When Denver Broncos coach Gary Kubiak turned to Peyton Manning in the second half of Week 17, he knew what he was doing. And when Manning did OK in a win over the San Diego Chargers on Sunday, Kubiak wasn't going to turn back to Brock Osweiler for the playoffs. The Broncos made it official on Thursday . Manning, who hasn't started since Nov. 15, will start in the Broncos' first playoff game on Jan. 17. Denver, as the No. 1 seed in the AFC, has a bye this week. [ Yahoo Daily Fantasy: $10 could win you $15K in our $150K wild-card contest ] It's a risky move, which sounds strange because it involves Manning, the only five-time MVP in NFL history. But Manning hasn't been that player this season, at age 39. He had 17 interceptions despite not playing six full games due to a foot injury. His rating this season is a paltry 67.9. But Manning has experience, and Kubiak was worried about Osweiler's inconsistency and inexperience going into the playoffs. Perhaps the Broncos feel like Manning's struggles this season were health-related and he's feeling good going into the playoffs. Manning went 5-of-9 for 69 yards against the Chargers on Sunday in his return, after Kubiak turned to him with the Broncos trailing. He looked fine, but it wasn't the kind of vintage Manning performance that would lead one to believe he has recaptured his MVP form. Osweiler has been up and down, but he has been the better quarterback this season. He led comeback wins over the New England Patriots and Cincinnati Bengals, the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds in the AFC. His 86.4 rating wasn't great, but it was almost 20 points better than the quarterback who will be replacing him for the playoffs. When Kubiak benched Osweiler after a fumble by running back C.J. Anderson, it seemed clear that Kubiak was itching to see what Manning could do. That is understandable, considering Manning has been one of the greatest quarterbacks in league history. And now the Broncos are planning to roll with the 39-year-old at quarterback for at least the first playoff game, and one would assume they won't make a change if they keep advancing. If Manning can get the Broncos back to a Super Bowl, after there was a question late in the season if he'd ever take another snap again in the NFL, it would be one of the greatest stories in league history. But if he can't, Kubiak will have to answer a lot of tough questions. AFC playoffs - - - - - - - Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
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