crosser and he got tattoed. Set the tone for the game and we only got 2 yds out of it. We really should have had a 1st down instead. Offense is lined up in bunch, Decker motions to the right of the formation, with the TE to his inside. The defense is lined up in nickel cover 2, but it's really a nickel cover 1 robber disguised. Basic stuff that Seattle has done all year. Earl Thomas is lined up over the top of Julius 10 yds off the ball and playing the deep center. After motion Decker gets a great release off the LOS, runs a skinny post and stutter steps Sherman, turning him around and putting him in terrible position as he gets the inside with the FS bailing. KJ Wright, #50 turns and is trailing Julius Thomas running the crosser opposite of DT (running right to left, left to right) and Decker is simply wide open. Manning doesn't see him because he's locked on so tight waiting for DT breaking free underneath. Chancellor is just squatting in the robber position, waiting for the route in the middle part of the field. Manning throws it, DT gets blasted, 2 yr game. Message sent.

 

 

Play 2:

 

 

3rd and 7 on the Broncos 23. Denver comes out in Shotgun tight, 4 wide. Seattle is in Nickel cover 1. Chancellor is the single high, they move Thomas over the top of the tight WR & corner back. This SCREAMS blitz so Manning should know ASAP that this is a blitz formation and it's going to be coming fast. They are running crossers again with the underneath WR's, Welker and Julius Thomas. DT & Decker are running the coverage off. Manning targets Julius who is going high on the crosser. Pass rush closing in, Manning steps into this throw and floats it right into Chancellor's hands. JT was wide open for a first. Welker running low on the crosser could have been tackled right at the LOS. He was open too. Another attempt to convert a 3rd down and now the Seahawks have it at 1st and 10 at our 36. Poor poor throw by Manning. This was the opening of the floodgates. The defense had been on the field basically the whole 1st quarter. They had stopped Seattle to two FG's the previous drives, 0-8 lead. This drive Seattle put in the endzone for a 0-15 advantage early in the 2nd qtr.

 

 

Play 3:

 

 

This one's painful to watch because Manning normally hammers defenses that play like this. Seattle brings a zone blitz with an LB on the A gap, DE dropping against 3 wide. DT looks solo'd up with the single high FS protecting deep center. Manning takes his shot down field into double coverage and sadly, if this is a better pass, DT has a chance to make the play and get down the 15-20 yd line. As it is, once he saw the FS crashing towards DT, with the DE in zone coverage, lost, he should have looked towards Julius who was coming left to right on a in pattern. Could have been a 20-25 yd play on the right sideline that would have put us in FG range for sure.

 

Not to mention, another play at the end of the half:

 

https://twitter.com/PriscoCBS/status/430868429944655872/photo/1

 

 

Now, plays where Broncos WRs missed their assignments:

 

 

Wes Welker misses a block where all he had to was to man up on Maxwell and DT gets a good seam to run.

 

 

 

Eric Decker misses a block which could have given DT a good seam to run

 

 

 

Orlando Franklin doubles down on the wrong guy (something Satele would do) and Avril comes free, no idea what he was seeing.

 

 

 

Just a microcosm of the night but it started with the leader. Peyton stunk.

 

 

 

[21isSuperman]

Everyone on that team played poorly.  OL didn't block, WRs didn't catch, defense couldn't stop Wilson, Fox got outcoached.  It was a poor performance by everyone on the Broncos

[Jules]

They probably had too many parties leading up to the Super Bowl. I saw definite hangover puffiness on a few of their faces.

 

 

 

(for the record I am JOKING)

[MAC]

Lots of bad decisions I'm sure - much more likely to happen when you are under constant pressure. 

 

Most striking to me about the game was the yards per attempt. 5.7 versus 8.3 for the season. Peyton completed 69.4% of his passes (in complete contrast to what usually happens when he faces physical defenses). However the Seahawks didn't give him enough time to let deep routes develop, and they closed quick and hit hard on the short ones. If he had played exactly the same but the receivers had room to run, that would be 400+ yards passing - without even considering the additional opportunities from drives being extended. Yes, a lot of that came late in the game, but the Seahawks were going for the shutout, not giving things up.

 

I criticize Peyton for slipping in his normal over-the-top preparation. How they weren't prepared to run plays as if they were a road team is beyond me. I also criticize him for forcing the first throw under pressure resulting in an interception, and for not running the ball more. I'm sure that he felt the need to try and make something happen later on, but at that point patience would have prevented the blow-out. Without the safety and the first interception it's a close enough game that maybe they take a field goal instead of giving up the second interception, then there's no need to gamble on fourth down at the end of the half. They were playing like there were two minutes left in the game from the middle of the second quarter on.

 

Of course I'm also disappointed that he didn't do something extraordinary to pull the game back as he has done SO often before. I was confident - even at 22-0 - that he would suddenly "figure them out" and change the course of the game. The kickoff return was a very early nail in the coffin (special teams were horrendous all night) , topped off by D Thomas's fumble (impacted by his separated shoulder - also a result of that physical D).

 

A lot of bizarre things in that game besides Peyton playing like crud. He had his moments, but he certainly didn't take the team on his back, and unfortunately that's what was required with the team being out played in virtually every respect. 

 

It's haunting to imagine what might have happened if Clady was in there. With that alone maybe there's no interceptions, and a heck of a lot better game.

[oldunclemark]

It all; gets back to the time he had..

 

Bot tackles were getting beat...Manning's throw to Thomas wa s inaccurate on the 1st interception..

 

..but he was hit on one INT and couldn't step up several times....and the small crosses (he completed 34)  in front of the defense set up deeper shots later as well as runs

 

...In retrospect, its easy to say where the ball should have gone..but the reality is...with the defender in your face..you may not see the best option and youi hjave to take an early option. I think everybody knows that...we just expect Manning to make the perfect read every time.  Not reality.

 

We also expect him to throw through pressure and that's not the real world

 

This game was 5-0 before Denver truly ran a play and 15-0 very early......at that point, you bait the QB into making a long throw.....

 

..we're not giving Seattle credit for taking full advantage of an advantageous start..

 

..and an offensive line which truthfully has two backups (Chris Clark and Manny Ramirez) finally looked like it as it did against teams like Jacksonville and Indy

 

Let's repeat what everybody knew before the game.

The Broncos were the 2nd or 3rd best team in the NFL and they finished 2nd

[amfootball]

 

Of course I'm also disappointed that he didn't do something extraordinary to pull the game back as he has done SO often before. I was confident - even at 22-0 - that he would suddenly "figure them out" and change the course of the game.

 

I had the same thought. I had a house full of people as I throw a Super Bowl party every year and we all said the same thing. Three scores down is nothing for Manning to come back from but as you said that Seattle D never let up.

 

I do appreciate the breakdown from the OP though as I love to see the Xs and Os of the plays. There was another play that Peter King talked about on the fourth 2 in Seattle territory where Welker and Julius Thomas were open for the first down but Manning went back to D. Thomas who was bracketed on the left sideline and it went incomplete. I think Manning does tend to hone in on the guys he feels most comfortable with especially when under pressure. But King said after the play Welker was jumping up and down because he was so open and Manning did not find him.

 

I have always said that formula to beat a Manning-led offense is simple but difficult to execute. The times he struggled this year vs the colts, pats and chargers were carbon copies of the SB in that all the teams were able to pressure him and be physical with his receivers. Of course Seattle took it to a whole other level given their personnel. I wonder if Fox has a sit down with him this off-season and tries to figure out some type of a Plan B for the offense when they run into a defense that can stop the timing routes.

[Blue Horseshoe]

He just had a bad game.  Every one has them and this was his.

[chad72]

There was a play where Manning completed a long pass to Welker (16 yards, I think) with max. protect with both Montee Ball and Julius Thomas asked to stick around for protection. Clean pocket, easy completion, that was the Peyton we saw all year long.

 

I did wonder why Adam Gase, early on, once he realized Peyton was being a bit unsettled, did not go to max. protect more often till Peyton got in a groove. I would think that would come from the OC, right, the base for the max. protect formations? Maybe Adam Gase's inexperience did hurt him because it was a situation he had not faced before the entire season. I have seen max. protect with Brady several times, especially when we had both Freeney and Mathis and with the quality of the Seattle pass rushers, that could have been the way to go. The TE on the line would always chip and would be the 3rd option in the flat, the RB would stay in if there is a blitz and if not, he would chip and go to the flat for the 4th option in those formations.

 

That also reminded me why Tom Moore was valuable for Peyton.

[lollygagger8]

 

 

Seriously though, nice break down by the OP. 

[chad72]

 

It's haunting to imagine what might have happened if Clady was in there. With that alone maybe there's no interceptions, and a heck of a lot better game.

 

The right side was a significant issue. There is talk that Orlando Franklin was a better guard than tackle and fresh legs were rotated more towards his side with both Bennett and Avril causing the most disruption from that side. Chris Clark was not nearly the issue that Orlando Franklin was. So, I am not sure if having Clady would have helped the right side.

 

I remember all those Patriots vs Colts days where delayed blitzes would be sent from the right side from Bruschi and McGinnest vs Ryan Diem and whoever played right guard and it would result in key sacks and loss of yardage. Maybe there is something to Peyton and pressure from the right side.

[Narcosys]

Manning did make poor decisions. I think he may have been spoiled this season, always expectung them to make big plays. Sherman and thomas werent wrong. Hed eye one receiver and lock on.

[Mameluc]

Pressure has to be also taken into consideration...maybe he was jsut trying to hit his 1st read because of the pressure. Also, Im sure every game brady, luck, anyone misses a wide open because either the play is not supposed to go there or his 1st read is kinda open and doesnt go to the third.

 

 

the 4th down is ridiculous though. Julius was wide open and Manning completely locked in DT.

[thedude]

I thought Manning played fairly well in the Super Bowl.  Yes, he got pressured a lot and made a couple of bad throws, but overall he looked OK.  His receivers and running game got rocked though.

[Gabriel Alexander Morillo]

Every lttle dinky throw to the middle of the field that peyton completed (most of his throws) got his receiver blown up across the middle. He had an awful game.

[oldunclemark]

Every lttle dinky throw to the middle of the field that peyton completed (most of his throws) got his receiver blown up across the middle. He had an awful game.

Those same ducks that won 15 games

 

....too simple to always blame the QB..Seattle was well suited to beat Denver

[Beauregarde]

He just had a bad game.  Every one has them and this was his.

Brady certainly was awful in the AFC Championship game. If Peyton had played like he did, we would never have heard the end of it. But people just don't say much when St. Tom stinks.

[Gabriel Alexander Morillo]

Those same ducks that won 15 games

 

....too simple to always blame the QB..Seattle was well suited to beat Denver

I didn't hear any quacking going on in my post...

[amfootball]

Brady certainly was awful in the AFC Championship game. If Peyton had played like he did, we would never have heard the end of it. But people just don't say much when St. Tom stinks.

Awful? He went 24 for 38 for 277 and 2 TDs (one passing, one rushing). No turnovers. And had a 93.9 QBR.

No doubt he could have played even better and missed some early throws but it was by no means an awful or even a bad game.

[Beauregarde]

Awful? He went 24 for 38 for 277 and 2 TDs (one passing, one rushing). No turnovers. And had a 93.9 QBR.

No doubt he could have played even better and missed some early throws but it was by no means an awful or even a bad game.

He was consistently over throwing receivers. Yes, his stats were not that bad but the reality of how he played was very bad. I think for Tom Brady it was a very bad game and he would have said as much.

[amfootball]

He was consistently over throwing receivers. Yes, his stats were not that bad but the reality of how he played was very bad. I think for Tom Brady it was a very bad game and he would have said as much.

No he wasn't. 63 percent says he was hitting his guys. He had a couple of over throws early. Not his best game but FAR from awful or bad.

[Beauregarde]

No he wasn't. 63 percent says he was hitting his guys. He had a couple of over throws early. Not his best game but FAR from awful or bad.

Well, then they got taken out by Peyton and the Broncos with Brady playing his very best. Dynasty over.

[amfootball]

Well, then they got taken out by Peyton and the Broncos with Brady playing his very best. Dynasty over.

He didn't play his best ever. You said it was an "awful" game. It wasn't.

[Synthetic]

Did you know that Manning was only sacked once in the entire game?

 

 

It's not like he was running for his life every single play.

 

 

 

For as much as people ragged on the Saints getting beat by the Seahawks, we at least kept the game close, and Brees played a lot better than golden boy (in Seattle of all placed) did in the Super Bowl while his team was favored and picked by most people to run away with it.

 

 

Colts fans should feel relieved over this. Now you don't have to spend the entire off season with it being rubbed in your faces, cause deep down you all know that everyone wants to rub it in Irsay's face (including a lot of 'fans' themselves). Imagine how those Cavs fans felt seeing LeBron go and win a championship after he left their team. You don't want to feel like that do you?