Gary Kubiak Comments on Peyton Manning, Brock Osweiler After Win vs. Bears

Denver Broncos quarterback Brock Osweiler did as well as could have been expected as he started in place of an injured legend in Peyton Manning in a 17-15 road win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday.   

Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak refused to commit to Osweiler as the starting QB afterward despite a strong performance from the strapping signal-caller that helped the team improve to 8-2.

"Here's the deal: We got healthier here today," said Kubiak, per Mike Florio of NBC Sports' Pro Football Talk. "We've got some guys on this team that we're trying to get healthy, so that's important. And we won our eighth game. So we're going to focus on winning today and enjoy winning and we'll go back to work next week.   

Per the Denver Post's Nicki Jhabvala, Kubiak said last week Manning would start once he's healthy. But on Sunday, the coach did praise Osweiler, who celebrated his 25th birthday by going 20-of-27 passing for 250 yards and two touchdowns without committing a turnover. Per Florio:

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He can do everything. He's a very composed young man and the more he plays, I think, the better he's going to get. We [bootlegged] a little bit, not a lot. They were up the field quite a bit but the threat of us doing that, I think, helped us run the ball a little bit. He’s a sharp young man. He has a lot of confidence in himself and he should obviously gain some more through this experience.

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Bleacher Report's Matt Miller was impressed with what he saw, highlighting the evident arm talent Osweiler has that adds a dimension Manning can't bring to the offense:

Yes, Osweiler defeated a Bears team that now has a 4-6 record, but the victory in his maiden start was far more impressive than initially meets the eye for a variety of reasons.

Chicago is 4-3 in its last seven contests, with those losses by a total of eight points. Its defense is no joke with former San Francisco 49ers coordinator Vic Fangio calling the shots. Standing behind a Denver offensive line that's struggled to protect Manning all year, Osweiler hung tough despite taking five sacks.

Also to consider: Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase held the same position with the Broncos the previous two seasons and was there when Osweiler was drafted. Chicago head coach John Fox held his same post in Denver until last year too. The duo had a lot more insight on Osweiler entering Sunday than the average opponent would, bereft of extensive regular-season game tape to evaluate.

Broncos fans who don't yet believe in Osweiler should weigh all those factors. It's understandable to still be skeptical of his small sample size, but the former second-round pick acquitted himself well enough to show he can at least run the offense. He has the luxury of an elite defense to lean on, which could encourage the decision to keep him in as a means of building momentum.

Another reason to keep Osweiler under center is due to the fact that he's going to be a free agent this offseason. Denver ought to find out as much as it can about him before it lets a potential franchise QB and successor to Manning test the open market.

If Osweiler plays well enough, of course, the Broncos won't let him leave. Otherwise, they don't seem much better off with the 39-year-old and hobbled Manning, who posted a 0.0 passer rating his last time out in Week 10's 29-13 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.