Each Thursday night, Around The NFL will salute one player or coach for making the right call.
Peyton Manning earned the award for the Broncos' 31-24 victory over the Chiefs after relentlessly targeting cornerback Jamell Fleming on a clutch fourth-quarter drive.
Manning struggled to move the offense in the second half, managing just one field goal on five possessions before going 80 yards over 10 plays in the game-tying two-minute drill.
Having been burned by impressive rookie Marcus Peters for a pick-six and four pass deflections, Manning took aim at third cornerback Fleming to jumpstart his up-tempo, no-huddle attack.
The first pass went 22 yards to Demaryius Thomas, with Fleming turning toward the sideline as Thomas broke to the middle. Manning then went back to the mismatch for 17 more yards, as Thomas outleaped Fleming on the sideline.
After Thomas pulled off the same feat against Peters on a key third-down jumpball, Manning overthrew Emmanuel Sanders with Fleming in coverage. Three plays later, the Manning-to-Sanders connection burned Fleming for the 19-yard, game-tying touchdown with just 40 seconds remaining.
Targeting a cornerback who likely will return to the bench once Sean Smith returns from suspension in Week 4, Manning completed three of four passes for 58 yards and a touchdown on the most crucial series of the night.
In the heat of the moment, with the game on the line, Manning made the right call.
