Peyton Manning has a message for those who say he can’t play in cold weather: stick it.
The narrative that Manning can’t play in the cold has been going on his entire career. He spent most of his career playing indoors with the Indianapolis Colts, and he lost when he had to go outdoors in the cold at New England in the playoffs. He even lost last season in the cold at home against the Baltimore Ravens.
The narrative that Manning can’t play in the cold struck up again after he struggled at Foxboro in a 34-31 loss to the Patriots in Week 12. But after throwing for five touchdowns in a win at Kansas City last weekend, and 397 yards and four touchdowns in a win over the Tennessee Titans at home on Sunday, Manning had words for his cold-weather critics.
“Whoever wrote that narrative can shove that where the sun don’t shine,” Manning said after the game, via KOA’s Andy Lindahl.
Manning also says he wasn’t trying to answer his critics with his strong play on Sunday.
“I wasn’t trying to answer it, because I didn’t give it any validation,” the Broncos QB said Sunday per Peter Burns.
Manning always seems like a well-composed, level-headed person who doesn’t engage in trash talk. He didn’t even bite when Jim Irsay took a shot at him in the buildup before the Colts-Broncos game in Indy, so this is unusual for him. But if this is what trash talk from Manning sounds like, then I’m all for it. I love it.
As for the cold weather critics … well I am one of them. It’s not that Manning can’t play in cold weather, it’s that he will struggle in the elements like snow, rain and wind. Cold isn’t the issue so much as those other factors, and that’s why I don’t think the Broncos will win the Super Bowl. Good luck playing in New Jersey in February, Peyton.
