Michael Robinson was part of the Seattle Seahawks team that handed Peyton Manning the most embarrassing loss of his storied career: a 43-8 beatdown in Super Bowl XLVIII.
Manning is one win away from another Super Bowl appearance — his Denver Broncos host the New England Patriots on Sunday in the AFC Championship Game — but in Robinson’s mind, that 2014 loss effectively erased the quarterback’s status as one of the NFL’s elite players.
“I think he does understand what this game means and everything, but I think Peyton is done, man,” the former running back, who works for NFL Media, said on NFL Network’s “GameDay First” on Sunday. “I’m going to be honest with you. I’m just going to be honest. I think we saw the last greatness of Peyton when we beat him in the Super Bowl, to be honest with you. Can he go out there and give you a game or two here and there? Yeah. Can he check to a run in a six-man box and check into a pass in a seven-man box? Yeah, he can do that. But I know a lot of guys sitting on the bench that can do that, too.”
The guy sitting on Denver’s bench is Brock Osweiler, who started seven games this season before Manning reclaimed his job in Week 17. Robinson believes the Broncos would be better off Sunday with the 25-year-old Arizona State product under center.
“I don’t know — we’re talking about his arm strength — I don’t know if (Manning’s) arm strength is going to show up,” Robinson said. “I don’t. I just don’t. Again, playing two games in a row, I’ve had plantar fasciitis before and that just doesn’t go away. He’s still going to have to deal with it. Again, to me, if I’m the Denver Broncos, I would have put Brock Osweiler in.”
Thumbnail photo via Kevin Jairaj/USA TODAY Sports Images
