Filed Under » Peyton Manning

The passing of the NFL quarterback torch continued today in Denver as the Broncos announced rookie Brock Osweiler will start ahead of veteran Peyton Manning.

"It's simply production on the field," said head coach John Fox. "This is a results business, not a reputation business. Peyton simply hasn't played well in our first two preseason games."

While Manning has zero touchdown passes and three interceptions to go with a 48.8 quarterback rating, Osweiler has a touchdown pass, hasn't turned the ball over and has a 79.9 rating through two games.

"It's been night and day," said Fox. "If they were a little closer, maybe I would have given Peyton the benefit of the doubt or waited another week to make a decision, but there's really no decision to make here. Their performances made the decision. Now we just need to give Brock every opportunity to play with the first team to get ready for the regular season."

Broncos president John Elway is 100-percent behind the decision to bench Manning, who Denver signed to a 5-year, $96 million contract in the offseason.

"Of course I am behind this decision," said Elway. "I think I proved with Tim Tebow that my decisions will not be influenced by fan popularity polls. I want the best quarterback, regardless of fame or jersey sales. And Brock Osweiler is better than Peyton Manning. Anyone can see that."

Pat Robertson, the televangelist and host of the syndicated religious show "The 700 Club," revealed yesterday on the air that God openly seeks physical harm against those who do wrong.

While discussing the Denver Broncos' replacement of Tim Tebow, Robertson stated that Denver treated Tebow "shabbily" and went on to say: "OK, so Peyton Manning was a tremendous MVP quarterback, but he's been injured. If that injury comes back, Denver will find itself without a quarterback. And in my opinion, it would serve them right."

The statement pulled the curtain back on the inner workings of God's involvement in sports and opened up Robertson and the creator of the universe to criticism.

"Let me be very clear – anyone who tries to hurt NFL players is open to a severe punishment, including God," said commissioner Roger Goodell. "In fact, the punishment is greater for someone in authority, as I exhibited with Sean Payton. God would be in for a much greater suspension than one year."