Peyton Manning on Cold Weather Struggles: "Whoever Wrote that Narrative can Shove it"

The Tennessee Titans gave Peyton Manning's Broncos a fight in the first half, but the prolific Denver offense caught fire in the second half, propelling the Broncs to a 51-28 victory.

The game was noteworthy for many reasons. Denver kicker Matt Prater broke a long-time NFL record by making a 64 yarder right before halftime. Manning threw for 397 yards and 4 more touchdowns, placing him only 5 touchdowns behind Tom Brady's record of 50 with three games to go. Amusingly enough, Manning led the Colts to yet another AFC South title by beating the Titans.

Most importantly, at least to Manning, the maestro performance came in a frigid Denver afternoon. After years of hearing about how he shrivels up in the cold, Peyton was clearly extra satisfied to put up a performance like that in 18° (and dropping) weather.

"Whoever wrote that narrative can shove it where the sun don't shine" Peyton told Denver's 850 KOA after the game.

Manning was a little more reserved in his postgame presser, but overcoming his supposed kyptonite was clearly still on his mind.

"Well, I wasn't trying to answer it, because I didn't give it any validation in the first place" Manning said when asked about past cold-weather criticism. "We had a good plan and I thought we threw the ball well and guys caught the ball well."

If Manning wants to find who wrote that narrative, he can start by looking in the mirror. Bill Parcells once infamously said "You are what your record says you are" and, despite yesterday's impressive win, Peyton's record when it's 32° or colder is still only 4-7. It's a small sample size, but also a noticeable drop off considering his record when it's above 32° is 161-66. It's also notable because his cold weather adventures have included a several memorable meltdowns at the hands of arch rivals Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the Patriots.

At this point in Manning's career, I think wind and snow are much bigger obstacles for Manning than just cold temperatures. Manning has always been more of a precise touch passer, and that's especially true now that multiple neck surgeries have taken some of the strength from his "rocket, lazer arm". Manning can still make all the throws in the cold, but he sometimes struggles when the conditions necessitate putting a little more zip on his passes. We all saw that first hand in Gillette Stadium, as Manning often struggled to drive the ball through the swirling wind, particularly on throws to the sidelines.

With that said, if Manning wants to finally put the "cold-weather struggles" narrative to bed for good, he'll have a golden opportunity to do so this postseason. Assuming Denver holds onto the AFC's top seed, the Broncos would have to win two playoff games outside in Denver to reach the Super Bowl, which if you haven't heard is going to be outside in New Jersey's MetLife Stadium. Manning can be happy with the win this week, but Mother Nature will surely test him plenty more before the season's end.