You post the graph measuring Peyton Manning's success in points per drive? To me that is more of a team success metric. For the last half of the season, our grocery bagging RB 4th string RB was the most productive back in the NFL, that's why the offensive decline wasn't precipitous. Manning's quarterback rating shows the drop we all saw. Even the couple of games he had with high ratings it was mostly because he threw a few short TD passes, but the offense was mostly moving because the running game was successful.
I don't think Peyton Manning is "done" either, I do think it is too much to ask him to play every snap all season long at this point, and that's why I honestly think a 2 QB system would be perfect for Denver. They basically play with two distinct offenses as it is, why not just switch the QB out when they go to the "heavy" personnel package?
538 boy argues: "But I think this argument — that the running game compensated for Manning — is actually a pretty good example of how narratives based on short-term statistical fluctuations can be off-base." Nah, b, they literally changed the offense because Peyton was hurt or something. Go look at the Stats in the rams loss and then go look at the stats every game after that. Denver completely changed everything. They were FORCING the run, even when it wasn't working.
I think the playoff game was more angry dad syndrome than him being "done." Irishman hit the trog-nail on the head when he mentioned the sack/fumble as the "angry dad" turning point of the game. Before that play, Peyton was money. After that play he blew goats. His God-like mind is just fragile as fuck, and that's all there is to it.