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Massarotti: Not Buying Broncos' Excuse For Peyton Manning's Weak Arm

By Tony Massarotti, 98.5 The Sports Hub

BOSTON (CBS) -- And so now, less than 24 hours after Peyton Manning looks ready for assisted living, the Denver Broncos are letting it be known that Manning is suffering from a foot injury.

Pretty convenient, eh?

I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm not buying it. And based on a report from Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network a short time ago, Manning may not play in Sunday's upcoming game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. That seemingly puts Manning's availability into question for the game against the Patriots on Nov. 29, though some of us have a different theory.

The Broncos will sit Manning against the Bears precisely so they can play him against the Patriots, though it has nothing to do with his foot.

It's his arm.

Think about it: When Manning and the Broncos undressed the Green Bay Packers a couple of weeks ago, Manning was coming off a bye week. The national line of commentary concerned Manning's improved arm strength. Since that time, Manning's arm has gone right back to where it was, leading to an abysmal performance Sunday during which he completed 5-of-20 passes with four interceptions for 35 yards and a Blutarskian passer rating of 0.0.

Maybe Manning's foot doesn't need to recover. Maybe his arm does. Maybe he needs a week off between games.

One other note: Against Manning yesterday, the Kansas City Chiefs did what the Packers did not – namely, take away the middle of the field. As such, Manning had nowhere to go with his throws and it showed. The Chiefs caught almost as many of Manning's throws as the Broncos did.

And now the Broncos want to tell us that Manning has been dealing with a foot injury?

Please.

Manning's arm – and ego – are what the Broncos are trying to protect.

Tony Massarotti co-hosts the Felger and Massarotti Show on 98.5 The Sports Hub weekdays from 2-6 p.m. Follow him on Twitter @TonyMassarotti. You can read more from Tony by clicking here.

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