Finding even mild criticism of Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning from the Seahawks this week has been harder than finding a cab in Midtown Manhattan during rush hour.
One member of the Seahawks defense did reveal something he’s picked up on film about Manning that he’d like to use to his team’s advantage on Sunday, however. Speaking at Tuesday’s Media Day, Seahawks defensive tackle Tony McDaniel said that he’s noticed a little hitch in Manning’s game although the observation doesn’t quite rise to the level of a rebuke of Manning’s considerable talent.
“He has happy feet, when he is making a read,” McDaniel said. “If he doesn’t see those guys open, he will get anxious and throw the ball.”
That’s something that can be said of most quarterbacks, which is the reason why teams love to find pass rushers that can force quarterbacks to make quicker decisions.
The problem for opposing defenses this season has been that Manning usually sees someone open when he is making his reads and that even throws tinged with anxiety have regularly found their way to their targets. Speeding up those reads would presumably lead to even happier feet, but Manning has only been sacked 18 times this season so it’s difficult to predict that the Seahawks will be able to wreak more havoc in the pocket than previous Broncos opponents.