The Denver Broncos began the Super Bowl in the worst way possible on Sunday, giving up a safety on their first offensive play of the game. Crowd noise and nerves probably played a role, but who was responsible for the play? After the loss, Broncos center Manny Ramirez said it was Peyton Manning’s fault. He then changed his mind and took full responsibility.
“I was shocked because you never expect anything like that to happen,” Ramirez said, via Around the League. “Of course I take full blame for that. They capitalized on it. We weren’t able to get going for the whole rest of the game … They capitalized on all our mistakes.
“It was real loud. We were trying to go on the cadence. I thought I heard him. I didn’t. He was actually walking up to me because he had already said the cadence, and I snapped it. But again, I take full responsibility for that. It’s just something that we should have been able to overcome, and we weren’t able to … It’s not an excuse. It shouldn’t have happened.”
Bart Hubbuch of the NY Post said Ramirez took a different stance when explaining the play, telling reporters that Manning was responsible.
Broncos center Manny Ramirez said Peyton was responsible for the safety because he stepped up after making the final adjustment.
— Bart Hubbuch (@HubbuchNYP) February 3, 2014
Manny Ramirez wasn't "throwing Peyton under the bus," by the way. Just gave an honest and plain explanation of the play.
— Bart Hubbuch (@HubbuchNYP) February 3, 2014
Manning said the play was “nobody’s fault” and was a result of crowd noise. Why does it matter? It doesn’t, really. Unless you’re one of those people who loves to harp on how Peyton is a playoff choker. If the safety was his fault, it’s another stain on his less-than-stellar playoff career.
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