TotalBroncos

Week 1 of the 2012 NFL regular season could, in my opinion, be summed up with one major thought: The advertised bad teams proved to be bad, while those thought to be contenders opened up the campaign with wins. Any and all NFL power rankings are, in mid-September, reasons for debates among fans and analysts and not much more. The fact is that you could pick one of three teams for the No. 1 spot in your Week 2 NFL power rankings without being “wrong.”

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2012 Week 2 NFL Power Rankings (Yahoo! Contributor Network)

Peyton Manning was tremendous Sunday night. He didn’t look like a 36-year-old who missed all of last season with a neck injury when he led Denver to …

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Poll: Did Peyton Manning surprise you?

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) – Mike Tomlin needed only two words to describe the guy who ripped apart the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense in the Mile High City. “He’s Peyton,” the coach said with a shrug. He’s Peyton Manning – and he’s back. Wearing orange for the first time since his playing days at the University of Tennessee, the former Indianapolis Colts star wasn’t about to let a 20-month layoff for neck surgery wreck his opening night debut with the Denver Broncos on Sunday. Using the no-huddle, the four-time MVP led the Broncos on a trio of 80-yard touchdown drives and kept Ben Roethlisberger ‘s troops guessing until the final whistle in a 31-19 victory. Manning, who bid a tearful farewell to the Colts on March 7 when they cut him so they could begin anew with Andrew Luck, showed during the preseason that his right arm and neck were plenty strong. This, after missing all of last season with a nerve injury that weakened his throwing arm. If anyone still wondered about his health six months after he switched teams in the biggest free agent move in NFL history, Manning delivered a resounding answer: His 71-yard touchdown throw to Demaryius Thomas , Manning’s first as a Bronco was also the 400th of his career. Manning reached the milestone in his 208th career game. Dan Marino did it in his 227th game and Brett Favre in his 228th. “I’ve seen improvement every time he’s gone out, going back to the beginning of preseason” and even before that, coach John Fox said Monday. “Physically, mentally, him adjusting to new teammates, new coaches, I think he’s been tremendous.” Receiver Brandon Stokley and tight end Jacob Tamme , who played with Manning in Indianapolis, helped him against Pittsburgh. And neither of them saw anything different in Manning 2.0. “He has put in so much work that you expect him to come out here and play well,” Tamme said. “Knowing the guy, what kind of competitor he is, I never doubted for once that he would be playing again,” Stokley said. “I knew he’d be back.” Manning completed 19 of 26 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns – and a game ball. “Hey, it was a great win, it’s an honor to play football with you guys,” Manning told his teammates in a jubilant locker room afterward. “Unbelievable team effort … It sure was a great start, let’s keep it going.” Manning started his first 277 games of his career, including the playoffs, before turning into a sideline spectator last season. Despite getting off to a fine start in Denver, Manning insists his rehabilitation and his transition to his new surroundings are both season-long works in progress. “I’m still feeling my way out, I still have some limitations,” Manning insisted. “This team is still forming its identity. As you’re feeling yourself out, feeling your team out and you get a win in that process, that’s a nice thing.” The Broncos installed a power passing game this summer after turning the NFL upside-down last season when they dusted off the old read-option offense to fit Tim Tebow ‘s unique skill set. Now that Manning’s in Denver and Tebow’s in New York, the Broncos are balanced again, running the ball 27 times and throwing it 26 Sunday night. Manning and the Broncos started out slowly before turning to the no-huddle, which led to three long TD drives. They were so efficient that they didn’t even falter when Roethlisberger took an incredible 44 snaps to Manning’s three during one stretch spanning the second and third quarters. One of those three was a kneel-down at the half, another a 9-yard pass to Eric Decker and the third one a toss in the left flat to Thomas, who turned upfield and weaved his way for a 71-yard score. It was Thomas who beat the Steelers in the AFC wild-card game eight months earlier when he caught a perfect pass from Tebow on a crossing pattern and raced 80 yards into the end zone on the first play of overtime. “It’s kind of similar,” Thomas said, “but not quite the same.” The best defense for Manning in the opener was Roethlisberger, who kept his counterpart cooling his cleats on the sideline. “Wasn’t much fun sitting on the bench there all night,” Manning said. “… You get up to warm up, kind of getting ready and see them on a third-and-15 and thinking you’re about to go out there and he converts it and you go back and sit down.” Manning was magnificent when he did get into the game and dusted off the no-huddle. He didn’t exactly run it at breakneck speed, mind you. The Broncos ran it to keep Pittsburgh from its usual situational substitutions. Manning actually used as much of the play clock as he could, all the while decoding defenders’ intentions, calling audibles and putting on that famous show of gyrations, finger-pointing and foot-stomping that were staples of his game in Indy. “The no-huddle’s something I know Peyton has a lot of confidence in, a lot of background in,” Fox said. “He did a good job of eating clock in the no-huddle. It wasn’t a hurry-up no-huddle per se, but I think it kind of puts the defense on their heels a little bit.” Manning avoided many big hits, too, getting the ball out quickly. Running back Knowshon Moreno was beaten on both of Manning’s sacks, one of them coming when he was left trying to block two pass-rushers. “We just couldn’t get to Peyton,” Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel lamented. “He was getting the ball out quick.” Same as always. By ARNIE STAPLETON, AP Pro Football Writer (© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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Manning Shows No Rust From Long Layoff

DENVER (CBS4)- Peyton Manning is the talk of the NFL, and rightfully so after that profound performance Sunday night in his Denver debut. But what can’t be missed was the effort and determination of the defense. The Broncos battered and bruised the Steelers all night long. They brought blitzes in a timely fashion and swarmed to the ball-carrier on run plays. It was a flashback to the old “Orange Crush,” especially with the team wearing predominantly orange as its primary jersey for the first time since 1996. Rookie defensive lineman Derek Wolfe started the party with his first career sack in the first quarter, while four other Broncos recorded sacks of their own. Wolfe became the sixth Broncos player to earn a sack in the first game of his career, and that particular tackle moved the Steelers out of field goal range. Reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year Von Miller sacked Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger twice in a row on the team’s last drive and finished with four total tackles. Wesley Woodyard was the Broncos’ best tackler, with 12 total, two for a loss including one sack of his own. Woodyard certainly brought the wood and was all over the field all night.  He was the best linebacker on the field for Denver. Of course, cornerback Champ Bailey made an appearance, knocking away a would-be touchdown from Roethlisberger to Antonio Brown on a slant from the Denver three-yard line. The player of the game was undoubtedly cornerback Tracy Porter though, whose eight tackles and five passes defended were each career-highs. Early in the second quarter, Porter saved a touchdown when he jumped sky-high and tipped a Roethlisberger pass away from an open and waiting Heath Miller in the back of the end zone. His best play was the interception of Roethlisberger to cap off the win for the Broncos, jumping in front of Emanuel Sanders and taking the ball 43 yards to the house. It was Porter’s third career interception return for a touchdown, and each one essentially sealed the game. Tracy Porter (credit: Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) In all, the Denver D shut down the usual ground-and-pound Steelers run game, allowing them only 75 total yards on the day and a very short 2.9 yards per carry average. Likewise, Roethlisberger’s 209 yards through the air were very manageable, and his completion percentage of 55 means defenders were all over his receivers. Much of the credit for the Broncos play on Sunday night should go to new defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, who obviously had his team prepared to play in Week 1. His mix of blitzes kept constant pressure on the quarterback, and Roethlisberger was hit nine total times in the contest. Still, the defense wasn’t perfect, as they allowed Pittsburgh to convert on 11-19 (58 percent) third downs, which the Steelers turned into incredibly long scoring drives. They also enjoyed a 10-minute time of possession advantage on the Broncos, but twice the Denver defense bent and didn’t break, holding Pittsburgh to field goals instead of touchdowns. It would behoove the Broncos to work on getting off the field on third downs, otherwise they will likely wear down and eventually allow many more points as the season drags on. This same defensive unit will have their hands full this Monday, when they travel to Atlanta to face the high flying Falcons, who put up 41 against Kansas City Sunday. It will be a tougher test and possibly better tell of how well they will play this season. But at least for one week, Denver can be proud their team dominated on both sides of the ball Sunday night, against one of the top teams in the NFL. For more Local Football Bloggers and the latest Broncos news, see  CBS Sports Denver . Rich Kurtzman is a Denver native, Colorado State University alumnus, sports nerd, athletics enthusiast, and competition junkie. Currently writing for a multitude of websites while working on books, one on the history of the Denver Broncos and Mile High Stadium. Find more of Rich’s Denver Broncos pieces on Examiner.com .

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Defense Big For Denver Broncos In Week 1 Win

ENGLEWOOD — After the second play in the second quarter Sunday night, Ty Warren lifted his 6-foot-5, 300-pound body off the grass, and motioned for a replacement as he walked toward the Broncos’ sideline.

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Broncos’ Warren has torn triceps