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Published on 01/14/2013 at Mon Jan 14 17:38.
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Elway, Fox defend kneeling; is Manning O.K.?

Posted Mon Jan 14th by

(AP Photo)

Broncos coach John Fox has taken a lot of heat for Denver’s two kneeldowns before halftime and overtime in the Broncos’ 38-35 loss to the Ravens last weekend.  But should he be?

Fox is known for being conservative (often overly conservative, actually), but against Baltimore, kicker Matt Prater had already missed a field goal earlier in the game and Fox obviously did not make the decision by himself.

Fox and offensive coordinator Mike McCoy must have consulted quarterback Peyton Manning and if Manning had disagreed with the call, it seems likely that he would have gotten his way.  So why did Peyton (presumably) consent to kneeling?

Was Manning O.K. physically?

We may never know.  But if it comes out that Manning was playing through a minor injury, we wouldn’t be surprised.

On Monday, John Elway, the Broncos Executive Vice President of Football Operations, defended Fox’s decision to kneel before overtime.

“I thought we did the right thing at that time,” said Elway.  “I think with where the team was mentally and the situation that we’re in, I thought that it was a good move.”

“Like I mentioned before, you look around on your sideline with 31 seconds to go, even with two timeouts, backed up, it didn’t seem like the right time, being on the ropes, to try to get a knockout punch,” added Fox.

Unfortunately, “not going for the knockout punch” is what has fans so frustrated with Fox.  But was there more to it?  We may never know, but we will always wonder.

Update (6:02 p.m. MT):  As is par for the course, Vic Lombardi was quick to shoot down our assumptions:

So it wasn’t his arm/hand, but was something else bothering him, besides the cold?  Who knows?

  • LEMarkley

    You do have to wonder if the cold was getting to Manning and even others on the team. They were dragging when it seemed like if they would have been hurrying, they would have ran over a tired Baltimore team. Oh well…we may never truly know.

  • TheTroglodyte

    John Elway is toting the company line. WTF is he supposed to say Fox %!@# up but I’m keeping him as the HC anyway? Stupid question to ask him as we weren’t going to get an honest answer.

  • Doom92

    Well it didnt seem to bother the Ravens so is complete BS, not on your part LE dont get me wrong. I think its BS if any of them say that the cold was getting to them.

  • Doom92

    Everyone keeps talking about the damn kneel down, that not what is stuck in my craw at all. What has me PO’ed is not going for the first down. You try to get that and even if you fail you are still punting, not going for the first down is un-freaking-forgivable. We make that first down and NE is coming here. All the rest of it is crap, the long pass the kneel down all of it is mute if the go for that first down and make it.

    Its that damn simple, that is where the major screw up was and no one is seeming to get that!

  • tslck

    Very similar situation in the Falcons, Seahawks game. Guess what the Falcons are going to the divisional championship. Both Fox and Elway are idiot D Bags.

  • Doom92

    Exactly Trog, I was hoping against ALL hope that Elway would dis it but no suck luck. McCoy will be gone being the HC in Arizona so it will be interesting to see who replaces him but I’ll tell you what it had better be someone that can stand up to Fox’s dumb ass…

  • LEMarkley

    Baltimore was impacted though. There was a shot at one point that showed the Ravens defense hunched over in OT sucking in air. Perfect for the Broncos right? So what does the offense do? Slowly go from play to play, not moving any faster than they have to. It didn’t seem right at all.

  • LEMarkley

    I agree 100%. Didn’t matter that they took more time off the clock when Baltimore torched them in no time flat. I did read today that it was Manning who audibled into that run play though. That is interesting.

  • http://twitter.com/jheath_DEN Jon

    The Broncos were going for the first down, but as @disqus_73s2rkPAID:disqus pointed out, Manning thought he saw something and audibled. Had it worked, Manning’s a hero.

    It didn’t work, so we have 2013 to look forward to.

  • http://twitter.com/jheath_DEN Jon

    Hopefully McCoy will be replaced by an agressive OC. It’s a shame Shanny’s son Kyle isn’t available, I’d image he didn’t fall far from the tree.

  • Cheyenne Kid

    I agree. There was brain farts galore but that one sure takes the cake. First Down,kneel down and Hello Division Championship game next Sunday at Mile High!

  • anthony33

    Having had a couple of days to digest this bitter pill, I think you are being way too hard on Fox. Think about it. The entire team had to be a state of shock considering what had just happened to them. Yes, I would have liked to see them at least try and get into field goal position. but at the time I was okay with the move, just regroup and figure it out in OT. I was a lot more pissed about running on the 3rd and 7. I’ll never understand that one. I also thought the 52 yard field goal try near the end of the half was a bad idea. It’s ice cold, the ball doesn’t travel as far and Prater has been off. So we give the ball to the Ravens on 42 instead of pinning them deep and Flacco throws a TD. That, in my mind, was the beginning of the end.

  • anthony33

    WRONG. Not the same situation. The Falcons were behind by a point. Had absolutely nothing to lose at that point. They HAD to get a score. Broncos didn’t. Again, more pissed about why Manning audibled out of the pass on 3rd and seven.

  • http://bonniesrandomthoughtsaboutlife.blogspot.com/ Scrubbybubbles

    Out of all the things that made me the angriest… Not going for it on 4th & 1 is THE biggest… Lots of mistakes were made… True… But.. How do you not manage the game when you have control, timeouts after the 2 minute warning in a playoff game… It just boggles the mind!

  • jlivings

    Ya we all knew Elway wasn’t going to throw Fox under the bus anyways so…I would have to guess Elway might not have been happy about it though.

  • jlivings

    I thought Fox said on the radio today he that Manning didn’t audible out of that play and that it was Fox’s decision. He did say Manning audibled out of a similar 3rd down earlier in the game but the one at the end was all Fox

  • Doom92

    Watch the replay… We came out of a time out and lined up in an I set and Manning Never changed anything he simply ran the play… I saw that he said that later but he didn’t do that, watch it, there was no audible and they lined up run all the way.

    ALSO I watched the “Broncos Huddle” after 9 news and Fox was asked why they didn’t go for the first down and his exact words were, “That is how WE decided to play it and I would do it exactly the same again”… Manning was simply trying to “take one for the team” He NEVER aaudible

    Your right Jon, we have next year to look forward to and more than likely Fox doing it “exactly the same”… Guess it just is what it is. Hopfully we won’t need to count on his pour judgment again and the players will simply take it out of his hands.

  • Doom92

    Posted below also…

    Watch the replay… We came out of a time out and lined up in an I set and Manning Never changed anything he simply ran the play… I saw that he said that later but he didn’t do that, watch it, there was no audible and they lined up run all the way.

    ALSO I watched the “Broncos Huddle” after 9 news and Fox was asked why they didn’t go for the first down and his exact words were, “That is how WE decided to play it and I would do it exactly the same again”… Manning was simply trying to “take one for the team” He NEVER aaudible

    Your right Jon, we have next year to look forward to and more than likely Fox doing it “exactly the same”… Guess it just is what it is. Hopfully we won’t need to count on his pour judgment again and the players will simply take it out of his hands.

  • Doom92

    OK, then they were not as effected as we were or the air they were sucking in must have worked for them and made them super human. What ever it was they did it better…lol. Maybe we should have their bottles tested or should have used some ourselves ;-).

  • anthony33

    I think we’re talking about two different things here, I was referring to the kneel down at the end of regulation, not the third down plays. I agree 100% on the third down calls… ridiculous. We’ll never know who actually did what in that situation.

  • Gary_in_SD

    I’m only mad about the 3rd down and 7 running play with 2 minutes left. It’s not like it was all that beneficial to run that extra 1/2 minute off as they still had plenty of time to get a score. Hell, if anything it would have allowed the Broncos enough time to score at end had they’d thrown an incomplete pass at the 2 minute mark. A first down there though and it’s lights out – on to the AFC Championship.

  • Mensa08

    Consider a few things…
    Fox didn’t fumble once in the game, Manning did.
    Fox didn’t throw two, count them, two interceptions, Manning did.
    Manning has the green light to audible at any time so EVERY play falls on him, not Fox, even the 3rd/7 and 4th/1 and the kneel down.
    Manning has a history of…
    Never taking the blame for any of his mega screwups.
    Getting the sports writers to find someone or something else to blame.
    Playing poorly at the end of seasons, read playoffs (could it be he is like a college kid who can only play 12 games before he hits the wall?). (Maybe he needs to be less technical and more physically in shape).
    Playing poorly in cold games.
    Playing poorly when not in a dome.
    Stating he wants to be the best (can’t focus on being the best, but can focus on the specifics as did Graham, Starr, Montana, Brady which lead to victory).
    Yeah, I see your point Manning was great, it wasn’t his fault at all, let’s blame the guy on the sideline, after all the fans are so stupid they will never blame Manning if we keep singing his praises. And don’t mention that Manning did not beat a single quality team all year and has a career of making bad decisions (one and out) and has the sports writers in his pocket. Go Peyton Rah!