Brock Osweiler Stands Tall, Puts Denver Broncos in Thick of Title Hunt

All the Denver Broncos need to get back to the Super Bowl is a quarterback who can play like Brock Osweiler just played.

They have a championship-caliber defense, elite pass-catching weapons and a versatile run game. They have experienced, adaptive coaches who craft good game plans and make good adjustments. All they needed was a quarterback who can get the ball to their weapons, avoid killer mistakes and make a handful of great throws in tight spots.

Tonight, Brock Osweiler was that quarterback. He avoided turnovers in the first half, moved the ball in the second and made clutch throws to put his team in position to win at the end of regulation—and again in overtime, after a missed field goal forced extra time.

It's no coincidence the Broncos notched a massive win against a fellow AFC contender, reclaimed the lead in the race for the No. 2 seed and clinched a spot in the playoffs. What does this Monday Night Football performance mean?

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"It means everything," Osweiler told ESPN sideline reporter Lisa Salters after the game. "That's why you lace 'em up, that's why you show up in April and you go back to work, that's why you do training camp. You show up so you can make the playoffs, and for us to get a berth again, that means a lot to this football team."

As much as this win means for the Broncos' title hopes, it means even more for Osweiler—and for the immediate, short- and long-term future of the entire franchise.

Back at the beginning of the evening, that's not how it looked like this game would end.

Bengals backup AJ McCarron, a similarly untested young reserve with tools and potential, sliced right through the Broncos defense to hit A.J. Green for a five-yard touchdown in the first quarter. The skill and athleticism of Green and the other Bengals receivers gave McCarron plenty of chances against the talented Broncos secondary.

Osweiler struggled on his opening drive, moving just 20 yards in seven plays. McCarron and the Bengals took over on their own 10-yard line and promptly went the distance of the field to notch their second touchdown.

Two subsequent offensive penalties buried Osweiler in a 1st-and-25 hole; McCarron and the Bengals qucikly had the ball again. Back they drove into Denver territory—and only a rare miss by kicker Mike Nugent kept the Bengals from putting the Broncos down three scores.

That's when Osweiler clutched up: Taking over with just 2:26 left before halftime, he drove 60 yards in 2:12, setting up a 4th-and-goal from the Bengals' five. Head coach Gary Kubiak elected to take the chip-shot field goal, cutting the lead to 11. There was a smattering of boos among the Denver faithful, who correctly sensed a missed opportunity.

When Osweiler got the ball back to start the second half, he flipped the script. Working almost entirely no-huddle, Osweiler went 8-for-10, gaining 73 of the 81 yards the drive covered, and punctuated it with a touchdown pass to Emmanuel Sanders.

That's when both of these top-notch defenses clamped down; the two teams traded seven possessions without a single score. Just when it looked like the game might finish with the scoreboard showing Bengals 14, Broncos 10, tailback C.J. Anderson bounced an inside zone run outside, and took it to the house:

Yet Anderson was only the hero for one drive, before he was the goat. As the Broncos were driving for a potentially game-winning score, Anderson lost the ball on a wicked mid-air hit by Bengals defensive end Michael Johnson. Airtight coverage and a timely sack by Vance Walker gave Osweiler one more chance.

Osweiler had 1:40 to drive for a game-winning score against the NFL's No. 1 scoring defense.

He completed 3-of-4 passes for 55 yards, shredding the Bengals and setting up Brandon McManus for the playoff-clinching kick. Not only did Osweiler pass the ultimate regular-season test, he aced it: The mighty Bengals defense didn't even force a third down.

When McManus shanked it—and boy, did he shank it—it might have imploded any other young quarterback's confidence. But Osweiler answered the overtime bell, completing tough passes on second-and-long, third-and-long, getting help from his great receivers. The Broncos got McManus back into range, and this time McManus drained the eventual winner.

On the ensuing Bengals possession, McCarron muffed a shotgun snap and Broncos defensive end DeMarcus Ware pounced on it.

"I was thinking in my mind, 'If I don't get this ball, we're not making the playoffs,'" Ware told ESPN's analyst crew after the game. He got the ball. The game was over. The Broncos made the playoffs.

This was a perfect playoff dress rehearsal for Osweiler. The Bengals aren't just a quality opponent; if this had been the last week of the regular season, the Broncos would likely host the Bengals again in the divisional round. On the biggest of regular-season stages, with the lights at their brightest, all the pressure on him at the end of the first half, beginning of the second, end of the second and in overtime, Osweiler was brilliant.

All told, he completed 69.2 percent of his passes for a healthy 7.7 yards per attempt average, a touchdown and no interceptions. This all came against a Bengals defense that had been ranked third-best in both passing yardage allowed and passes intercepted.

We knew Osweiler had the natural tools to be a franchise quarterback: height, frame, arm and desire. We knew the Broncos had everything they needed to win a Super Bowl, except a quarterback they could count on in the clutch.

Osweiler has proven he can be that guy right now. What's more, there's every reason to believe he'll continue to be that guy in the future, and none to believe anyone else will bump Osweiler off the top of the Broncos' quarterback depth chart in 2015—or 2016, either.