1. Harder schedule
This is the most crucial reason why Manning will have a much more difficult path back to the Super Bowl and won’t repeat his numbers. The Broncos were not battle-tested last season, which may have contributed to them being unprepared for the Seahawks defense. Their toughest wins came against the Chiefs twice and once against the Chargers, but they were exposed by teams such as the Colts and Patriots.
This year, the Broncos will have to face the entire NFC West, which is the toughest conference primarily because of their defenses. They will also have to face the Colts, Bengals and Patriots. While those are winnable games, the NFC West will look to mimic the Seahawks, and it will be nearly impossible for Manning to perform as well as he did in 2013 with a much more difficult schedule.
With all this being said, Manning still has a lot left in the tank and should remain an elite quarterback. Here are his projected stats.
Manning’s projected stats: 66.2 completion percentage, 4,864 yards, 41 touchdowns, 11 interceptions
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