Peyton Manning - Did he make the right choice?

Yes I know. "Only time will tell if Peyton made the right choice"

And sure, I may be jumping the gun just a little bit writing this just two weeks into the 2012 NFL season.

But as a Broncos fan first and foremost and a Cardinals fan second, the thought keeps running through my head.

Peyton Manning is on the wrong team.

I love the Denver Broncos and I always will no matter what they do. (Even after getting rid of my favorite QB since John Elway played the game)

However, every time I see Manning in a Broncos uniform I just keep thinking. "This is not right".

Who knows? Maybe I will be proved wrong in a couple of years, but deep down, until I see Peyton hold up a Super Bowl trophy in blue and orange, I will continue to think Peyton should be in red and white.

We could also sit here and debate the fact that the 49ers look like one of the best teams in football and that is where Peyton should have gone to win a Super Bowl and yes that is true, but I think Coach Jim Harbaugh does best with young QBs and pushing them to the next level (Andrew Luck & Alex Smith). Not sure how he would do with a seasoned vet like Peyton, who rightfully so, is dead set in his own ways.

That brings us to Arizona. How could Peyton not see it? Does he have he own personal reasons for going to Denver? Sure. But the Cardinals have been here before and Peyton should have noticed that.

Pop Quiz. Name one of each of retired and current players. Who is/was an old veteran Superbowl winning quarterback at the end of his career forced to join a new team by no choice of his own? Who does that sound like?

Kurt Warner & Peyton Manning.

4 years ago, with the same kind of quarterback, in the same situation that Peyton is in, the Arizona Cardinals went to a Super Bowl. How do you pass that up?

I feel like the Cardinals are ready for Superbowls. They have one of the most underrated defenses in the entire NFL.

Don't think so? Look at what they did to Tom Brady last week on the road. Four sacks and close to 20 incomplete passes. Brady did not have a passing touchdown until two minutes to go in the fourth quarter. For that matter, the entire Patriots team was held to just four field goals though the first 58 minutes of the football game. When was the last time this happened?

Look at what they did to the Seahawks in week 1. They held Marshawn Lynch to 85 yards rushing on 21 attempts and no touchdowns. One week later he rushed for 122 yards on 26 tires and a touchdown against a Cowboys team fresh off a win over the 2-1 Superbowl champion Giants. Check these numbers out.

PTS

17.0
(5th)

YDS

320.5
(13th)

PASS YDS

218.0
(11th)

RUSH YDS

102.5
(14th)

Ok, ok, I hear you yelling at me, Peyton could care less about defense right? Sure he likes to see low scores on the other side of the scoreboard, but he is an offensive guy.

People talk big about how great the Denver Broncos offensive line is. I just don't see it. Watch this and tell me if this looks like a good O-Line?

How many times did Tebow drop back only to have pressure right in his face? This against the Dolphins

So far in 2012, Peyton has been sacked five times in two games. The combination of Kolb & Skelton has been sacked one time a piece.

Arizona also has great receivers who are just waiting for a good QB to arrive so they can shine.

Larry Fitzgerald and Todd Heap. Peyton has veteran players right there. But Peyton also likes the young players. Early Doucet and Andre Roberts are right there.

Sure he would have had no idea that the Cardinals were going to draft Michael Floyd from Notre Dame, but I am sure the Cardinals front office would have told him they were going that rout in the draft.

Two Veteran Receivers, two new players with NFL experience looking to break out and a young gun.

So to recap, great defense, good offensive line, receivers waiting to break out...put all that together with a head coach that has recent superbowl experience in talking an old QB at the end of his career to the promise land, throw in an awesome indoor stadium, four games a year against the Rams and Seahawks and I just don't know how Peyton passes up Arizona.

The Cardinals are a team on the verge of a Superbowl. I just feel it.

The only missing piece of their superbowl puzzle is a great Quarterback.

PTS

20.0
(27th)

YDS

249.0
(30th)

PASS YDS

175.0
(30th)

RUSH YDS

74.0
(28th

Peyton could have been that puzzle piece. For now I will continue to wonder...Did Peyton make the right choice?

Again, only time will tell if he made right right choice, but for right now, I will continue wonder and think if this would have been in Peyton's future with a trip to the southwest.