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The Denver Broncos lost a wild one to the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football thanks in large part to some bad decision-making. They made some questionable goal line decisions, but it was the team’s decision-making in the final minute that left everybody scratching their heads.
The team let clock run down in the final minute before calling a timeout, wasting 30 seconds for no apparent reason. Then, head coach Nathaniel Hackett elected to pull Russell Wilson from the game on 4th and 5 and attempt a 64-yard field goal to win the game.
Fans everywhere were stunned by the closing minute, and the best encapsulation of that came in the form of the Manningcast. Peyton Manning, Shannon Sharpe, and Eli Manning all expressed a combination of befuddlement and disgust during the final minute that any football fan would recognize.
— lowlight heaven (@lowlightheaven) September 13, 2022
The Manningcast has gotten rave reviews for the insight and entertainment it brings to Monday Night Football. Peyton and Eli have strong chemistry, and they’ve done a great job bringing their guests into the broadcast to discuss the game and anything else on their minds.
The real value we’ve seen is the emotional reactions the Manning brothers and their guests bring to the broadcast. The fact that they have not been forced to tone it down is a major plus for the broadcast. In their first broadcast of the 2022 season, they went beyond just questioning play-calling to repeatedly criticizing head referee Clete Blakeman. It was the kind of back-and-forth fans have at home and in sports bars and not something regular broadcasts offer. A regular broadcast will be critical, but not nearly to the level of the Manningcast.
ESPN extended the Manningcast for three more seasons through 2024, which means we’ll get plenty more of Peyton, Eli, and an assortment of guests offering their reactions to primetime football. This year, the Manning brothers will be calling nine regular season games and one playoff game. It should make for a wild ride!