<
        >

          NFL Nation

          Peyton Manning appreciates Wes Welker's timing

          • Jeff Legwold, ESPN Senior WriterOct 24, 2014, 02:44 AM ET
            Close
              Jeff Legwold is a senior writer who covers the Denver Broncos and the NFL at ESPN. Jeff has covered the Broncos for more than 20 years, joining ESPN in 2013. He also assists with NFL draft coverage, including his annual top 100 prospects. Jeff has been a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Board of Selectors since 1999. He has attended every scouting combine since 1987.
            Follow on X

          DENVER -- It's all in the details for Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning.

          For most of Thursday night's 35-21 victory over the San Diego Chargers the ball was not going wide receiver Wes Welker's way. He did not have a catch until there was just 9:31 left in the game, and that one went for no gain.

          With 3:29 to play, the Broncos were trying to grind out the clock with a 14-point lead and facing a third-and-4 from their own 10-yard line. A punt there and the Broncos would have handed the ball back to the Chargers in quality field position for an opportunity to make it a one-score game.

          Then Manning hit Welker for a 5-yard gain that allowed the Broncos to effectively run out all but 18 seconds of the time that was left in the seven plays that followed.

          "And I thought Welker's third-down catch might have been the biggest play of the game," Manning said.

          Two weeks ago, Welker had just one catch in the Broncos' win over the New York Jets, but it was an 8-yarder on a third-and-6 that helped run out most of the closing minutes in that win as well. It is a different type of role for a player who had five 100-catch seasons in his time with the New England Patriots.

          Since he returned from a concussion and a four-game suspension to open the season for a violation of the league's policy on performance-enhancing drugs that was later reduced to two games, Welker has 19 receptions in five games to go with one touchdown. He has not had a 100-yard receiving game since he signed with the Broncos.

          But Manning said it's Welker's ability to find space to work when it's needed that continues to make him a key part of things.

          "He's more than a security blanket," Manning said. "I feel like he is a great threat out there and I'm sure defenses would tell you that. He's had a great attitude. I'm not speaking for him but I'm sure he wants more catches and to be more involved, but it's just the way the ball works sometimes. It could be his day next Sunday against New England. But give credit to him: On that third down, he ran a great route. It was a great adjustment. Third-and-1, it was kind of planned for an out route. Wes snapped it inside. I believe they were looking to have some type of double coverage, but he was so quick with his adjustment and I was able to bang it in there and got that third-down conversion. So I give credit to him for staying in the game and not feel like, 'Hey it's not coming to me.'"