SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Brock Osweiler convinced his teammates he was ready to play the night before his first start this season. Broncos coach Gary Kubiak called on Osweiler to speak to the team that night at the team hotel in Chicago.
“He pretty much walked in and said, ‘Hey guys, don’t worry about me. I’m ready for this opportunity. I’m ready for this moment,’ ” wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders said. “He went out and balled, played great.”
The day after his speech, the fourth-year quarterback led the Broncos to a 17-15 win over the Bears, throwing two touchdowns to beat John Fox, the coach who drafted him in 2012. Osweiler did not turn the ball over, which the Broncos needed after Peyton Manning had thrown 17 interceptions in the first 10 weeks of the season.
Osweiler gave the Broncos a midseason spark, causing some to question whether the Broncos should go back to Manning when he got healthy. Osweiler led Denver to a 5-2 record, but was benched in Week 17 for Manning after throwing two interceptions in the first half against the Chargers. Manning pulled out the win that day and has the Broncos in Super Bowl 50 after two playoff victories. Now, Osweiler is back on the bench watching Manning.
“It was difficult because I’m a competitor and I love playing this game and I love being on the field with my teammates,” Osweiler said. “I want the ball in my hands every single play, but bottom line, I want what is best for this football team. Coach Kubiak believes that’s having Peyton be our starter right now. That’s something I support 100 percent. As long as this football team wins games, I’m the happiest guy in this locker room.”
His performance this year let Osweiler know he can be a quarterback in the NFL. He has spent most of his career watching Manning play. He believes that experience has helped him, but he should be off the bench soon. Osweiler is scheduled to be a free agent in March, but the Broncos are expected to move on from Manning, whether he retires or not, and go to Osweiler.
“I’ve stayed completely focused on the present time,” Osweiler said, not looking ahead. “The Carolina Panthers, they have a tremendous defense, and there’s a lot of preparation that goes into playing a team like that. I’m extremely focused on the Super Bowl, the task at hand. When free agency comes up in the offseason, we’ll address stuff like that. We’ll address it after the season.”
Manning had a lot of praise for Osweiler this week.
“He has taken advantage of his study time, his repetitions and there is no question that we would not be in this position without him and the way he played in the games that he was in there,” Manning said. “It is a credit to him for being a student of the game, studying, being a real pro and I think trying to use the previous season of whatever you learned to your advantage to make you a better player the next season. That is something I have always tried to do. I think he has done that as well. I thought he played great in those games that he was in there. He is a student of the game. He studies. He appreciates the cerebral part of it. That is something that I always have thought is pretty important.”
This week, Osweiler’s main job has been simulating Cam Newton in practice for the Denver defense.
“It’s extremely difficult,” Osweiler said. “Cam Newton is a hell of a football player. He’s a tremendous athlete, tremendous competitor. I wouldn’t say he’s somebody that you can exactly just go out there and replicate on a daily basis. But, I’m doing my absolute best to give our defense a great look.”