Peyton Manning retired as Broncos quarterback after the 2015 season. His influence lingers in Denver, in one very specific way that caused new Broncos quarterback Joe Flacco to be taken aback.
“I know it’s not a full stadium yet but had a good amount of people out there,” Flacco told reporters on Monday after his first home game with the team. “The one thing I noticed, it was really weird, you can tell Peyton played here because when the offense has the ball, it’s like, you can hear a pin drop. That was a little different, to be honest with you. It’s always quiet, obviously, for the home team when they’re on offense but that was a little extra. I felt like I heard my voice echoing in the stadium, so I was a little thrown off by that.”
During one specific game with the Ravens, a throw from Flacco created a similar auditory effect in Mile High Stadium, when he launched a moonshot to Jacoby Jones in the final minute of regulation to tie a divisional playoff game that Baltimore eventually won in double overtime.
Seven years later, Flacco’s goal will be to ensure that it’s quiet before the play, and that the home fans are cheering, not booing, the outcome of as many snaps as possible.
