Peyton Manning likely to have backup quarterback role in potential return Sunday

Marshall, who also lost his grandfather to pneumonia last summer, is having a stellar season, topping the Broncos with 101 tackles.

Spotted from the press box: Over 76,000 hooligans dressed in orange watching the scoreboard.

Denver won a tight one 27-20 at Sports Authority Field.

After four years in Denver, the first three of which were extremely successful, following 13 record-setting campaigns in Indianapolis (not counting the 2011 season he essentially sat out), it would be odd to see Manning in a new uniform this fall.

Manning, who remains tied with Brett Favre for most regular season wins – 186 – by a starting quarterback, spent the next six weeks in street clothes before being able to suit up again. But the league’s best defense frittered it away when Pro Bowl cornerback Aqib Talib let Tyrell Williams race past him for an 80-yard touchdown catch that put San Diego back on top 20-17 early in the fourth quarter.

Just because Peyton Manning will be active and on the roster, it does not mean he will play.

On the second play of the game Broncos quarterback Brock Osweiler hit wide receiver Demaryius Thomas for a short gain.

That performance prompted Denver to pull Manning from the starting line-up to give him time to heal from various injuries including a torn plantar fascia in his left foot. He’s still with the Broncos and now appears healthy and ready to … back up Brock Osweiler?

Coach Gary Kubiak said before the walkthrough workout Wednesday night that Manning has made enough progress from his foot injury to take this next step.

“I got to do whatever coach feels is best for the team“, Manning said. They’re winning, yes, but four first-half turnovers have allowed a struggling Chargers team to remain in the game, despite being doubled up by the Broncos in terms of total yards. He insists he won’t be looking over his shoulder Sunday and is only concerned with beating San Diego to secure a first-round bye, maybe even the top overall seed if Miami upsets New England. It could be the last time the Chargers play in Denver as San Diego; the team is expected to ask to relocate to Los Angeles during the offseason.

The chances of Denver coming to Houston are slim, but the hopes of getting a crack at sending home of the legends of the game could be too fun not to root for. “We know obviously what the game means to them and what the atmosphere’s going to be like”. We kind of had a walk-through tonight.

“I just want to be able to get through this week at full capacity”, he said.

Now, the polarizing, much maligned, second-year quarterback is going to miss the final game of the season on Sunday because he’s been placed into the concussion protocol after showing up to practice with concussion like symptoms, and later being diagnosed with a concussion on Wednesday. “I think we have a shot”, Kubiak said of Marshall.

“We visited this morning”, Kubiak said.

The Colts season will absolutely be considered a disaster, as the team which was a preseason favorite to win the AFC South and contend for the AFC crown had a forgettable 2015 mired by injuries, mistakes and poor play.

The alternative scenario is that the Broncos could slide to the No. 6 seed if the team loses to the Chargers and the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Oakland Raiders.