Peyton Manning didn't look like his normal self against the Indianapolis Colts in the 2015 AFC divisional round yesterday. While the immediate response to Manning's struggles would be to look at his age (38), there is something else that contributed to his poor performance. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Denver Broncos star quarterback was playing with a torn right quad, an injury he suffered in the Week 15 game against the San Diego Chargers on Dec. 14.
Here is a more detailed breakdown of Manning's injury from Schefter.
Manning has a torn rectus femoris, one of the four muscles that make up the quadriceps. The affected muscle runs from the pelvis to its attachment just below the knee. The bruising from the injury was so severe, it had spread to the back of his leg, a source with knowledge of the injury told ESPN.
Now, some people out there may say, "Well, what does that have to do with his right arm?" In many ways, a quarterback's footwork is just as important as his arm because the right leg which is Peyton's back leg on dropbacks is used to generate power on his throws when he steps into the pocket to complete a passing motion.
Manning's ability to put zip and his usual accuracy on his passes were hindered by his age, along with the wear and tear of a full season, but this quad injury also contributed to his failures under center yesterday. Obviously, Peyton won't cite any of these reasons to justify his terrible numbers. However, for those folks who are quick to say he's done, pump the brakes a little bit.
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[via @AdamSchefter]
