Dale's Biggest Surprise of the Season: The Success of Peyton Manning in Denver

NFL Sunday as presented by KM natural casing franks the official -- and sausage of the New England Patriots. Look for the camp blue box that your paper grocer KM celebrate something I'm gonna give you my single biggest surprise. In the NFL at a here at the halfway point for me. Now it sounds sort of counter intuitive because this just in the hall of fame player. And is in the argument is the greatest at his position ever. Peyton Manning has shocked me with how good he's been so far this year coming off the injury coming off an entire lost season. His completion percentage is higher than his career average. His average yards per attempt is higher than his career average is quarterback rating is higher than his career average. Peyton Manning coming off a loss season. Not only is as good as he's ever -- could make an argument he's better than he's ever -- I think the big argument for why it's better is because my my only concern with him coming back was not health there that he would play at a high level I just thought the talent around was down a notch the when he was accustomed to -- if it's not Wayne it's not Marvin Harrison there's no Dallas Clark. Thomas is a nice raw talent but he certainly not some you know strategic route rushing wizard he's just kind of big and strong and fast and you know needs some seasoning. And then he's got Bristol we -- 45 years old and he's got this. A couple of good not great tight end -- tight ends and you know it's just sort of a mixed bag that Dekker coming out. Look like a nice enough young player -- often knee injury mean it didn't look like. A recipe for largest drop in and you'll you'll patent things are gonna fly. Usual I think that the context of him in that situation ism is is what makes those surprises and display also managed him we're. It's not like they're gonna start run in the option or something you know I mean David brought into the situation and it in the coaching staff there was very mindful of look this is what Pete is good at this is what he's not done that in just kind of plea to a strained since that looked -- this is your offense just taken go with it. Molded as you see fit that's not to you know try to minimize the early offensive coordinator but at the same time. You know that this is Pete meeting or talk about your your record change things up dramatically in anything they put him in a situation. Where he was gonna Fuller he's gonna play well in -- we've seen over the last two weeks particularly. It's he's got a string of five consecutive games where he's thrown for 300 or more yards. If you go back over this five game streak that he's on the fifth game back on September 23 was against Houston very good defense. His completion percentage was only 50% -- 26 for 52. But since then is completion percentage in the last four games 78 point 970. Point 580. 73 point three. I mean he's efficient anyway he's careful with the football and he he's he's not you know wilding crazy with a much like Brady in that regard. He's as good as he's ever been. It has to think it helps you please allows division. I think there's something to be said for that I think you know when your -- -- San Diego Oakland and Kansas he twice a year. I think you're gonna put up some decent numbers but yeah I you know we shouldn't take -- waiting -- the fact that he is having you better year -- I think a lot of people fought. He was gonna happen this first round and I think it helps to have good. Check down option but she's always been so good that -- not gonna take sacks which is really why the neck injury would never you with any quarterback coming rock for neck injuries from -- about 'cause you always get the ball out on tempo. Whether it's thrown into the stands or it just knocked it takes act. -- he's he's got the -- kid that's kind of a bounce -- cup back guy. And he's got the Lance Ball has got a couple who would check down guys which they actually -- the patrons of a little bit because it was softer -- thing. You know he's gonna pick checked and that's always that's what makes great quarterbacks in north sounds. Boring to do that and conducting but he takes the shots from the shots of their and he can just -- -- you'll get 70% completion percentage without doing matzo. McGahee is always generally great guided just chips ends -- catches short balls. They they've got -- they've got the outlets to help those sort of proficiency numbers go up. The other surprise for me and you guys talked about this briefly. Bomb Indianapolis is gonna surprise anyway but the play of the two top picks the two top quarterback -- Both Robert Griffin the third and Andrew -- I mean they just looks a little like rookies. In -- starting in the NFL they look like seasoned veterans to me that's gonna surprises. Why I think one of the things -- ease their transition adding -- we were talking about this before is that they're not trying to get them to do we talked -- -- playing to Pete -- I think it's clear the both in Washington in Indianapolis they've looked at these guys their Q what do these guys do well. Instead of trying to shoehorn them into a -- type of offense where maybe they're not as comfortable. I think the way you measure these guys is change because you almost. You're almost the point now where the come with a -- talent in the system that can handle. You kind of expect early success I think the ruler to them should be replaced over year to. Because that's when you -- you're gonna get that that's sort of sequence of plays that sort of smaller book. The large -- all the stuff heroic comfortable foreigner -- was successful than the NFL has there by -- and in the NFL has a second time to play you in the division and they've sort of said okay. Is that it. And now you have to be able to just as -- always just do you see you look at -- second your -- minutes it's like a pitcher going through the -- they're going through a lot of the second or -- yes exactly and that's you know -- of course the -- succession parliament. Situations come from with the handle well. When you see your second time this season when -- a second here I'm not saying that is why cam -- having problems because it's the team issue as much as anything but. I think the ruler over these guys -- and so do so well in -- one. -- is not you know the expectations that they would strongly -- one and we'd see improvement in year -- now it's like okay they're going to be good earthly. Can they sustain and can they make the adjustment the NFL and heavily mixed of them. But they both. Just seen all eyes are beyond this year natural BBC natural we talked before it was funny we're joking last week about how you'll -- luckily all on and off the -- exactly right yeah I dated -- -- we -- we joked before about you know. Guys looking like him in -- portable -- and got an early to look like during command of hot and you look like it sounds like a rookie quarterback this year yet. I mean his post games off the CIA. Then the heart on the slate now Robert Griffin the third and Andrew Luck never seem like in India. And and maybe yeah maybe they'll have that's sophomore slump but I think new -- fighting through here this year. May be day will they will be a fall into the same trap but I don't think so. They just seem poised beyond their years and a guy like Cam Newton has really tumbled back to earth for many people it's fascinating to watch the development. Of it particularly because they're just so many of them these young quarterbacks and we talk to go before going on here about ten and L and what he's been able to do this here and I think that's in the case of another guy. Taking his colleagues note if the team finding out what he did well in college and a transition into the pros obviously you know yes Mike is Mike Sherman and his corner and I think that helps as well. I just. I do I think it's fascinating to watch the overall evolution of these guys and -- To see if there's going to be any sort of progression and you're two for whatever reason but -- -- look at. You know guys like RG three and locked container Helen and compare them to it to Cam Newton who appears to -- a bit of a step back whether that's his own doing whether that's the team but again just the overall evolution of these young quarterbacks in -- -- -- fast I think -- real situation is is is pretty cool as well because he -- language -- You know if you watch the hard -- situation bullies -- the drama of the right there he -- -- quarterback competition I think they're really wanna David -- to be that guy I mean he got hurt and -- moral a lot of these. Pretty modest to have two good success in the second half last season was legitimate god could have been out -- on the job as well. And -- the point is she's impressed. He was pressed right up into that job and still felt like a guy I was fortunate to have an employee of the number one you kind of you know we were still being pushed. Now he's gone down again I gonna watch ground war have maybe six success for weaker to you come back I think it's good to have a rookie that's got a legitimate other alternative it's not. It's an out of fifty federal work now that's behind you it's a legitimate. Guy who's there -- the could do the job at a high level I think that the dolphins were were savvy -- that that. If they had the incident now with a rookie go down a -- -- is is a really capable replacement I don't think the miss a beat.