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Home , 2013 NFL season, Adrian Robinson, AFC South, Andrew Luck, Antoine Bethea, Austin Pasztor

John Fox fires back at over bashing

By Mike Klis October 15, 2013

Broncos coach John Fox.

Broncos coach John Fox fired back at Colts owner Jim Irsay on Tuesday in defense of Peyton Manning.

Irsay earlier implied in an interview with USA Today that he wanted to move on from Manning’s “star wars” stats and start winning more Super Bowls.

Fox, on his weekly appearance on NFL Sirius radio on Tuesday with and Pat Kirwan, was asked about Irsay’s comments.

“I saw the comments. And to be honest with you, I thought it was a bit of a cheap ,” Fox said. “To me, in my opinion, they were disappointing and inappropriate.

“Peyton would never say anything. He’s too classy to do that. They sounded a little ungrateful and unappreciative to me. For a guy who has set a standard, won a , won four MVP awards… be thankful of that one , because a lot of people don’t have one.”

Irsay, among other quotes, said in reference to Manning’s time with the Colts:

“(Tom) Brady never had consistent numbers, but he has three of these,” Irsay said. “ had two, the Giants had two, had two and we had one. That leaves you frustrated.”

Here’s a link to Fox’s radio interview.

Broncos promote to 53- man roster, waive

By Mike Klis The Denver Post October 15, 2013

When the tried to sign away rookie receiver Tavarres King, the Broncos' front office countered with its own play.

The Broncos waived Adrian Robinson on Tuesday and added King to their 53-man roster.

"It all happened so fast, it was crazy there for a while," King said Tuesday. "I didn't know if I was going to be staying here or moving up to Green Bay. But I love it here. This is where I was drafted. I want this place to be my . Fortunately for me, I guess I got a little love back."

King was one of the Broncos' two fifth-round picks in April, but he didn't make their -opening, 53-man roster. The Broncos were able to sign him to their where players can be signed away to another team's 53-man roster.

That's what Green Bay tried to do after it lost receivers Randall Cobb and James Jones to injury Sunday at Baltimore. Cobb will be out six to eight weeks.

Jim Irsay takes classless shot at Peyton Manning

By Mike Klis The Denver Post October 15, 2013

Jim Irsay is known for his interview filibusters where he can be talking about his running game one minute and running off his mouth to a non-related subject the next.

But the ’ owner went too far in implying his former Peyton Manning was more about flashy statistics than winning championships.

In an interview with USA Today, Irsay started off by saying nice things about Manning, the Broncos’ quarterback who will be coming back to play Indianapolis on Sunday night.

But then, maybe because Manning is playing far better than anyone thought possible since Irsay released him in March 2012, the Colts owner seemed to defend his decision.

“We’ve changed our model a little bit, because we wanted more than one of these,” Irsay told the paper while flicking up his right hand to show his Super Bowl XLI championship ring.

That Super Bowl ring, by the way, was delivered thanks to Manning’s Super Bowl MVP performance in a driving rain.

“(Tom) Brady never had consistent numbers, but he has three of these,” Irsay adds. “Pittsburgh had two, the Giants had two, Baltimore had two and we had one. That leaves you frustrated.

“You make the playoffs 11 times, and you’re out in the first round seven out of 11 times. You love to have the Star Wars numbers from Peyton and Marvin (Harrison) and Reggie (Wayne). Mostly, you love this.”

Then, according to the USA Today article, Irsay flicked up his right hand again.

Ah, Jim. If I was Peyton Manning, I’d tell you to take that planned pre-game tribute and fire it through the roof of the stadium. The stadium Manning essentially built, by the way, through his WINNING performances, game after game, year after year.

What a low blow. And implying Brady is more of a winner than Manning? Them are fighting words, Jim. Look, everyone knows Manning has just one Super Bowl title and has a 9-11 playoff record. And he now has eight one-and-dones. But a missed field cost him one year. Bad defense cost him some others. A 70-yard Hail Mary cost him last year.

There were several years there in Indy when the only playoff-caliber part of their roster was at quarterback.

Clearly, Irsay has been listening to be people who tell him what he wants to hear. He never should have taken such a shot. Not this week.

But we’ll see. First one to the Super Bowl wins, Jim.

Tony Dungy: In hindsight, Jim Irsay may have kept Peyton Manning

By Mike Klis The Denver Post October 15, 2013

It may have been a difficult decision on a human’s heart and soul.

But the NFL is a cold-hearted, win-at-all-costs business. The decision Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay made two years ago to release Peyton Manning and draft was a no-brainer as it relates to business.

Manning was about to turn 36 and was coming off four neck surgeries that caused him to miss the entire 2011 season. Luck was considered the best quarterback prospect to come along since Manning in 1998.

Like in 1998, the Colts had the No. 1 overall draft pick. Luck could be had for $22.1 million over four years. Manning was due to make $35 million in 2012 alone.

Still, a big factor in the decision was no one thought Manning would be playing the way he is now. He has a 17-game with the Broncos. In two seasons, he has thrown 59 passes against 13 . He has been the best quarterback in the past two years. He’s been way better than Luck, who has played well for his youth, but no qualifier is needed with Manning.

In hindsight, was the decision not quite as smart as it was then?

“I can tell you it wasn’t a no-brainer,” former Colts coach , who is now an NBC analyst, said on an NBC conference all Tuesday that was set up to help promote Manning’s return to Indy on Sunday night. “I was on the phone with Jim Irsay probably five or six times over a month as it was leading up to that. He knew all those factors that you just enumerated there.

“But Jim also had a great deal of loyalty. Jim was a young boy when his dad traded . So he knew the ramifications of this type of decision. And he also knew how much Peyton had done for the city of Indianapolis and for that franchise.

“So even for all the reasons you just stated why it should be done, I don’t think it was ever a no-brainer in his mind and I can almost guarantee you that if he knew he was going to be healthy like this and playing this kind of football, in hindsight I don’t think he would have done it.”

The Colts might have drafted or receiver with the No. 1 overall pick instead. “But with everything the way it was at that time, with Andrew being there and being available knowing the scouting report on Andrew, and the percentages of Peyton coming back and playing well at that point it was the right thing to do,” Dungy said.

It’s all about the Super Bowl. If Manning wins two Super Bowls in the next three years and the Colts win none, it will have been a terrible decision. Future be darned.

If Manning and the Broncos don’t win the Super Bowl and Andrew Luck and the Colts win two in the next 10 years, it will have been a great decision.

Indianapolis-area students welcome Peyton Manning back with parody of “Football On Your Phone” video

By Joan Niesen The Denver Post October 15, 2013

You’ve no doubt seen Peyton and ’s “Football On Your Phone” ad for DirecTV. (If you haven’t, check it out here.)

A group of Indianapolis-area students loved the video so much that they made a parody of the video to welcome Peyton back to Indianapolis. A story on ABC 7′s website gives some background into the students’ idea and includes both a video interview with the students and their video, which has more than 40,000 views as of Oct. 15.

Jim Irsay says Peyton Manning told Colts to pick Andrew Luck

By Joan Niesen The Denver Post October 15, 2013

In a story published Tuesday morning on USA Today’s website, Colts owner Jim Irsay tells the paper that Peyton Manning, coming off his neck surgeries, advised the team to pick quarterback Andrew Luck in the 2012 NFL Draft.

From the story:

And Manning, at the time trying to rebound from four surgical procedures on his neck, could see the Colts’ future in Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck.

“He said, ‘You’ve got to take Andrew,’” Irsay recalls during an interview with USA TODAY Sports. “‘You have to. You’re crazy if you don’t.’”

The Colts indeed drafted Luck with the No. 1 overall pick last year after releasing Manning, who hitched on with the and and is well- positioned for a second Super Bowl title.

The Broncos play in Indianapolis on Sunday, and it will be Manning’s first time playing against his former team. There’s no ill will harbored by Irsay, however, who says in the story that what’s happened to Manning since he left Indianapolis has been “perfect.”

Irsay also says that there would have been no way to draft Luck and let him develop under Manning, and from the sounds of the story, he has no regrets about his decision to go with the future over bringing back his team’s past.

Manning has not confirmed Irsay’s take on the conversation about Luck.

Broncos Malik Jackson steps up to impress teammates

By Irv Moss The Denver Post October 16, 2013

Broncos second-year defensive end Malik Jackson is hoping to do his part to contribute to a special day for Peyton Manning when Denver plays the quarterback's former team Sunday at Indianapolis.

"We all know how Peyton feels about that place, so we're all working hard to support him," Jackson said on the heels of the best game of his career against the .

Jackson hopes to duplicate or improve on that performance when Manning returns to the town he played in for 14 years before joining the Broncos in 2012.

Jackson made seven tackles, three for losses, sacked Jaguars quarterback twice, and had two quarterback hurries and a pass defense on the way to earning his team's defensive game ball.

"We've been seeing Malik play well since training camp," Broncos defensive end said. "His hard work has paid off."

Unrein pointed to a series late in the third quarter Sunday when Jackson took over the game with three critical defensive plays on a Jacksonville three-and-out possession with the Broncos leading 28-19.

Jackson made his sacks on Jacksonville's first and third downs of the series that began at the 20-yard line, resulting in 12 yards of losses. On the second play, Jackson hammered running back Maurice Jones-Drew for a 1-yard loss.

"I do what I can do to help my defense," Jackson said. "We all had to step up big time, because we had some injuries. It fell on everybody's shoulders to do that. I just happened to be the one who was able to make some plays."

Broncos coach John Fox was impressed with Jackson.

"He is a good, young player, and he's developing and getting better each week," Fox said. "He obviously won our game ball, so he did pretty well."

Jackson is so mild-mannered off the field, one wonders how he summoned so much aggression Sunday. "I like to relax and get my mind off of business for a few hours," Jackson said. "I'm pretty low-key and try to do fun things. I go to movies. I blend in."

A coaching change at Southern going into his sophomore year caused Jackson to divide his college career between the Trojans and .

"When coach (Pete) Carroll left, I just didn't like it anymore at USC," Jackson said. "It worked out pretty well."

Hochman: Broncos' still has plenty to prove

By Benjamin Hochman The Denver Post October 15, 2013

As Von Miller was swarmed by reporters — like being swarmed by, well, Von Miller — the reinstated renegade said Monday that during his six-game suspension, "I don't think anybody has been a bigger Broncos fan than me."

Miller doesn't know the first thing about being a Broncos fan.

Broncos fans have an unwavering dedication to the team, and they pour their hearts into following this team's journey with a singular goal and desire — for Denver to win the Super Bowl. Miller wants a Super Bowl, sure, but he wanted it on his own, above-the-law terms. He knew that doing stupid stuff could risk the Broncos' chances at winning the Super Bowl — or, at least, detour the path the team should be on — but he did so anyway.

Von Miller is selfish. Or, at least, was selfish. Now, he has to earn the trust back of his "fellow" fans. How does the linebacker earn back trust? It's simple — don't do anything you know could get you suspended, and make up for lost time by playing with a passion for the Broncos matched only by the folks who paid hard-earned money for a No. 58 jersey.

"I'm working hard to gain everybody's trust back," Miller said Monday after his six- game suspension ended for violating the league's drug policy. "I'm working hard to gain everybody's trust back. I'm just going to continue to take it one day at a time. All I can ask is that everybody judge me on my actions going forward, and I can gain everybody's trust back that way."

Some might think — it's all good, we're 6-0 anyway. In other words, maybe they'd be more mad at Von if Denver were 3-3. But the record shouldn't let Von off the hook. How Denver played without Miller is irrelevant to the fact that he made a conscious effort to do something that could get him suspended.

On Monday, I was admittedly taken aback by one thing Miller said — or, actually, didn't say — at the media gathering.

Asked about how another misstep could lead to a season-long suspension, Miller said: "I can't sit here and say that this is never going to happen or I'm never going to do this — then I'd be lying. I have to just take it one day at a time and gain everybody's trust back that way." So Miller can't say for sure he won't ever make a misstep? I asked him: Shouldn't you say that you'll never do drugs again until you retire?

"I've definitely made mistakes, but I'm working hard to fix those mistakes now," he responded. "I can't (dwell) on the past or anything, but I can sit here and say that I'm working hard to be a better person, be a better football player, be a better teammate."

Look, I know a firing squad of tough questions can be overwhelming, and it's difficult to put your thoughts into words on the spot. But I thought at least maybe, upon hearing the question, he'd say something like: "That I can definitely say to everyone right this very moment — I'll never do the specific things that could get me suspended. Why would I ever risk this again?"

So some Broncos fans probably won't forget what Miller did, but they'll definitely forgive him, whether it's because the team fared fine despite him getting suspended or because, frankly, he's the best dang defensive player on their favorite team.

While he's working to gain the trust of Broncos fans, it appears he has gained the trust of the Broncos themselves. Safety Rahim Moore, who knows a little about dealing with Broncos fans and trust, gushed about Miller as a teammate. He was asked to describe Von's hunger to get back to being Von.

"If you love football, and you've been a two-time Pro Bowler superstar, and you miss six games with no pay, how hungry would you be?" Moore said. "Let me put it like this: him missing six games is like him going six days without eating. That's how hungry he's going to be."

Now that sounds like the passion of a Broncos fan — and, hopefully for the fans, the passion of a Broncos linebacker with something to prove.

Broncos Mailbag: In Manning vs. Brady rivalry, Patriots playing catchup with Broncos

By Mike Klis The Denver Post October 16, 2013

Denver Post sports writer Mike Klis posts his Broncos Mailbag on Wednesdays during the regular season.

Pose a Broncos- or NFL-related question for the Broncos Mailbag.

After switching over to the Saints-Patriots game after watching Denver's "sub-par" performance against the Jags, I had the "wind taken out of my sails" so to speak. Seeing do what he does and seeing Denver's defensive woes the past two weeks, coupled with mounting injuries, I think Broncos Nation better admit to itself that the Broncos don't have what it takes to beat the Pats in the playoffs right now. Thoughts? ---Laton, Bismarck, N.D.

I disagree. I think come playoff time, it will be difficult for the Patriots to score enough points to keep up with the Broncos.

In a counterintuitive sense, the Jacksonville game left me more convinced the Broncos have a great shot at playing in the Super Bowl this year. They didn't play their best against the Jaguars. Yet, when the game dictated they need to score, they couldn't be stopped. No team has come close to stopping them.

The Broncos were brutal in the second quarter Sunday. Yet, they scored 21 points on three of their first four drives in the second half. In the lone drive in which they didn't score, Peyton Manning fumbled Manny Ramirez's shotgun at the Jaguars' 4.

The Pats might beat the Broncos in New England in week 12 of the regular season. That game will be in the midst of a difficult schedule stretch in which the Broncos play at (No. 10), home against the 6-0 Chiefs (Nov. 17); at New England (Nov. 24) and at Kansas City (Dec. 1).

But I can't see even the great coming up with a way to stop Manning in January. And don't forget, Laton, Brady had two horrific series late in the fourth quarter against the Saints. He was lucky to get the ball back with a minute to go.

Is it odd Jim Irsay is planning a big Peyton Manning tribute moments before playing against him? Kind of like a guy paying tribute to the woman he spurned moments before walking down the aisle with the other woman? ---Dan, St. Louis

Odd, no. Awkward, yes. A percentage of every dollar Irsay has made on the Colts beginning in 1998 was delivered by Manning. He better show his thanks.

But, I'm not sure how "big" the tribute can be. The NFL instituted a new rule this year that says the visitors have to be introduced as a team. So don't expect Manning to be individually introduced to thunderous applause with the starting lineups.

I'm sure there will be a pregame video presentation. I'm not sure Manning will watch it. But when it's finished, I'm sure he'll acknowledge the crowd. Maybe Irsay will gift him a horse. This one can be half Colt/half Bronco.

Keep in mind Manning is about the millionth player in sports history who is going back to play against his former team. I know this is different because he's such an iconic player to a franchise that was moribund until he arrived.

But ever since Kareem Abdul Jabbar took his NBA retirement tour in 1988-89, sports has become a little too tribute crazy. Are the Broncos supposed to pay tribute to next week when the Redskins come to town?

I've stated this before: Shanahan returning to Denver for a game that could be the 300th career win -- in his 500th career game -- for Broncos owner should be a bigger deal for fans here than the Manning return to Indy.

My guess is the Broncos will do some sort of brief, pregame scoreboard recognition for Shanahan, similar to what the Eagles did when returned as Chiefs .

Apparently this is the first time in NFL history that two teams from the same have started 6-0. What would you give as odds that the Chiefs actually win the AFC West? Hard to believe it's 50/50, but is it 40/60 possibly? ---Steve Green, Bend, Ore.

Adding to the AFC West Division title intrigue is that the 6-0 Broncos and 6-0 Chiefs still have two games to play against each other.

I don't know about odds. But if one team sweeps the series, that team will win the division.

The matchup will also feature Manning's high-powered offense against the Chiefs' quarterback-sacking defense. Consider this: The Broncos tied for the league-lead with 52 sacks last year. The Chiefs already have 31 sacks in six games this year -- a pace for 82. Any chance asks to roll his walker to the safety position since he is playing that depth on most snaps anyway? ---Brandon, Farmington, N.M.

No doubt, Champ didn't grade out well as a coverage corner in his return against Jacksonville and receiver Justin Blackmon. But the combination of age, rust, foot injury and Blackmon is a difficult opening act.

Where Bailey should have received high marks was in his tackling. Compared to and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Bailey is a terrific tackler. He upgrades the Broncos secondary significantly in this area.

The rust on a 35-year-old is a little thicker than it is on a 25-year-old. But Champ should be better this week against or T.Y. Hilton. And he should be better the week after against Pierre Garcon.

Bailey was terrific in the regular season last year -- not so in the playoff loss against Baltimore. I believe the best of Bailey will come later this year.

With the Broncos doing so well on offense, do you think will have head- coaching opportunities? Or will NFL teams figure that Peyton Manning is ultimately calling the shots? ---Jason Kirk, Denver

Yes to both questions. Look around the league. Nobody else is scoring like the Broncos. Look at Manning's career. He's never played better than he has six games into his first season with Gase.

Still, the perception will always be that Manning, not his coaches, is the reason why Manning's offense works.

In another month or so, Gase's name will be mentioned as a hot head coaching candidate. Deservedly so. He will make a great NFL head coach some day.

I personally believe he needs one more year as . This is the first year he's had to deal with media interviews. And he's been nothing but on fire so he hasn't had to deal with much criticism. If a boss hasn't dealt with criticism, he hasn't been a boss.

If I was mapping it out for Gase, he would stay with Manning the rest of this year and all of 2014. Experience a few bumps. And if all goes well, bumps and all, Gase would be an NFL head coach in 2015.

Problem is, I'm not sure if NFL owners with stagnant offenses can wait that long.

It seems every year the Broncos play most of their AFC West division games in the second half of the schedule. Is this an advantage in that teams have more tape to review before playing a divisional foe? Personally I would like to see the divisional games more dispersed. ---Tony Hoffman, Oakland

The whole league plays division games in week 17. This was put in effect a couple years ago to address the league's No. 1 competitive problem, which was teams clinching a particular playoff seed not playing their starters.

When there's only 16 games in a season, it's not healthy when one or two don't matter. Through the decade of the 2000s, the joke was every team wanted to play Colts in week 17.

An example of how a schedule can provide a competitive advantage to a team occurred Sunday in the game between the and . The Steelers were coming off a week; the Jets were coming off a Monday night game.

The difference between 14 days to rest, heal and prepare and six days is enormous. No wonder the Steelers won their first game, even though it was on the Jets' turf.

Is it just me or does John Fox and Co. have a terrible challenge record? I can't remember the last time the Broncos challenged a play and won, so I was curious what the challenge record is during Fox's tenure here and where he ranks in the NFL. ---Kyle, Denver

This year Fox is 0 of 3. That's not good. Last season, he was the league's best (minimum six challenges) by converting 6 of 7. In 2011, he was 3 of 7.

All told, Fox is 9 of 17 in challenges -- a little better than average -- since the Broncos gave him red-bag authority. A couple times he was correct in challenging a wrong call, but the cameras didn't have the right angle to overturn the call. And sometimes he challenges to support his player who believe they have been wronged. Kind of like a manager arguing with an umpire because it shows support of the player.

I'd rather Fox challenge and miss than be like Baltimore's in the season opener and not challenge a catch by . It should have been a drop. Instead, the Broncos went on to score a touchdown that changed the game.

What is the situation with C.J. Anderson? Can we expect to see him any time soon? ---Paul Smatla, Grand Junction

When you're a rookie, and you miss five weeks with an injury, usually you don't recover until your second season. Anderson has fully recovered from his training camp knee injury, both physically and mentally. But the team moved on without him. As it is, the Broncos are having a tough time developing and behind .

By all accounts, Anderson is performing well in practice. About midway through last season, I started hearing the Broncos' coaching staff rave about , who was finally healthy from his ankle injury. But they couldn't get him a uniform because their season had moved with and .

But starting with the first day of OTAs this year, Thomas got reps with the No. 1 offense

You don't mess with winning. Anderson will get a legitimate chance to compete in the offseason. Until then, practice is his game.

Manning plays football with a chess master's mind

By Arnie Stapleton October 15, 2013

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Just two years removed from the neck troubles that weakened his right arm but strengthened his resolve, Peyton Manning is off to the best start by any quarterback in NFL history.

He returns to Stadium on Sunday a much better player than the one who left Indianapolis teary-eyed in 2012 after the Colts let him go in favor of Andrew Luck.

Manning has four terrific targets in Denver to go with the skill, intellect, work ethic and determination he's always had.

With Wes Welker, , and Julius Thomas sharing the catches, the unbeaten Broncos are averaging an eye-popping 42 points a game. Manning has thrown for a record 22 TDs in the first six weeks, and Knowshon Moreno is keeping defenses honest with a league-leading seven TD runs.

Manning loves dissecting defenses and poring over game film but hates digging deep into his own psyche to decipher what makes him tick.

Listen closely to some of his words, though:

"I love practicing every day."

"I'm still learning."

"By no means do I have everything figured out."

This from the four-time MVP who narrowly missed out on a fifth last year.

Most blowing out 37 candles on their birthday cake tire of the tedium of meetings, practices and workouts. They start daydreaming about life after football.

Not Manning.

"Everybody enjoys playing in an NFL football game, but I still enjoy the preparation, the work ... and being effective," Manning said. Take him out of his comfort zone, put him in a new city with a new team. It's the perfect challenge.

The beauty of Peyton Manning is his beautiful mind.

NBC football analyst said the line he hears most from opponents is "he's playing chess when most of us are playing checkers."

"I think that's really his No. 1 asset," added Tony Dungy, Collinsworth's colleague and Manning's former coach. "He is so smart, he's got such a great memory, such great recall."

Collinsworth said he studies harder for Manning's games than any other ones "because I don't want to look stupid. Because I know that he's going to do something where I'm going to go, 'Now, what just happened there?'"

When John Fox says No. 18 is a fellow coach on the football field, he's not just rattling off another cliche.

Manning's incessant instruction fills Dove Valley during every practice. During training camp, he gave some 1-on-1 tutoring to Montee Ball.

"One day we were out there just me and him and he's yelling things like it's 11-on- 11," Ball recounted. "He's pointing out the middle linebacker and yelling at the , changing the call. I look back like, who's he talking to?"

Manning was recreating the entire play for Ball's benefit, including his cadence and pre-snap gesticulations.

He's just as methodical in the film room. Fox leaves the film review to his captains on the day after wins while coaches prepare for the next opponent. So, the Monday morning quarterbacking on offense is handled by the quarterback.

"He basically is running the meeting," receiver Demaryius Thomas said. "You go over the film and he says, 'Everybody, I want you to say what you messed up on. Don't be ashamed.'"

And if somebody doesn't 'fess up?

"Oh, he'll just back up the tape and say, 'OK, what happened here?' And if he hears nothing, he'll back it up again and again until somebody says something," Thomas said. "And if you do say, 'OK, my bad,' Peyton will ask, 'Are you sure? Why? What did you do wrong?'"

It may be uncomfortable at times, but "that allows us to really jell as a team and everyone takes accountability for their play," receiver Eric Decker said. "It helps with communication and camaraderie. The guys really trust in one another. That goes a long way when you're out there on that field."

A football junkie, Manning is consumed by this passion for preparation.

"His focus is on one thing and that's trying to figure out a way to help our team win that last game," offensive coordinator Adam Gase said.

So, when a downpour hit Denver during the fourth quarter of the Broncos' last preseason game, Manning grabbed a ball and started throwing on the sideline. He wasn't warming up to go back in, but "just working on his wet-ball mechanics," Fox explained.

The Broncos didn't retreat to their indoor practice facility during a recent snowstorm but bundled up and went outside in preparation for more cold-weather games like the one last January when the Broncos were upset by Baltimore on a 13-degree night, their only loss in their last 18 games.

Manning is driven by that defeat, and his determination to make up for it shows in his precision passes. He's completing a career-high 76 percent of his throws. Defenses can't double all four of his main targets.

"Somebody's going to be 1-on-1," Demaryius Thomas said. "But Peyton also likes to say, 'I don't care if you do get doubled, you've got to figure some way to get open.' And so I do. We all do. That's the great thing about Peyton. He makes everyone around him smarter."

And better.

Fox: Irsay's comments on Manning a cheap shot

By Arnie Stapleton Associated Press October 16, 2013

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Denver Broncos coach John Fox is agitated with Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay for taking what he called a cheap shot at quarterback Peyton Manning.

Fox used his weekly SiriusXM NFL Radio appearance Tuesday to criticize the Colts' owner for sounding ungrateful for all Manning did for his team and city, including winning a Super Bowl in 2007.

Irsay told USA Today in an interview Tuesday that the Colts turned to Andrew Luck two years ago and fired Manning rather than pay him a $28 million roster bonus because they were looking for more playoff success.

Fox normally isn't one to criticize anyone in public, but Irsay's comments clearly struck a nerve.

The Broncos, who have won 19 of 23 games under Manning — but lost to Baltimore in the playoffs — visit the Colts on Sunday night in Manning's first return to Indianapolis as a visiting player.

Manning's 17-game streak might not be his greatest

By Michael Marot Associated Press October 15, 2013

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — It took Peyton Manning two seasons to turn the floundering Colts into a playoff team and not much longer to make them a perennial Super Bowl contender.

He kept Indy's title hopes alive through good times and bad, with makeshift offenses and teams dotted with Pro Bowlers. So when the only four-time MVP in league history was released by Indianapolis in March 2012, he went to Denver and did it all again.

Since Manning joined the Broncos, Denver has the best regular season record in football (19-3), has won 17 straight regular-season games and Manning is off to the fifth 6-0 start of his career. As he returns to Indy (4-2) on Sunday, Colts fans could argue this isn't even his greatest stretch. In 16 NFL seasons, Manning has compiled five official double-digit winning streaks — the most by any NFL quarterback since 1950, according to STATS. The NFL doesn't recognize a sixth such streak because it includes four straight playoff wins.

So what are Manning's top streaks? Here's a stab at it:

BROKEN RECORD: Manning spent most of his career chasing the . So it seemed fitting when he rallied the Colts past New England en route to winning the Super Bowl after the 2006 season. Three years later, he did it again, breaking one of the Pats' most cherished records — 21 consecutive regular-season wins.

It was typical Manning. With the Colts playoff hopes fading after a 3-4 start in 2008, Manning almost single-handedly willed an injury-riddled team to nine straight wins and a wild-card berth. The next year, Manning opened the season by going 14-0, breaking the Pats' record with a win over Denver in Indy and extending the mark to 23 with a win at Jacksonville. The Colts pulled Manning and the other starters in the third quarter against the Jets, who rallied for a 29-15 victory to end the streak in Week 16.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: While it's not the longest streak of Manning's career, the franchise quarterback is playing his best football this season with 22 TD passes and two interceptions — all coming at age 37 and less than two years removed from the only major injury of his career (neck). He won the last 11 regular-season games a year ago to help the Broncos earn the AFC's top seed, but Denver lost to Baltimore. This year, Denver is chasing the league record for scoring in a season. The Broncos could be even more imposing when Champ Bailey and linebacker Von Miller round into form after missing the early part of the season.

NEARLY PERFECT PEYTON: Fast starts have been a common theme throughout Manning's career. His first serious brush with perfection came in 2005 when the Colts started 13-0. It was the best defense Manning hard around him in Indy and all that stood between the Colts and Perfect Peyton living up to his nickname were home games against San Diego and Arizona and a trip to . San Diego surprised the Colts in Week 15, and Indy lost the following week to eventual NFC Seattle after coach Tony Dungy left the team following the death of his son. Indy never recovered and was eliminated by Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh in the divisional round.

SUPER STREAK: Officially, this one doesn't count. But how can the most rewarding streak of Manning's career not make the list? The streak ran from Dec. 31, 2006, through Oct. 28, 2007,and might have been the most improbable streak. Manning will never forget it. After struggling against the run all season and giving up 375 yards on the ground to Jacksonville in December, the Colts won their regular- season finale to earn the third seed in the playoffs, then suddenly figured out how to play defense. They shut down Larry Johnson in a wild-card game, won a touchdown-less game in Baltimore and then rallied to beat New England. Part One of the streak ended with Manning's MVP performance against in the Super Bowl. Indy opened the next season 7-0, but that was just gravy.

SURPRISE PARTY: In 1999, the Colts were coming off of two straight 3-13 seasons. Nobody expected Indy to make the playoffs. After starting 2-2, Manning, and put it all together. The Colts reeled off 11 straight wins to claim their first AFC East title since 1987. The 10-game improvement from '98 to '99 remains the biggest one-season turnaround in league history, matched only by Miami in 2008.

DOUBLE DUTY: One season makes the list twice — 2006. Yes, Manning ended the year with five straight wins, but he also started the season 9-0 despite the defensive woes. Adding the 2005 regular season finale makes it, officially, a 10- game streak. The fast start was a key part of getting the third seed, and this streak came in the midst of a three-year span when the Colts started at least 7-0 each season, won a division title each year and were nearly unbeatable at home (21-3).

Broncos unanimous No. 1 in AP Pro32 rankings

By Schuyler Dixon Associated Press October 15, 2013

It's unanimous for Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos, even after their shakiest performance of the season.

Denver received all 12 first-place votes for the first time in the AP Pro32 rankings released Tuesday.

The Broncos (6-0) struggled with winless Jacksonville until scoring the last two in a 35-19 victory Sunday.

Manning matched his season low with two TD passes against the Jaguars but still has a record 22 through six games heading into Sunday night's return to Indianapolis, where Andrew Luck is in charge of the Colts' offense now.

"Coming to Peyton's Place should bring out the best in Mr. Manning," wrote Ira Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune.

No. 2 Seattle (5-1) and third-ranked Kansas City (6-0) are separated by just two points. Both teams moved up one spot.

The Seahawks won their 11th straight at home, 20-13 over Tennessee.

"They keep winning and overcoming injuries in the offensive line," wrote Rick Gosselin of The Morning News. "Their defense and run game will keep them in every game."

The Chiefs had just 216 yards of offense in a 24-7 win over Oakland but intercepted three times and had 10 sacks to give them 31 for the season.

"Not much to look at when they play offense, but it is must-see TV on defense," wrote of ESPN.

New England jumped from seventh to fourth after handing its first loss 30-27 on Tom Brady's last-second . The Saints, who were second a week ago with the only other first-place vote, dropped to fifth.

The Patriots and Brady got another chance in the final 2 minutes after and the Saints couldn't run out the clock following an by with 2:16 remaining. "That pained expression of on the sidelines said it all, as his Saints' defense can't hold off Brady at the end," wrote Bob Glauber of .

San Francisco kept the No. 6 spot, and the Colts dropped two spots to seventh after a 19-9 loss at San Diego. Green Bay stayed No. 8 and at ninth, while Detroit moved up a spot to round out the top 10.

Chicago climbed a spot to No. 11 and was followed by Baltimore, Dallas and Miami.

San Diego and were 15th and 16th with the two of the biggest jumps of the week. The Chargers moved up from 20th, and the Eagles climbed from No. 22.

Tennessee and Arizona were 17th and 18th, with the New York Jets and St. Louis tied at 19th. The Rams moved up six spots from No. 25.

Cleveland dropped five spots to 21st, and Carolina jumped six spots to No. 22, followed by Buffalo, and , which fell from 19th to 25th with its fourth consecutive loss.

"The biggest mystery team in the NFL," wrote Pat Kirwan of SiriusXM NFL Radio and CBSSports.com.

Pittsburgh jumped three spots to 26th after its first win, followed by Oakland, Washington, Minnesota.

The league's three winless teams held the bottom three spots — the , Tampa Bay and Jacksonville.

Broncos' Von Miller begins long road back

By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com October 16, 2013

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Three months ago, Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller was poised to launch into superstar status as the best defensive player on what is potentially a Super Bowl team.

He had an 18.5-sack season on his resume, two appearances in two years and the beginnings of what he hoped would be a growing list of endorsements. Then came his suspension for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy, a still- infamous “I know I did nothing wrong,’’ missive on in July and an arrest for a missed court appearance to go with a traffic stop just days after that arrest, when he was cited for multiple traffic violations.

All of that was followed by the revelation in a report from ESPN NFL Insiders and that Miller tried to influence a drug test collector, who was subsequently fired. Now six games later and with plenty of words written or spoken about his road back, Miller will return to the Broncos' lineup Sunday in Indianapolis. He is just one step from one of the league's most severe punishments -- a suspension for at least a year -- for whatever becomes of the rest of his career.

“I think he understands that, you know, he made some errors and there are a lot of people here to help him, his teammates, coaching staff, people in the organization, we’ll see where it goes,’’ Broncos coach John Fox said earlier this week. “People in life make mistakes; we’ll see where that goes.’’

“I definitely made mistakes in the past, but like I said before it wouldn’t do anybody any good, wouldn’t do me any good to go back and defend stuff in the past,’’ Miller said this week. “All I can ask is judge me on my actions going forward. If we can do that, I’m positive I can gain everybody’s trust back.’’

And by everybody, Miller says he means those in his football life, his personal life and his business life. However, one player who made it all the way back from life- altering struggles with drugs and alcohol to earn induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame says Miller’s starting point, the key to it all, must be the face Miller sees in the mirror.

"He has a chance to be a Hall of Famer, but if you were asking me what I would ask him right now, I would ask, 'Are you willing to substitute this lifestyle you have chosen for a Hall of Fame jacket?'" said , a member of the Hall’s Class of 2013 and an ESPN NFL analyst. “That’s the kind of ability he has.

“But the key with any type of treatment or any type of recovery, is really being honest with yourself,’’ Carter added “ … Have a heart-to-heart with yourself, change your surroundings. It’s a long process, it’s a long, long process. If he does have a great support system there in Denver, if he has support people like me [have] had, who care for him, that matters. But it’s really up to him, and it’s going to take time. You can’t expect a miracle after six weeks; it takes time to change, to change a lifestyle. But even with that he has to understand he's one step from losing everything.’’

Miller has declined to offer many specifics this week about how he got to Stage 3 of the league’s substance-abuse program or why he tried to influence a specimen collector if he had “done nothing wrong.’’ But when asked if he now considered himself to be a recovering addict, Miller stumbled a bit before saying he didn’t believe he was.

“I have, uh, I will say that with struggles, with immaturity and stuff, but no, not that,’’ Miller said.

Carter said it’s a significant issue for anyone who has found trouble with drug use. Several team sources say while Miller has received day-to-day help during his suspension, he is not believed to have attended any formal drug and alcohol counseling. Miller has declined to say if he has attended, or plans to attend, such counseling in the future.

Carter said he has routinely pointed to a Sept. 19, 1990 session in rehab as a pivotal point in his life and that he’s been clean ever since.

“If he wants this to be bottom, if he wants this to be the dark chapter of his life and for the rest of the chapters to be about how he got it turned around, it’s up to him,’’ Carter said. “If he can make this his rock bottom … but if you ain’t got the discipline in that, then everybody is just wasting their time. It has to come from him or it’s just a matter of time before he blows up again, just matter of time.’’

Almost from the day his pending suspension was revealed just before the start of training camp, Miller has acknowledged “mistakes.’’ On a few occasions he has acknowledged immaturity, but he has been hesitant thus far to discuss any drug use other than to say he doesn’t believe he has a substance-abuse problem.

He did offer this week: “It all starts with me, no matter how much help you have around you, if you can’t do it, you just can’t do it, and I feel like I’ve taken steps in that direction -- it’s a constant struggle every single day,’’ Miller said. “But I’m positive I’ll be all right.’’

But when asked if he would use drugs again, Miller said: “I’ve definitely made mistakes, but I’m working hard to fix those mistakes now. I can’t [dwell] on the past or anything, but I can sit here and say that I’m working hard to be a better person, be a better football player, be a better teammate.’’

History, however, says there are obstacles for Miller. As a Stage 3 participant in the league’s substance abuse program, Miller is subject to unannounced testing up to 10 times a month for the remainder of his NFL career.

And since became the league’s commissioner in 2006, 132 players suspended for at least one game under either the substance-abuse policy or the policy on performance-enhancing drugs started just one-quarter of their career games after serving the suspensions, according to ESPN Stats and Analysis. Essentially, the players never seemed to regain the career momentum following the suspensions.

The players, as a group, started 74.4 percent of their career games before their suspensions and just 25.6 percent of their career games following. The totals include former Broncos D.J. Williams, , Kenny Peterson and Ryan McBean. The totals don’t include 27 players who have already served suspensions this season, including Miller.

But in the end, Carter said, it will be about how Miller handles the time he does not spend in the Broncos’ Dove Valley complex that will determine the outcome.

“Just depends on what you want, when you have relationships and ties when you’re in the NFL, like we do, you have to set your priorities,’’ Carter said. “You have to ask yourself what are your priorities? For me, the thing that helped me was a family, having a wife, having a wife that was pregnant with my son Deron, that gave me the impetus. I knew if I messed up one more time, like [Miller], I would be banned for at least a year and potentially lifetime. So you have to put something out there that’s bigger than you, that can get you up every morning, gets you to go. Because you’re going to have the urge to use,’’ Carter said. “And you have to put other things in your life to fill that void.’’

Broncos Rookie Report: Defense

By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com October 16, 2013

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Cornerback continues to carve out more playing time in a crowded secondary with each passing week. The Broncos have found a spot for him in some of the specialty packages, including a seven look the Broncos use in some long down-and-distance situations.

Webster is consistently around the ball when he's in the game and because of that continues to spend more time in the game.

So, with that in mind, here's the rookie report, a weekly check-in with how Denver's first-year class on defense is doing:

Defensive Sylvester Williams: With the Jaguars lining up in a more traditional two-back set plenty of times Sunday, there were more opportunities for Williams to get into the defensive line rotation. In the end he finished with 18 snaps on defense, a total that included one tackle for loss to go with one hit on Jaguars quarterback Chad Henne. Williams did get overpowered a bit on Maurice Jones- Drew's 5-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, as he got pushed inside. The Broncos played him in the nose tackle position, directly over their center, much of the time.

Cornerback Kayvon Webster: He continues to have the biggest impact of any first- year player on the Broncos roster. He has steadily moved up the depth chart through training camp as well as the first six weeks of the regular season and is now in front of Tony Carter in the rotation. That means Webster has played in the dime in each of the past two games and played in the nickel against the Cowboys. And talk about efficiency, in Webster's 12 snaps on defense Sunday he had three tackles, knocked down a pass and had his first career interception. As the Broncos move forward and face more pass-first offenses, Webster's snap count only figures to go up.

Practice squad: Defensive end John Youboty, who spent training camp with the Broncos, continues to play all along the defensive front for the team, lining up as an edge rusher at times and on the interior of the defensive line.

Broncos Rookie Report: Offense

By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com October 16, 2013

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – It took a little interest from Green Bay this week, but the Denver Broncos' rookie class got an addition to the 53-man roster when Tavarres King was elevated from the Broncos’ practice squad Tuesday.

The Packers had expressed some interest, and King said he would prefer to stay in Denver after the Broncos informed him of the promotion.

So, with that in mind, here’s the rookie report, a weekly check-in with how Denver's first-year class on offense is doing:

Running back Montee Ball: The Broncos have leaned more and more on Knowshon Moreno of late, and that has limited Ball’s carries. He had three carries for 15 yards against Jacksonville and played just seven snaps overall on offense to go with four in special teams. He was also targeted twice in the passing game, but dropped both passes, something that won’t exactly help his cause moving forward. The drop in the fourth quarter came on what should have been a routine catch-and-run. Moreno has performed well, so he will continue to eat up most of the carries in the offense unless the Broncos get into kill-the-clock mode in the coming weeks, but the mistakes limit both Ball’s and Ronnie Hillman’s carries at times.

Quarterback : Dysert was the No. 3 quarterback against Jacksonville, and so ended up being one of the Broncos’ seven game-day inactives. He continues to show a quality arm and a willingness to put in the extra time after practice, as well as in the pregame hours on game day.

Running back C.J. Anderson: The structure of the Broncos’ current roster, especially with the team keeping, and using, four tight ends among the game-day roster, has limited Anderson’s chance to be in uniform. The Broncos are using four slots at tight end and have used as many as 10 roster spots at defensive back. As a result, they have not kept a fourth running back in the game-day lineup, so Anderson has been inactive each week, including this past Sunday against Jacksonville. At this point, he may need an injury to one of the top three running backs to find himself in the mix.

Wide receiver Tavarres King: He can thank the injury troubles at wide receiver in Green Bay for his promotion. The Packers, with Randall Cobb suffering a fractured lower leg this past Sunday, were on the hunt for help at wideout for at least the next six weeks. They contacted King’s agent – a player on a team’s practice squad can be signed to any team’s active roster – and made an offer. The player has the choice, however, and the Broncos sweetened the deal with a roster spot, and so King was signed. He’ll have to carve out a special-teams niche quickly if he wants to be on the game-day roster. There aren’t many snaps to go around at wide receiver. The team’s No. 4 wideout, , played all of seven snaps against the Jaguars.

Practice squad: Tackle , a sixth-round pick who was waived in the final cuts, is now the lone rookie on offense on the practice squad. He continues to show plenty of athleticism in workouts and has a big upside.

Broncos Rewind: Defense, special teams

By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com October 15, 2013

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- In a season when they have largely kept the pedal to the metal and largely overwhelmed those in front of them with the league’s highest scoring offense, things were a little more difficult than some expected this past Sunday.

But after a long look at the win against the Jacksonville Jaguars, here are some thoughts on the Denver Broncos' defense and special teams:

• Champ Bailey returned to the lineup in a game that mattered for the first time since the Broncos’ playoff loss to the Ravens last January. And in his first game action since injuring his left foot in an Aug. 17 preseason loss to Seattle, Bailey played 70 of the Broncos’ 72 plays on defense, leaving the field briefly after a bloody nose following a first half tackle. Bailey said his conditioning was fine -- “if I’m out there I feel like I’m ready to go" -- but several pro personnel executives around the league who viewed the game video said they believed Bailey showed some slight rust. They offered Bailey’s positioning and technique were good much of the time, but that he did find himself having surrendered a bigger cushion to the Jaguars receivers than he may have had he played over the first six weeks. The Jaguars did certainly try to test him. Bailey was targeted plenty and he finished with a team-high three passes defensed in the game. “I felt good, I can be better, I know that," Bailey said. “I look to be better."

• Play as much man coverage as the Broncos do in this era of pass-happy offenses and a rules book that severely limits the ability of defensive backs to play with a physical edge in close quarters, eventually somebody is going to test you with the slant. Especially if the defensive backs give any room at all to the inside of the field -- some quarterbacks will call it “beating the outside shade." The Jaguars repeatedly worked the ball to the wide receivers, even after one of the Jaguars’ best receivers running the route -- -- left the game with a shoulder injury, with the slant route. It takes an accurate quarterback to make it work and the Jaguars’ quarterback Chad Henne is an experienced hand and he repeatedly got the ball to the right place, largely muting the Broncos’ pass along the way. If the Broncos are going to single up in coverage that often, their defensive backs may have to close up the gap a bit and force the issue more at the . There are far more adept quarterbacks left on the schedule, like Andrew Luck, Tom Brady and Philip Rivers (twice), it’s something the Broncos will need to address. Especially if Von Miller’s return doesn’t pump up the pass rush as much as the Broncos hope. • In the rush to go faster that seems to have invaded every offensive huddle in the league, it’s slightly intriguing to have watched opposing offenses try to work that way in Denver thus far. The Broncos believe it is an advantage for their own offense to go at warp speed at 5,280 feet worth of elevation. That gameday life in the thin air will eventually catch up the defenses trying to stop them. But it has also caught up to opposing offenses trying to push the pace as well. The Jaguars shifted into high gear on several occasions, but had instances when they had to dial it down in the same series and it was evident some of the players in the huddle were affected by the altitude in those bursts. It is a small sample size after just four home games, but it may prevent the Broncos defense, at least at home anyway, from having to consistently play at the pace offenses would go elsewhere.

• The learning curve can be a difficult one at times for rookies in the NFL. And though many other positions are in the life-as-a-rookie discussions far more, rookies in the interior of the defensive line often find some tough sledding in their first seasons. NFL linemen are stronger, smarter and far more versed in the art of close-quarters mayhem than the linemen they faced in college. And once a gets pushed off the spot he finds it far more difficult to use his athleticism to get back in the play as easily as he did at this time the year before. Case in point for Broncos rookie defensive tackle Sylvester Williams came in the third quarter on a 5-yard touchdown run by Maurice Jones-Drew. Williams, lined up in between the Jaguars’ right guard and rookie right tackle Austin Pasztor, came off the ball and didn’t hold his ground. Williams got folded down inside, turned by Pasztor toward the middle of the field and Jones-Drew took the ball right in behind crossing the goal line before safety , who hit Jones-Drew too high to stop the sturdy back’s momentum, could make the tackle.

• As the third quarter drew to a close, Broncos defensive tackle/end Malik Jackson lived the more-you-can-do mantra that always increases a player’s value on a 53-man roster. Jackson has earned increasingly more playing time because he can function at end if he has to and still has the strength and athleticism to make plays on the interior as well. In a three-play span Sunday, Jackson had two sacks and tackled Jones-Drew for a 1-yard loss on a running play. But it was his second sack that showcased the skillset Jack Del Rio talks about when asked why Jackson has played more. In a three-man front on a third-and-18 for the Jaguars, Jackson lined up directly over center . But at the snap Jackson came out of his stance a looped behind left end . Phillips took a double team with him and Jackson came free on the outside to sack Henne for a 5- yard loss.

• In a season when the Broncos special teams units already had returned a kickoff, a punt and a blocked punt for touchdowns, the group made another momentum-changing play Sunday. And since special teams are a cross- section of the roster, the play worked because two defensive players handled their business when called upon to play with an offensive flair. Safety David Bruton, one of the fastest players on the team, took a direct snap 35 yards for a first down and he was sprung free on the play because linebacker sealed off the left side with a quality, no-nonsense block to give Bruton the room he needed. Earlier in the game the group also showed quality discipline when they quickly sniffed out, and stopped a Jaguars fake punt in the first quarter. “We has studied and prepared, we were alert right there, even though it was early in the game,’’ Bruton said.

Broncos Rewind: Offense

By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com October 15, 2013

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – In a season when they have largely kept the pedal to the metal and simply overwhelmed those in front of them with the league’s highest- scoring offense, the Denver Broncos found things a little more difficult than most expected this past Sunday.

But after a long look at the win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, here are some thoughts on the Broncos' offense:

• It can be camouflaged at times because of the impact the three wide receivers – Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker and Wes Welker – have had this season, but people would be hard-pressed to scan the league’s rosters and find as good a collection of tight ends anywhere. And with all four of the Broncos' tight ends now back, healthy and circulating in the offensive game plan, the offense’s ability to find big plays down the field will improve as defenses have to deal more and more with the big guys in the pattern. The Broncos used all four tight ends – Julius Thomas, Joel Dreessen, Jacob Tamme and – against the Jaguars, with Thomas having played all 74 plays the team had on offense. Dreessen checked in at 19 plays, Green had 15 and Tamme had nine plays. It gives the Broncos the option of playing both big and small within the same personnel grouping. A look with Tamme and Thomas is closer to a three-wide-receiver set, whereas if the Broncos simply want to pound they put Dreessen, Green and Thomas in the formation. They can still put Demaryius Thomas out wide in the three-tight- end set, and with Thomas there it gives them the ability to play a power look with two matchup dilemmas in the pattern in the two Thomases if they want to go with play-action and throw the ball. In the second half Sunday, especially in their two scoring drives after right tackle Orlando Franklin left the game with knee and ankle injuries, the Broncos consistently moved the ball with the group in the lineup.

• It was just one play, but you have appreciate the texture of quality design from time to time. And when the Broncos were able to convert a third-and- 20 on their first possession of Sunday’s game, it was because of what offensive coordinator Adam Gase and the rest of the offensive staff drew up worked just fine. Peyton Manning hit running back Knowshon Moreno with a short dump-off after Moreno had leaked out of the backfield a little late and the Jaguars rushers were already working their way upfield. In a three-wide look, the Broncos had also constructed the pass routes on the play to put the three receivers in position to block for Moreno once he had the ball. So, when Moreno made the catch, the three receivers, already clustered in the middle of the field, simply turned and blocked the defensive back on them in man coverage. The result? Moreno had a clear path to pick up an improbable first down because the Broncos' three wide receivers were willing to roll up their sleeves and block it up for somebody else. “I just caught it and it was open in front of me,’’ Moreno said. “It worked great, those guys just cleared it out.’’

• Manning has made a Hall of Fame living on playing the percentages against the defenses in front of him because of his otherworldly preparation. But there are times the defense gets a win on a play because they have studied Manning as well. Manning’s interception just before halftime, which Jaguars linebacker returned 59 yards for a touchdown, was a result of Manning trying to jam a ball into a route that has resulted in a pile of big plays over the years, and the Jaguars floated Posluszny into the passing lane just in case Manning tried it. Manning was trying to hit Welker, who was sprinting out of the slot on the left side of the formation. Welker was already essentially doubled, with Jaguars cornerback with inside technique and safety Josh Evans closing on Welker’s outside shoulder. Double coverage, yes, but certainly the kind of pass Manning has fit into similar spaces hundreds of times. But knowing when, and where, on the field and against what look on defense Manning likes to make that throw, the Jaguars then floated Posluszny underneath. The ball was slightly underthrown – Manning called it a “total force’’ – and the interception followed.

• In reality, the time to make those coveted halftime adjustments is severely limited. At least by the time any injured players get some brief treatment, any uniform issues taken care of and 53 players take care of assorted other things. But the Broncos are money in the offensive bank coming out after halftime thus far, as defenses routinely have given them the same looks they used in the first half. The Broncos have come out after halftime knowing what they want to do and have executed those plans with ruthless efficiency. In six games this season, their first possession of the second half has ended with a touchdown five times and with a once. Sunday was no exception as they opened the second half in their three-wide look for the first six plays of what became a touchdown drive until they went to their heavy package -- three tight ends and two backs, with defensive tackle Mitch Unrein at fullback, from the Jacksonville 1-yard line. “You just get together and decide what could work,’’ Manning said.

• The Broncos prefer Moreno as the running back in their three-wide-receiver look because of Moreno’s skills in pass protection, but that doesn’t mean they have stuck to the plan when Ronnie Hillman is in the formation. When Moreno has been the back in the three-wide set the Broncos have thrown a little more than 70 percent of the time. When Hillman is the back in the three-wide set the Broncos have thrown the ball 69 percent of the time.

Power Rankings: No. 1 Denver Broncos

By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com October 15, 2013

A weekly examination of the Broncos’ ESPN.com Power Ranking:

Preseason: 3 | Last Week: 1 | ESPN.com Power Ranking since 2002

With a nod, perhaps, to the fact that 35 points is still pretty good on any NFL Sunday and a 16-point victory gladly would be accepted in most of the league's outposts, the Broncos kept the top spot in ESPN.com’s Power Rankings after an unexpectedly tight 35-19 victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Denver this past weekend.

Sure, the Broncos weren’t quite themselves, as quarterback Peyton Manning threw his second interception of the season and the defense surrendered a 303-yard passing game to Jacksonville quarterback Chad Henne. It means the Broncos now have given up 809 passing yards in the past two games combined, and Denver has the Colts’ Andrew Luck on Monday night.

But, the Broncos are still one of two unbeaten teams in the league, still have not been held under 35 points, still are averaging just more than 44 points per game -- a pace that would shatter the league’s single-season scoring record -- and have scored a staggering 82 more points than the No. 2 scoring team. And Manning’s touchdown total -- 23 (22 passing, one rushing) -- is still more than every other team in the league.

“Are we doing everything the way we want? No, but we’re getting the wins and we keep on moving," Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey said. "That's what counts."

Manning told Colts to draft Luck

ESPN.com news services October 15, 2013

Even Peyton Manning felt that the Indianapolis Colts could not pass up the opportunity to draft Andrew Luck.

Manning, a four-time NFL MVP who led Indianapolis to 11 postseason appearances and a Super Bowl championship, advised the Colts to select Luck with the No. 1 pick in the 2012 draft, team owner Jim Irsay said during an interview with USA Today Sports.

At the time of the conversation, Manning was recovering from fusion surgery on his neck and the Colts were attempting to rebound from a 2-14 season.

"[Manning] said, 'You've got to take Andrew,' " Irsay told USA Today Sports. " 'You have to. You're crazy if you don't.' "

Former Colts coach Tony Dungy said during a conference call Tuesday that Irsay's decision wasn't a "no-brainer."

"I can almost guarantee you if [Irsay] knew [Manning] was going to be healthy like this, and playing this kind of football, in hindsight, I don't think he would have done it," Dungy said during the conference call, according to .

"He knew all the factors. ... Jim also had a great deal of loyalty," Dungy said. "Jim was a young boy when his dad [Robert] traded Johnny Unitas, so he knew the ramifications of those types of decisions. And he also knew how much Peyton had done for the city of Indianapolis, for that franchise."

The Colts eventually did take Luck with the top pick after releasing Manning, who has continued to flourish since signing with the Denver Broncos.

The Colts will host the undefeated Broncos on Sunday night in Manning's heavily anticipated return to Indianapolis. The Colts (4-2) own sole possession of first place in the AFC South, and Denver (6-0) is tied with the atop the AFC West.

After passing for 4,659 yards and 37 touchdowns last season, Manning is on a record-setting pace this year. The 37-year-old leads the NFL with 2,179 passing yards and 22 touchdowns -- a league record through six games.

Indianapolis also has thrived in the post-Manning era thanks to the 24-year-old Luck, who led the Colts to a surprising 11-5 record and an AFC wild-card berth last season. Luck passed for an NFL rookie-record 4,374 yards as the Colts matched the second- biggest single-season turnaround in NFL history with their nine-win improvement.

"I think it's perfect," Irsay told USA Today Sports. "What's happened is what Peyton and I hoped would happen. The desire was for him to get well and get to a team that has a chance to win another Super Bowl before his career ended.

"And our desire was to be able to transition to Andrew. To be so good so soon is stunning."

John Fox: Jim Irsay 'ungrateful'

ESPN.com news services October 15, 2013

Denver Broncos coach John Fox defended quarterback Peyton Manning on Tuesday after Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay said he was "disappointed" the Colts won only one Super Bowl with the former No. 1 overall pick.

"I saw the comments. And to be honest with you, I thought it was a bit of a cheap shot," Fox said during an interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio. "To me, in my opinion, they were disappointing and inappropriate.

"Peyton would never say anything. He's too classy to do that. They sounded a little ungrateful and unappreciative to me. For a guy who has set a standard, won a Super Bowl, won four MVP awards ... be thankful of that one Super Bowl ring, because a lot of people don't have one."

Irsay, in an interview with USA Today Sports, said the Colts have changed their model "a little bit" under Andrew Luck, because Irsay wants "more than one of these [rings]."

"[Tom] Brady never had consistent numbers, but he has three of these [rings]," Irsay told USA Today. "Pittsburgh had two, the Giants had two, Baltimore had two and we had one. That leaves you frustrated.

"You make the playoffs 11 times, and you're out in the first round seven out of 11 times. You love to have the 'Star Wars' numbers from Peyton and Marvin [Harrison] and Reggie [Wayne]. Mostly, you love this [ring]."

Irsay also told USA Today Sports that Manning thought the Colts could not pass up the chance to draft Luck.

The Colts have gone 15-7 since drafting Luck with the top overall pick in 2012. At the time of the conversation, Manning was recovering from fusion surgery on his neck and the Colts were attempting to rebound from a 2-14 season.

"[Manning] said, 'You've got to take Andrew,'" Irsay told USA Today Sports. "'You have to. You're crazy if you don't.'"

Colts fans: Luck is our franchise now

By Mike Wells ESPN.com October 15, 2013

INDIANAPOLIS -- The concern started from the -and-white faithful on March 7, 2012, and then trickled over to April 26, 2012, the day Indianapolis Colts selected their new franchise player. But the doubts are few and far between now despite the player responsible for making the Colts a must-see team during most of his 14 seasons doing the same thing almost 1,100 to the west in Denver for the undefeated Broncos.

Did owner Jim Irsay make the right call in releasing future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning to pave the way for Andrew Luck, the best quarterback taken No. 1 overall since, well, Manning in 1998?

Manning Luck

With 22 NFL games under Luck's belt, there are strong opinions from some Colts fans -- via email and social media -- that they’ve moved on from Manning and are focusing strictly on Luck.

“If anything, watching the player Andrew Luck has become in just a season and a half, reinforces the decision the Colts made,” Heather Lloyd of Indianapolis wrote in an email to ESPN.com. “With Luck, sacrificing the present for the future wasn't much of a sacrifice at all. Call it strategy, fate, or just dumb luck, Andrew Luck landed right in our lap. Right when we needed him most. Painful as it was -- and still is -- I supported the Colts' decision to release Manning then. And I still do now."

League officials should box up the MVP trophy, put an address that reads “Peyton Manning, Denver, Co.,” on the outside of it and ship it to Manning now, because he’s on his way to his fifth award in that category. He’s thrown for 2,179 yards and 22 touchdowns, which is a league record through six games.

But it wasn’t about the present for the Colts. It was about planning for the future when they cut ties with the player who had Irsay choking up during the news conference announcing the move on March 7, 2012.

A neck injury kept Manning on the sideline the entire 2011 season and the Colts went 2-14. The front office did a poor job of having a quality backup quarterback in place in case something did happen to Manning.

Indianapolis Star columnist Bob Kravitz had the fan base wanting to run him out of the city because he was the first to write it was time for Manning and the Colts to part ways.

“The fans were angry and totally unbelieving that it was time to accept that Peyton had played his last game against the New York Jets in 2010,” Kravitz said. “They thought there was no way Irsay would let him go.”

The Colts would have been forced to spend a lot of money, crippling any possibility of upgrading the roster, on a player who some wondered if he would be able to regain his touch after four neck procedures.

“That team was getting older, with it showing on the field,” Lloyd added in the email. “With the implications of Manning, the Colts wouldn't have been able to sign the influx of young talent they wanted [and quite honestly needed] to be competitive.”

Manning agreed with Colts’ decision to select Luck. He told Irsay he’d be crazy not to select Luck with the No. 1 overall pick, according to USA Today.

The determining factor in an argument between Manning and Luck is age. Luck is 13 years Manning’s junior. The 37-year-old Manning is playing like he’s still got another five years in him, but time is against him.

Luck helped ease the pain of not seeing Manning on the field, around the city on different billboards and on the side of , by leading the Colts to an 11-5 record and the playoffs last season. He passed for a rookie record 4,374 yards.

Luck’s only scratching the surface with his potential. He continues to distance himself from the other quarterbacks taken in the 2012 draft.

“I am of the belief we should honor Manning before the game because he helped this city get a new stadium, a Super Bowl and he’s still in our hearts, but the niceness stops as soon as the ball is kicked off,” Matt Schroeder wrote in an email. “Luck is our future now. We've got him for the next 12 to 15 years."

Here’s what other Colts fans had to say about the move:

We asked: Are you happy the Colts released Peyton Manning and selected Andrew Luck considering how well Manning is playing now?

You responded: reelmancoop @reelmancoop @MikeWellsNFL As bad as the offensive line was, Manning wouldn't have survived. You likely don't have Wayne or Mathis either. Stop it. Oct. 15, 2013 v_free_28 @v_free_28 @MikeWellsNFL Not happy, but understand that it had to be done. Would've preferred to let the GOAT play his whole career with us. Oct. 15, 2013 wizziggles @wizziggles @MikeWellsNFL Absolutely. Heart-wrenching to see PM leave but we'll get about 15 good yrs from Luck, whereas we would've gotten 4/5 with PM. Oct. 15, 2013

Parksutt @Parksutt @MikeWellsNFL Yes. Peyton isn't doing it alone in Denver. Can't easily say Colts would be in same position Broncos are in if we kept Peyton Oct. 15, 2013 joebobtaco @JoeBobTaco @MikeWellsNFL - Absolutely. PM would've been a bigger salary hit. He stays, we struggle to build around him, and struggle to be 8-8 in 2012. Oct. 15, 2013

John Jenkins @KneeGroPleasee @MikeWellsNFL Peyton is great but when you look at it big picture, the Colts are looking at 4 or 5 more good years vs. 12+ great years Oct. 15, 2013

SuperBobby83 @SuperBobby83 @MikeWellsNFL Absolutely! Manning is getting old and Luck is not even to his prime... Barring an injury, he will b here for a long time! Oct. 15, 2013 nick_banich @nick_banich @MikeWellsNFL it was a business decision. Most biz decisions have a 3-5 year planned payback. Usually a negarive return up until that point

Bethea: 'Players come and go all the time'

By Mike Wells ESPN.com October 15, 2013

SAN DIEGO -- Indianapolis Colts safety is in his eighth season in the NFL. He’s watched as teammates have departed during that time.

Marvin Harrison. . . . Peyton Manning.

That’s why Bethea isn’t buying into the hype surrounding Manning’s return to Indianapolis with the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

“We see players come and go all the time,” Bethea told ESPN.com. “We have to go out there and just play ball. I don’t think it’s going to be weird. The media is going to make a big hoopla about him coming back to Indy.”

Manning spent 14 seasons with the Colts, leading them to two Super Bowl appearances before the team released him in 2012.

The Colts have to quickly regroup from Monday’s loss to San Diego because all eyes will be on Lucas Oil Stadium when Manning and the undefeated Denver Broncos visit in what should be one of the most watched games of the season.

Manning appears to be on his way to picking up his fifth MVP trophy. He’s passed for 2,179 yards, 22 touchdowns and only two interceptions while completing 74.2 percent of his attempts this season.

“I’m not surprised at all,” Bethea said. “He’s been playing that way his whole career. You’d be a fool to say you’re surprised. We’re really going to have to be on top of things next week. He’s a mastermind of what he does.”

Broncos' John Fox slams Jim Irsay over Manning comments

By Lindsay H. Jones USA TODAY Sports October 15, 2013

Peyton Manning's coach John Fox accused Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay of taking a "cheap shot" at Manning in a story published Tuesday in USA TODAY Sports.

Fox, on his weekly SiriusXM NFL Radio appearance, said the Colts owner sounded "ungrateful" by saying his team only won one Super Bowl ring during Manning's 14- year tenure in Indianapolis. Manning returns to Indianapolis on Sunday for the first time since he was released by the Colts in 2012.

"To me, in my opinion, they were disappointing and inappropriate," Fox said. "I mean, Peyton would never say anything. He's too classy to do that. But they sounded a little ungrateful and unappreciative to me for a guy that has set a standard, won a Super Bowl, won division titles, won four MVP awards. I'd be thankful with that one Super Bowl ring because there's a lot of people that don't have one."

Fox's comments are particularly interesting because of his normal measured approach to the media. Fox rarely publicly says anything controversial and is extremely conscious of saying anything that could provide any sort of bulletin board material or a competitive advantage. That he fired back at Irsay shows just how much Irsay's comments irked him and others in the Broncos' organization.

Irsay retorted late Tuesday night on Twitter.

"Those expressing negatIvity about the concept of building well rounded teams around great QBs 2 achieve Championships have negative agendas," he tweeted.

Manning will meet with reporters on Wednesday, when he will certainly be asked to respond to Irsay's comments, which included praise from the Colts' owner for the success Manning has found in Denver, and a recounting on a conversation in which Manning told Irsay he would be crazy not to draft Luck.

But in the same interview, Irsay also said the Colts, in releasing Manning before he was due a $28 million bonus, was a conscious effort to change the franchise's business model, to build a team that was better suited to win in January than put up what Irsay called "Star Wars numbers" in the regular season.

"(Tom) Brady never had consistent numbers, but he has three of these," Irsay told USA TODAY Sports' Jarrett Bell, showing off his 2006 Super Bowl ring. "Pittsburgh had two, the Giants had two, Baltimore had two and we had one. That leaves you frustrated. You make the playoffs 11 times, and you're out in the first round seven out of 11 times. You love to have the Star Wars numbers from Peyton and Marvin (Harrison) and Reggie (Wayne). Mostly, you love (the ring)."

Roundup: Broncos keep their King, Jets land

By Lindsay H. Jones USA TODAY Sports October 15, 2013

The Denver Broncos didn't want to risk losing fifth-round pick Tavarres King, so the team signed the wide receiver to the active roster Tuesday rather than let him sign with the Green Bay Packers.

King had been on the Broncos' practice squad since he cleared waivers after being released in the final roster cuts at the end of the preseason. The Packers on Monday offered King a spot on their 53-man roster to help make up for the losses of James Jones and Randall Cobb, both injured Sunday against the .

To make room for King on the active roster, the Broncos waived reserve linebacker Adrian Robinson, who had played in the team's first six games primarily on special teams.

Denver will need to make another roster move this week to add star pass rusher Von Miller to the active roster. The team has a roster exemption for Miller that lasts until Monday, but it is expected he will be added to the 53-man roster soon because he is scheduled to play Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts.

King was among the surprise cuts by the Broncos, when the team chose to keep four wide receivers rather than five. Returner is listed as fifth receiver but he has not played on offense this season.

Bills release Brown: The are making a switch at left guard by releasing starter Colin Brown Tuesday in a move that opens the door for . Brown's season-long struggles continued in a 27-24 loss to the on Sunday. Brown split playing time with Legursky over the past two weeks before being benched in the second half last weekend.

The Bills (2-4), who play at Miami (3-2) on Sunday, filled Brown's roster spot by promoting offensive lineman off their practice squad.

Buffalo also shuffled its practice squad by signing offensive lineman and linebacker , and releasing defensive end Jamie Blatnick.

Redskins special teams shuffle: Needing to replace two key special teamers, the Washington Redskins signed free-agent linebacker and Kyle Nelson. The Redskins also signed safety on Tuesday, while waiving safety and putting linebacker and long snapper on injured reserve.

Hull was drafted in the seventh round in 2010 by the Rams, who released him this August. He's played in 28 NFL games, making one start.

Nelson has been with six teams since 2011, most recently appearing in San Diego's final six games last season.

Robinson was a sixth-round draft pick in 2012 and has appeared in three NFL games with the 49ers. San Francisco released him in August; Philadelphia then signed him to its practice squad but released him a week ago.

In Washington's 31-16 loss at the on Sunday night, Kehl tore the ACL in his left knee, and Sundberg tore the meniscus in his right knee.

Kehl was signed in March to soften the blow when Pro Bowl special teams player left as a and signed with Arizona. Kehl leads the Redskins in special teams tackles.

Sundberg signed a four-year deal in the offseason to remain with the Redskins, but this is the second consecutive year he's had a major injury. He missed much of 2012 with a broken left arm.

Jets land Cribbs: Josh Cribbs is getting a chance to continue his career and give the New York Jets a boost on special teams and at wide receiver.

The three-time Pro Bowl selection was cut by Oakland in the preseason after having offseason surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. The Jets had shown interest in Cribbs during the last several months, working him out twice before signing him Tuesday.

Cribbs, 30, is tied with New England's for the most kickoff-return touchdowns in NFL history with eight, and has returned three punts for scores. He spent his first eight NFL seasons with Cleveland.

New York also signed wide receiver from Philadelphia's practice squad, and placed wide receiver and running back on season- ending injured reserve.

The Jets also signed former Stony Brook running back to the practice squad.

Cribbs could help offset the losses of both Gates and Goodson. He has 107 career receptions for 1,161 yards and seven touchdowns, and has experience running the wildcat formation — one of Goodson's roles with the Jets — with 753 yards rushing and two scores.

Steelers place Brown on IR: Levi Brown's season with the Pittsburgh Steelers ended before it even began.

The Steelers placed the offensive tackle on injured reserve Tuesday after Brown tore his triceps during warmups before last Sunday's game against the New York Jets. Pittsburgh acquired Brown last week from the . Coach said Brown will need surgery.

The Steelers also put tight end David Johnson on injured reserve with a wrist injury that will also require surgery. Pittsburgh signed free agent tight end Richard Gordon and promoted cornerback Isaiah Green from the practice squad.

The Steelers activated LB off the physically unable to perform list. Spence hasn't played since tearing multiple ligaments in his left knee in the final game of the 2012 preseason.

Colts' Jim Irsay: No regrets releasing Peyton Manning

By Jarrett Bell USA TODAY Sports October 15, 2013

Jim Irsay easily remembers his conversations with Peyton Manning during the winter of 2012 when it seemed inevitable the Indianapolis Colts would part ways with their homegrown icon.

Irsay and Manning put themselves in each other's shoes.

And Manning, at the time trying to rebound from four surgical procedures on his neck, could see the Colts' future in Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck.

"He said, 'You've got to take Andrew,'" Irsay recalls during an interview with USA TODAY Sports. "'You have to. You're crazy if you don't.'"

The Colts indeed drafted Luck with the No. 1 overall pick last year after releasing Manning, who hitched on with the Denver Broncos and John Elway and is well- positioned for a second Super Bowl title.

Now Manning's road to the Super Bowl stops in Indianapolis, where he will bring the undefeated Broncos into Lucas Oil Stadium for a Sunday night showdown against the AFC South-leading Colts, who also have aspirations of playing in February.

"I think it's perfect," Irsay says. "What's happened is what Peyton and I hoped would happen. The desire was for him to get well and get to a team that has a chance to win another Super Bowl before his career ended. And our desire was to be able to transition to Andrew. To be so good so soon is stunning."

Irsay hardly wants to be known as the man who ran Manning out of Indy, and his team's progress under second-year and coach lessens any criticism — even while Manning flourishes with the Broncos, with a league-leading 22 touchdown passes and 2,179 yards.

There's no way the Colts could have passed up on the chance to take Luck (or Robert Griffin III, if they preferred) and secure a franchise quarterback for perhaps the next 15 years. Think of how many teams have spent decades trying to land that crucial piece. The Colts are so fortunate to have landed one right after the other.

In retrospect, with a rookie salary cap in play, perhaps the Colts could have drafted Luck and allowed him to develop slowly under Manning?

No way that could have worked, Irsay insists. Think of the supporting cast and the new strategical direction the team has taken — with power rushing and a 3-4 defense included — in its post-Peyton incarnation.

"Circumstances created this decision," Irsay says. "You have to understand there's no way this occurs if he's in Indy. It's just impossible, where our salary cap was. Having him stay at the type of that he expected and deserved to earn and all those things."

Manning was due a $28 million bonus if he stayed with the Colts but instead was cut loose and signed with the Broncos for five years and $96 million, of which $58 million was guaranteed. His 2013 cap figure: $17.5 million.

Luck, restricted by the rookie cap, counts just $5.025 million against the cap this year, the low number allowing so many other roster-building moves.

Yet there are a few other numbers Irsay mentions that really hit home in processing the transition.

"We've changed our model a little bit, because we wanted more than one of these," Irsay says, flicking up his right hand to show his Super Bowl XLI championship ring.

"(Tom) Brady never had consistent numbers, but he has three of these," Irsay adds. "Pittsburgh had two, the Giants had two, Baltimore had two and we had one. That leaves you frustrated.

"You make the playoffs 11 times, and you're out in the first round seven out of 11 times. You love to have the Star Wars numbers from Peyton and Marvin (Harrison) and Reggie (Wayne). Mostly, you love this."

Then Irsay flicks up his right hand again.

Make no mistake. Irsay truly appreciates how Manning put his franchise back on the map, triggering a run of success — Indy won at least 12 games in seven consecutive seasons — that even contributed to the plush new stadium that has already hosted one Super Bowl and is in the running for another.

Yet Irsay sounds like he's hurt to have just the one ring.

In outlining the mission to Grigson and Pagano, he says, he demanded that they build a well-rounded team, with the offense supported by outstanding special teams and a dependable defense.

Then he has a flashback to a moment late in the 2006 season, when the Colts defense was shredded for 375 rushing yards by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

"We were schizophrenic," Irsay says. "I walked into the locker room, and comes up to me. He says, 'It's over.' "'What are you talking about? We're in the playoffs. It can't be over.'

"'Too many injuries. It's over.'

"Tony Dungy was like, 'It's not over. We can fix this thing.'

"In the playoffs, we ran the ball, we stopped the run. That's what won us the Super Bowl. But we were Jekyll-and-Hyde schizophrenic.

"In looking at, again, how to build this thing, you really focus in."

So the centerpiece of Indianapolis' past will get a glimpse of the future Sunday night, with the team planning to honor Manning with a pregame tribute.

Irsay will lead the welcoming party, but clearly he has no regrets.

Why Irsay should have kept Manning in Indy

By Mike Chappell USA TODAY Sports October 15, 2013

I'll admit it, and my optometrist will back me up, I'm myopic.

No, that doesn't mean I'm easily irritable.

It means I tend to see things up close, not in the distance. I'm more concerned with the here and now — and the immediate future — than the bigger picture.

So yes, in early March 2012, I would have taken a deep breath, pilfered Jim Irsay's checkbook, forged his name on a $28 million check and kept Peyton Manning.

With one caveat. I pay the onerous option bonus and keep Manning, even at age 35 and after four procedures on his neck, if my physicians and a couple of independent neurologists assure me Manning has a very good chance of being ready for the start of the 2012 season.

Failing that, history unfolds as it has. The Colts cut ties with one franchise quarterback, draft another and, well, you know the rest.

But if I'm convinced Manning is going to give me another four or five years comparable to his previous four or five years, yep, I keep him. In 22 games with Denver, he's passed for 6,838 yards with 59 touchdowns, 13 interceptions and a 112.5 . The Broncos are 19-3.

I make a calculated all-in bet to win in 2012, this year and the next few seasons, with No. 18.

You can have or J.J. Watt or the next "can't miss" collegiate superstud quarterback. The NFL is all about the quarterback. When you've got that guy, you ride him as long as possible.

Tomorrow? As my wife constantly reminds me, tomorrow will take care of itself. Somehow.

The pre-2012 draft hype churned in overdrive regarding Andrew Luck. The best prospect since Peyton Manning. Or John Elway. Fine.

But there are no guarantees (, JaMarcus Russell, David Carr, , ). A healthy Peyton Manning would have been as close to a guarantee as possible. I know he's going to give me 10 wins and a shot at much more every season. I would have worried about 2015, '16 and beyond down the road.

Myopic, remember?

If I had kept Manning, I wouldn't have used the No. 1 overall pick on Luck, his eventual successor. As I mentioned, the $28 million investment meant I was in this for the short term.

The No. 1 pick would have been put on the market, in bright, flashing neon lights. When the Colts used the No. 1 overall pick on Luck, the Rams at No. 2 squeezed three first-round picks and a second-rounder out of Washington so it could take Robert Griffin III.

The No. 1 pick would have brought more, perhaps a fourth first-round pick or another second. That's fresh talent added to Manning's supporting cast.

Speaking of Manning's supporting cast, tough decisions would have loomed. The Colts' serious salary-cap issues would have been exacerbated by Manning's $17 million cap charge in 2012.

Several players with big contracts were aging and/or injury-prone: , , , . Pending free agents included Reggie Wayne, , Jeff Saturday and Pierre Garcon.

There's every likelihood retaining Manning would have meant deciding whether to re-sign Wayne or Mathis. Keeping both probably wasn't an option.

But those are tough decisions I would have made, because I already had made the toughest.

Keep Peyton Manning.

Why Irsay was right to let Manning go and draft Luck

By Bob Kravitz USA TODAY Sports October 15, 2013

Now, I'm not one to gloat …

Oh, that's a lie.

I'm definitely one to gloat.

Because, well, I was right to pen several columns two years ago suggesting the Colts should let Peyton Manning go and seize the opportunity to rebuild for the next decade-plus with Andrew Luck.

Because it's working. It's been a win-win for Manning and the Broncos, and Luck and the Colts.

You know how I know I'm right?

Manning has been spectacular this year, and seems to have most, if not all, of his arm strength back. The Broncos should be in the AFC title game, at the very least, and early on, look like the favorites to reach and win the Super Bowl.

But it wouldn't have happened here.

That's what the vocal minority in this town forget. If Manning had stayed, he would have played with a severely depleted team. I've talked to Jim Irsay about this. I've talked to Ryan Grigson about this. It's highly doubtful they could have brought back Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis and Reggie Wayne if Manning had returned. At least two of the three would have been let go, and probably all three. Manning's massive cap hit would have left the aging, expensive Colts with next to nothing.

And seriously, can you imagine Manning playing behind last year's offensive line? As it was, Luck got sacked and hit countless times, and he's a good runner. Manning would have been a sitting duck.

Another thing that's forgotten is, when it came time for Irsay to make the toughest call of his football life, nobody really knew how healthy Manning was. What sense did it make to throw $30-plus million at a guy who might or might not be able to play at a high level? Sure, John Elway took a chance, but he didn't pay the same kind of money, and had a contract that gave the Broncos an out after one year if Manning didn't recover. It's simple math:

Do you want Manning for three or four years — you hope — as he goes after another MVP award at age 38?

Or do you want Luck for 12 to 15 years, hitting his prime about the same time Manning is hanging it up?

This was a once-in-the-lifetime-of-a-franchise opportunity, a stroke of luck — pardon me — and it's something 31 other owners would have done in a single heartbeat.

I understand the emotion that surrounds Manning. And I share that emotion. I admire him as an athlete and as a person. In a more perfect universe, he would have finished in the same place where he started. But circumstances, namely his injury and a 2-14 season, conspired against that happening. It would have been foolish, a crime, if the Colts had passed on Luck, who, we are seeing now, has a chance to be one of the all-time great quarterbacks.

My guess is we'll be debating this for as long as Manning is in the league and continuing to amaze us.

I know this: I'll continue to say I was right all along.

Because I was.

What will it take to beat P.Manning?

By Brent Sobleski USA TODAY Sports October 15, 2013

Peyton Manning isn’t infallible. He’s just been very close to perfect for most of this season. Teams are still trying to figure out how to stop the Broncos’ offensive juggernaut. The solution is simple according to NBC’s Chris Collinsworth.

The Chiefs don’t have the No. 1 ranked defense. They’re currently ranked fifth overall.

What the Chiefs do very well on defense is get to the quarterback. The Chiefs have manufactured 31 sacks this season, which is far and away the best in the NFL. They can manage pressure without going heavy against the manipulative Manning.

Justin Houston is tied for the league lead with 9.5 sacks. Fellow outside linebacker, , is fourth with 7.5. The Chiefs’ defense also has the league’s most improved player, nose tackle Dontari , collapsing the middle of the pocket. All three can exploit match-ups against Denver once the two teams eventually clash Nov. 17.

Hali will face Denver’s backup left tackle Chris Clark. Clark has played well in ’s absence, but Hali is one of the game’s premier pass rushers. Broncos’ right tackle Orlando Franklin has a sprained right ankle. He may not play this weekend again the Colts. He’ll need to be fully healthy in a month when the Broncos host the Chiefs. Broncos’ center Manny Ramirez has struggled with snaps this year. It won’t get any easier once he’s lined up against the 346-pound Poe.

The cliche states, “Defense wins championships.” Well, Kansas City’s road to an AFC West championship goes through Denver. The Chiefs have the key ingredients and appear to be the perfect candidate to dethrone Manning and his Broncos.

Randy Covitz @randycovitz NBC's Dungy says #Chiefs have "perfect formula" to play Denver: "run the ball, patient on offense, pressure Manning without max blitzing." 12:56 PM - 15 Oct 2013 18 Retweets 4 favorites

Broncos: Pity the ‘frustrated’ Colts owner

By Paul Klee Colorado Sports Gazette October 15, 2013

The man responsible for Manning Mania in Colorado isn’t Peyton himself.

It’s Jim Irsay.

He is the Colts owner who chose to free Manning, the prototypical quarterback, in favor of drafting Andrew Luck, the prototypical quarterback prospect.

So if there’s one guy who should have our attention Sunday in Indianapolis — other than No. 18 — it’s Irsay.

With that in mind, color me surprised when I read Irsay’s comments to USA Today.

“We’ve changed our model a little bit, because we wanted more than one of these,” Irsay told USA Today, referring to his Super Bowl ring.

“(Tom) Brady never had consistent numbers, but he has three of these. Pittsburgh had two, the Giants had two, Baltimore had two and we had one. That leaves you frustrated.

“You make the playoffs 11 times, and you’re out in the first round seven out of 11 times. You love to have the Star Wars numbers from Peyton and Marvin (Harrison) and Reggie (Wayne). Mostly, you love this.”

Wow.

No, double wow.

This is an owner taking a shot at a quarterback. A blatant, over-the-top, defensive shot at his former quarterback. All the spin in the state of — and there’s a lot — can’t hide that.

This is the same owner who benefited quite handsomely from said quarterback. The same owner who brought a Super Bowl to Indy thanks to said quarterback. The same owner who rarely provided a proper defense to supplement the offense of said quarterback.

And the owner was frustrated? I do think there’s something to Manning’s 9-11 playoff record. I’ve written that a few times. It’s a bad playoff record, not a fluke, even if he was awfully good in the frigid cold in his singular playoff game with the Broncos.

The decision to draft Luck instead of retaining Manning, who was in the midst of a serious medical dilemma, seems to me like a no-brainer — then and now.

But it’s stunning that Irsay chose this week to say he was “frustrated” with the Manning era. I’m not certain this is the kind of thing to say before Manning, the most influential athlete in the state of Indiana’s history, returns to the stadium he built.

I’m partial to Indianapolis. Having spent a lot of time there the past few years, I dig it the most.

But this was an odd thing to say. Odd timing to say it. Odd all around.

Irsay now defending decision to dump Manning, draft Luck

By Ryan Wilson CBSSports.com October 15, 2013

A confluence of events have brought us to this point. The Colts are fresh off a punchless loss to the Chargers on ; it's "Peyton Returns to Indy!" Week, which won't be overhyped at all; and evangelist sent this tweet late Monday night:

Whether coincidence or impeccable timing, Colts owner Jim Irsay, the man responsible for releasing Peyton Manning after the 2011 season and using the team's first-overall pick in 2012 to take Andrew Luck, explained his decisions regarding the quarterback situation to USAToday.com.

"Circumstances created this decision," Irsay said of the choice to part ways with Manning, who played 14 years in Indianapolis. "You have to understand there's no way this occurs if [Peyton's] in Indy. It's just impossible, where our salary cap was. Having him stay at the type of number that he expected and deserved to earn and all those things."

And despite Bayless' protestations, it was Manning who said the Colts had to draft Luck.

"He said, 'You've got to take Andrew,'" Irsay recounted. "'You have to. You're crazy if you don't.'"

Put another way: There is a scenario where moving on from Manning and drafting Luck benefited both players, and both the Broncos (Manning's new team) and the Colts.

"I think it's perfect," Irsay said. "What's happened is what Peyton and I hoped would happen. The desire was for him to get well and get to a team that has a chance to win another Super Bowl before his career ended. And our desire was to be able to transition to Andrew. To be so good so soon is stunning."

Both Manning and Luck made the playoffs last season, and now Manning leads the NFL's most explosive offense. And despite Monday night's setback, the Colts are the favorites to win the AFC South. It's easy to take shots at Irsay for his random tweeting habits, but trading in Manning for Luck was absolutely the right decision.

Tony Dungy: Jim Irsay would've kept Peyton Manning 'in hindsight'

By Will Brinson CBSSports.com October 15, 2013

Because the Horsey Bowl is happening this week and because Peyton Manning is returning to Indianapolis for the first time since the Colts cut him loose in 2011, everyone wants to talk about Jim Irsay's big decision.

Including Jim Irsay, who pointed out Tuesday he had no real choice with the move. But former Colts coach Tony Dungy -- who claims he was "on the phone ... five or six times over a month" before Peyton was cut -- says that "in hindsight" Irsay probably regrets the decision.

“I can tell you it wasn't a no-brainer," Dungy said to Mike Klis of the Denver Post. "I was on the phone with Jim Irsay probably five or six times over a month as it was leading up to that. He knew all those factors that you just enumerated there. But Jim also had a great deal of loyalty. Jim was a young boy when his dad traded Johnny Unitas. So he knew the ramifications of this type of decision. And he also knew how much Peyton had done for the city of Indianapolis and for that franchise.

“So even for all the reasons you just stated why it should be done, I don't think it was ever a no-brainer in his mind and I can almost guarantee you that if he knew he was going to be healthy like this and playing this kind of football, in hindsight I don't think he would have done it."

Dungy's claim is in direct contrast with Irsay's interview on Tuesday. But the ex- Colts coach, who helped Indy win the only title they have with Peyton there, also said that Irsay did "the right thing" knowing what he knew at the time.

Remember, there wasn't a guarantee Manning would ever play football again. He'd had four surgeries and the writing was on the wall.

But he came back OK and is putting up historical numbers with the undefeated Broncos. Irsay can say he's happy all he wants -- and he certainly is, given Andrew Luck will be a top NFL quarterback for years to come -- but there's no question that seeing the success Manning's having in Denver has to make him wonder "what if?"

Broncos' John Fox fires back at Irsay over Peyton Manning comments

By John Breech CBSSports.com October 15, 2013

Not that Peyton Manning's return to Indianapolis needs another storyline, but we might have one anyway and it involves Denver's normally mild-mannered coach John Fox.

In an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio on Tuesday, Fox was asked about recent comments that Colts owner Jim Irsay made about Manning in an interview with USA Today. Irsay's comments echoed remarks he made in July when he said he was 'disappointed' the Colts only won one Super Bowl during the Manning-era.

Fox didn't take kindly to what Irsay had to say.

"I saw the comments. And to be honest with you, I thought it was a bit of a cheap shot," Fox said. "To me, in my opinion, they were disappointing and inappropriate."

The Broncos coach then went on to say that Irsay sounded unappreciative of the 14 years he had with Manning.

"[Irsay's comments] sounded a little ungrateful and unappreciative to me," Fox said, before turning the subject back to Manning. "For a guy who has set a standard, won a Super Bowl, won division titles, won four MVP awards. I'd be thankful of that one Super Bowl ring, because a lot of people don't have one."

Rather than thankful, Irsay seems slightly irked he doesn't have another one. "We've changed our model a little bit, because we wanted more than one of these," Irsay said, holding up his right hand to show his Super Bowl XLI championship ring. "(Tom) Brady never had consistent numbers, but he has three of these. Pittsburgh had two, the Giants had two, Baltimore had two and we had one. That leaves you frustrated."

The big offensive numbers Manning put up in Indy were nice, but only one number seems to matter to Irsay and that's Super Bowl titles. "You make the playoffs 11 times, and you're out in the first round seven out of 11 times. You love to have the Star Wars numbers from Peyton and Marvin (Harrison) and Reggie (Wayne). Mostly, you love this," Irsay said, referring once again to his Super Bowl ring.

There's drama in every breakup and that seems to include Manning's split from Indianapolis. You can hear Fox's interview below.

2014 Super Bowl Odds, Week 7: Still big Manning, Luck disparity

By Will Brinson CBSSports.com October 16, 2013

Young quarterback Andrew Luck nearly made the our list of top-five NFL quarterbacks through the first six weeks of the season. He missed out and ended up on Honorable Mention. Debate that if you want, but there's no debating No. 1: Peyton Manning in a landslide.

And that highlights the big difference between the Broncos (5-2) and Colts (20-1) as Super Bowl contenders as the two prepare to face off this weekend.

Manning and Denver -- with the ridiculous quartet of weapons featuring Wes Welker, Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker and Julius Thomas -- are rolling right now and haven't been outside the No. 1 or No. 2 Super Bowl odds spot all season. They've been kicking it at 5-2 for a while now, a ridiculous high number to maintain for a long time given the fluctuations of the NFL season.

Indy, meanwhile, has bounced back and forth a bit before rising quickly into the top contenders and dipping a bit after Monday night's loss to 20-1. Vegas still respects them, but they're nowhere on the level of the Broncos and Manning.

Reggie Wayne, , T.Y. Hilton and Darrius Heyward-Bey are a nice group, but, yeeeeeeah. And the Broncos haven't even gotten Von Miller back or Champ Bailey totally healthy.

It's why Denver is a 6.5-point favorite in Indy on Sunday.

Notable Movement

-- Some crazy movement from temporary contenders this week. The Jets (150-1), Browns (150-1) and Redskins (125-1) all climbed pretty high before getting handled by three better teams over the weekend.

-- How long until the Buccaneers (1,000-1) are off? Could the Falcons (66-1) finish off 's chances of making the Super Bowl? Yes, yes they could. I'd set the over/under at two weeks though.

-- How awkward is it that the Vikings and Giants (both 300-1) are playing on Monday night? So awkward.

-- The Panthers (66-1) really impressed Vegas apparently. After walloping Minnesota they went flying up from 150-1. Week 6 Week 7 Week 3 Week 4 Team Trend Team Trend Odds Odds Odds Odds

Broncos 5-2 5-2 Chargers 100-1 66-1

Seahawks 11-2 11-2 Texans 40-1 75-1

Saints 13-1 17-2 Dolphins 66-1 75-1

49ers 9-1 17-2 Steelers 150-1 100-1

Patriots 12-1 9-1 Redskins 66-1 125-1

Packers 12-1 12-1 Browns 66-1 150-1

Bengals 20-1 18-1 Jets 75-1 150-1

Chiefs 20-1 18-1 Rams 200-1 150-1

Colts 18-1 20-1 Titans 100-1 150-1

Cowboys 33-1 25-1 Cardinals 100-1 250-1

Bears 40-1 33-1 Vikings 150-1 300-1

Lions 50-1 40-1 Giants 150-1 300-1

Ravens 33-1 50-1 Bills 300-1 500-1

Eagles 66-1 50-1 Raiders 250-1 500-1

Falcons 66-1 66-1 Buccaneers 500-1 1000-1

Panthers 150-1 66-1 Jaguars OFF OFF

NFL Division Power Rankings: AFC South with ugly 0-4 week

By John Breech CBSSports.com October 16, 2013

The Texans quarterback situation wasn't the only ugly thing about the AFC South in Week 6 because everything was ugly. The four teams in the AFC South combined to score a total of two offensive touchdowns, which probably explains why the division went 0-4.

It wasn't just the teams that were bad either, so were the fans, at least the ones in Houston. When Texans quarterback went down with an injury in the second half, Texans fans felt the urge to cheer. That's right, they cheered an injury.

Just so you know Houston, the only time it's alright to cheer an injury is when it's happening to one of the Wet Bandits in the movie Home Alone. Otherwise, it's not OK. With that rant out of the way, lets get to the rankings.

NFL Division Power Rankings after Week 6

1. AFC West: The Chiefs and Broncos are both 6-0. I'm only mentioning that because the last time two teams from the same division started a season 6-0 came in 1934. That was before the internet was invented. You'd be reading this on a piece parchment if this was 1934. Anyway, the point here is, in 1934, the Bears and Lions both started 6-0 and one of them went on to win the NFL title. There's a good chance the Chiefs or the Broncos go on to win the NFL title and I don't think it's going to be the Chiefs. Last week's ranking: 1. (1-0 vs. AFC North, 5-3 vs. AFC South, 8-1 vs. NFC East)

2. NFC West: The Rams were outgained by over 200 yards against the Texans on Sunday and still won by 25 points. That alone convinced me to move the entire division up one spot. Actually, I just wanted to talk about the Rams because I feel like I always ignore them. Speaking of the Rams, a win over Carolina this week would put St. Louis over .500 through seven games for the first time since 2006. Last week's ranking: 3. (2-0 vs. NFC North, 3-2 vs. NFC South, 6-2 vs. AFC South, 0-1 vs. NFC East)

3. NFC North: The NFC North jumped up two spots this week, making the biggest move in the rankings. What do you have to do to move up two spots in the rankings? You have to not lose to (Check, thanks to the Lions). You have to not lose to the winless Giants (Check, thanks to the Bears). And you have to beat Baltimore in a game that both teams needed to win (Check, thanks to the Packers). Last week's ranking: 5. (5-2 vs. AFC North, 0-2 vs. NFC West, 3-0 vs. NFC East, 0-2 vs. NFC South) 4. AFC North: There are no more winless teams in the AFC North thanks to Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau. LeBeau doesn't lose to rookie quarterbacks and he proved that against the Jets. Since 2004, LeBeau is 15-2 when the Steelers play a team starting a rookie quarterback. The only problem for the Steelers is that unless EJ Manuel hurries up and gets healthy, there's no more rookie quarterbacks left on the schedule. Last week's ranking: 4. (5-2 vs. AFC East, 0-1 vs. AFC West, 1-1 vs. AFC South 2-5 vs. NFC North)

5. AFC East: If you feel like the AFC East is ranked lower than usual this week, that's because it is. The division was a last second Tom Brady touchdown pass from completely embarrassing itself in Week 6. But Tom Brady never embarrasses himself: he lives in a house with a moat, has a supermodel wife and wears Uggs. Nothing is embarrassing about any of that. Also, I'm no longer rewarding the AFC East for padding its record against the NFC South. Last week's ranking: 2. (2-5 vs. AFC North, 7-1 vs. NFC South, 1-1 vs. AFC South)

6. AFC South: If you're wondering where the AFC South is as a division right now, just think about this: the best game of the week by any team in the AFC South was played by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Now someone in 's family might try and argue that Tennessee had a better game against the Seahawks, but they didn't. The Titans only touchdown came when the Seahawks backup holder bobbled a snap on a field goal, then picked the ball up, then fumbled it, then watched as the Titans returned it 77-yards for a score. All that bobbling and mistake-making sounds like something the Jaguars would do. Last week's ranking: 6. (3-5 vs. AFC West, 1-1 vs. AFC North, 1-1 vs. AFC East, 2-6 NFC West)

7. NFC South: The only reason I paid attention to the NFC South for the past three weeks is because I wanted to know what would happen first: a New Orleans loss or a Tampa Bay win. With that question now answered, I'm not sure I'll be watching anymore NFC South games this year. Although I may keep watching the Buccaneers because there seems to be something interesting coming out of Tampa Bay every week. Last week it was a Backstreet Boy going on Twitter and telling everyone he wants Greg Schiano fired. Last week's ranking: 7. (1-7 vs. AFC East, 2-3 vs. NFC West, 1-1 vs. NFC East, 2-0 vs. NFC North)

8. NFC East: For only the third time this season, an NFC East team beat a team from another division. That's right, through six weeks, the four teams in the NFC East have combined for three wins against other divisions. And the wins aren't even that impressive, Philadelphia beat the winless Buccaneers, Dallas beat the Rams and Washington beat the Raiders when WAS STARTING. Basically, what I'm trying to say is: if you're in a survivor pool this year, your best strategy is picking against the NFC East. Last week's ranking: 8. (0-3 vs. NFC North, 1-1 vs. NFC South, 1-8 vs. AFC West, 1-0 vs. NFC West)

NFL Power Rankings: Colts stumble; Texans veering into Giants territory

CBSSports.com October 15, 2013

How low can the Texans go? How average is the NFC East? Or the AFC North? Will Cleveland ever figure out its QB situation?

Those are just a few of the pressing questions after six weeks of the NFL season, where there are few certainties, other than the unbeaten Broncos and Chiefs at the top of the NFL food chain.

1. Denver Broncos: The Broncos aren't going to always just roll through their opponents. They will get everyone's best effort from here on out and there will be more stress on the Broncos defense.

2. Kansas City Chiefs: Some feel their schedule is why they are undefeated, but they have five common opponents with the Broncos and held those five teams to 83 fewer points.

3. : They keep winning and keep overcoming injuries in the offensive line. Their defense and run game will keep them in every game.

4. New England Patriots: It looks like Tom Brady is finally getting his young receivers up and running. The no-huddle offense was on the shelf until this week when they used it 45 times in the win over New Orleans.

5. : The Saints should be 6-0 but couldn't close out the Patriots. didn't catch a pass in the loss to New England and that could be a problem going forward if teams put their best corner on him.

6. Indianapolis Colts: A tough loss to the Chargers on the road dropped them to sixth. If they had won that game I had them in the third slot, which is where I expect them to climb back or higher if they beat the Broncos next week.

7. : The injuries and the problems are an area of concern for the defense. As long as the 49ers keep pounding their run game and keep the pressure off they should continue to win.

8. Green Bay Packers: The Packers won in Baltimore but injuries to the receivers will be a big concern moving forward. Rookie running back will help balance up the offense and take pressure off and the offensive line.

9. : Getting a win over a solid Cleveland team when was far from full strength is a good sign for the future. 10. : It's surprising that the Bears have given up the most points in the NFC North, but the offense is pulling its weight and can be explosive.

11. Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals take the lead in the AFC North and get a good game from . They will have to be better on the road in the coming weeks to hold the top spot.

12. Dallas Cowboys: did a great job playing all the man-to-man defense on the Redskins receivers and getting after RG3 with so many critical starters missing with injuries. The Cowboys offense needs DeMarco Murray back on the field.

13. Baltimore Ravens: I think the Ravens are better than a .500 team, but right now I can't prove it. was sacked five times by a Packers team without Clay Mathews.

14. San Diego Chargers: The Chargers are 3-3 with wins over Dallas, Indianapolis and Philadelphia. They have emerging wide receivers in and Vincent Brown and they ran the ball well against the Colts. The defense has too many injuries to play well every week.

15. : The Dolphins were on a bye last week and are trying to figure out how to protect and score more points than the defense gives up.

16. : Trying to win in the NFL with a backup quarterback is tough but the Titans will be a tough out for most teams in the league. The 20-13 loss to the Seahawks wasn't a moral victory but an example of how good this team will be against average teams.

17. : The Browns really need to figure out their quarterback situation if they want to go forward. It soon could be time for .

18. : The Eagles are on a two-game winning streak and can run a version of the offense. No team in the division is playing great defense, so they may be able to win it.

19. New York Jets: The ups and downs of a team with a rookie quarterback. The Jet defense will keep them in games but usually they will have to win the games with turnovers and scoring.

20. Arizona Cardinals: The Cardinals defense is solid but they turned the ball over four times last week and it led to 16 points which led to a loss. The Cardinals can win a lot of games if they protect the ball.

21. St. Louis Rams: The win over the Texans was perceived more as a breakdown by Houston. But look at the game tape and you see a defense that got after the QB (five sacks) and an offense that is starting to run the ball better. 22. Oakland Raiders: Terrelle Pryor was up against a team that figured out how contain him and sack him 10 times. If Pryor can escape the pocket the Raiders are in for a long season.

23. : had the kind of game this past week in Minnesota that is required of him every week if the Panthers want to get on a winning streak. The next three teams they play have losing records.

24. : The biggest mystery team in the NFL. Right now the Texans are heading toward the Giants as the disappointment of 2013.

25. Buffalo Bills: My hats off to the Bills for the effort they delivered with a quarterback from a practice squad last week. When they get EJ Manuel and back they will beat teams of the caliber of Cincinnati.

26. Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers are a dangerous team with their back to the wall. This week they host the Baltimore Ravens. A win in that game and they have a chance to win their division, and that's how they are thinking.

27. Washington Redskins: Robert Griffin III looked like a rookie QB in the Dallas game. It was great to see he had his speed back but he also looked locked on receivers from the pocket and took three sacks, threw an interception and lost a . That indicates how much work still has to be done to get him back.

28. : Injuries have all but destroyed the Falcons Super Bowl aspirations. Even if everyone was healthy the pass rush and the pass protection are still questions.

29. : No one saw the poor defensive performance against the Panthers coming and it raises questions about the future of everyone in the organization. Sooner or later we will see under center.

30. New York Giants: The Giants were built on a pass rush and that dimension has disappeared. Jason Pierre-Paul has eight sacks in his last 26 games and has eight in his last 25 games.

31. : looked better in his second start but not good enough to win. Between the MRSA, cutting Josh Freeman, and the head coach decisions, things may not get better this season.

32. Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jags reminded all of us that they are a team of professionals with pride the way they played in Denver. Jacksonville will win a few games this year now that Justin Blackmon is back in the lineup.

NFL Stock Watch: Jim Irsay comments slap in Manning's face

By Will Brinson CBSSports.com October 15, 2013

You buying or selling? Stock Watch takes you through the highs and lows of the NFL each week. Send questions, complaints and stock tips to Twitter @WillBrinson.

Peyton Manning's return to Indianapolis on Sunday night was supposed to be joyous for everyone involved. And somehow, with just a few flippant quotes, Jim Irsay's managed to sour the whole thing.

Spice might be a more appropriate word for the rest of us -- the drama surrounding Manning's matchup against the Colts is getting cranked up by the day. But an emotional day for Manning might be a little bittersweet now with Irsay taking potshots at Manning's playoff ability and lack of Super Bowl rings.

"We've changed our model a little bit, because we wanted more than one of these," Irsay said before flashing his Super Bowl ring.

Irsay then went on to directly compare Manning to Tom Brady -- " Brady never had consistent numbers, but he has three [Super Bowl rings" -- as if he's unaware just how close those two remain when debating the greatest quarterback of this generation.

Irsay's long considered Manning "family" and he sold his son down the river with the same lame argument you hear from Manning bashers in the general public. It's one thing for Jack Smith sitting in a barstool in Indianapolis to rip Manning for being a regular-season superstar or accuse him of choking in playoffs. For Irsay to accuse him of that? Downright treasonous.

"You make the playoffs 11 times, and you're out in the first round seven out of 11 times," Irsay said. "You love to have the Star Wars numbers from Peyton and Marvin (Harrison) and Reggie (Wayne). "Mostly, you love this."

Another flash of the ring, like Irsay thinks there's something other than a Super Bowl title that drives Manning. Peyton didn't go through four neck surgeries and the emotional toll of his Indy departure just to pile up regular-season stats in Denver. Suggesting that is a slap in the face to his work ethic and the way he approaches the game.

It's beyond plain ignorance of statistics. (The idea that Manning's Colts didn't close because he put up too many points is almost as ridiculous as the idea that Tom Brady hasn't been consistent.) And it's definitely beyond naive, especially when you remember this isn't the first time things have gotten personal between Irsay and Manning.

Irsay knows better. He has to. And somehow he didn't.

Bull Market

Keenan Allen, WR, Chargers -- Because of concerns over speed and the health of his knee, Allen fell to the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Whoops. Well, for everyone but San Diego anyway. The Bolts scooped up Allen and he's turning into a potential No. 1 receiver for them, stepping up quickly as a rookie once guys like and went down.

Allen's a smooth route runner and possess excellent hands, both of which he flashed when catching a 22-yard touchdown pass on Monday night. Allen's biggest source of run is injuries but his biggest source of motivation is probably getting passed on in the draft.

“I think so,” Allen said. “A lot of teams didn't want to take a chance on me because of my knee. I wasn't really concerned about my knee, but it happened, so I just try and keep playing ball."

Philip Rivers wholeheartedly approves.

A.J. Hawk, LB, Packers -- With Clay Matthews down and out for a few games, the Packers need someone to step up on the defensive end of thing. Enter Hawk, who had a mammoth game against the Ravens on Sunday. Not only did Hawk manage to sack Joe Flacco three times Sunday -- he had three sacks in all of 2012 -- but he also had 10 total tackles and did it all while calling the defense.

Ron Rivera, HC, Panthers -- It remains to be seen whether or not the Panthers keeps his current aggressive streak going, but over the last three games he's been tossing the dice much more often on fourth down.

“It's about trying to make a statement,” Rivera said this week. “And it's probably also honestly one of the things that I've learned. Sometimes you play by the book and you miss opportunities. It's been an enlightening situation for me. One of the things that I want to try to do is to make sure we are in the best position to win. And the other realization is kicking field goals is obviously not good enough."

"Riverboat Ron" -- as I've taken to calling him -- has seen the light and the light's treating him well. As Scott Fowler of pointed out, getting aggressive on fourth down is a confidence play for his quarterback. And Cam Newton needs that confidence. It breeds success for the third-year quarterback and it showed against the Vikings. The Rams are a different animal, but back-to-back wins this early in the season -- not to mention a .500 record -- for Carolina would be a big step for a regime thought to be on the way out the door. , TE, Lions -- The Lions tight end probably only scored three times on five catches because I dropped him in the CBS office league. (Did have a good game? I didn't really see anything about him ...) But he could be a nice target going forward as well, particularly in the red zone.

Matthew Stafford clearly trusts him down there, Calvin Johnson is seeing serious double coverage and doesn't really have the space to operate. He should see plenty of looks in the the rest of the year.

Bonus: he's is a dancing fool.

Justin Blackmon, WR, Jaguars -- Here's an amazing stat. Justin Blackmon, despite only playing in two games because of his four-game suspension for DUI, is still on pace for 1,956 yards. Through his first two games of the season, the former Oklahoma State product is averaging 163 yards per game receiving for the Jaguars (to go along with a 67-yard touchdown). His first game (136 yards) was mostly a by-product of that long touchdown, though he had four more catches. In Week 6, though, he put up massive numbers against the Broncos, catching 14 balls for 190 yards. Chad Henne loves this guy, as he should.

Bear Market

Jim Irsay, Owner, Colts -- See: above

Matt Cassel, QB, Vikings: Cassel had one week with which to save his job. And he didn't do enough to warrant saving against Carolina. It's possible Cassel gets another week at the helm of the Vikings this coming Sunday, but the more likely scenario is that Josh Freeman is handed the rock and told to figure things out on the fly. Cassel managed to complete 74 percent of his passes against the Panthers (really) but he also threw three picks and it took him 44 attempts to get to 241 yards. That's horribly inefficient. There's no guarantee Freeman will be better but Monday night against a bad Giants defense might set up for a pretty strong debut for the former Buccaneers quarterback.

Jimmy Graham, TE, Saints -- The All-World Saints tight end was held without a catch on Sunday ... and he still leads the NFL in receiving yards. So let's be clear: he's not suddenly someone you don't want to own in fantasy. But he did get shutout by and Devin McCourty in the Saints loss to the Patriots as Bill Belichick continued his run of wrecking shop on opponents' No. 1 options.

Graham's dealing an injury as well, which could -- should? -- scare Saints fans. The good news for Graham is he gets a bye week at the perfect time. The better news for the Saints? There aren't many teams who can just throw one corner on Graham and expect him to struggle. It'll be interesting to see if that's how teams try to cover him from here on out though. , QB, Chiefs -- Now look. Smith hasn't had to do much. The Chiefs are also, at 6-0, undefeated. So it's nitpicking here. But he's been a bigger than he was with the 49ers in 2011. But he's completing just 56.5 percent of his passes and averaging just 6.16 yards per attempt. It's especially concerning since Smith is throwing 36 times a game. You don't give up two second-round picks so a guy can do that at such an inefficient rate.

Tavon Austin, WR, Rams -- Has Austin been here before? It sure feels like it. Back before the season began talked about the Rams (at the time) "haven't shown" their plans for the rookie wide receiver. Well, either Fisher was bluffing or this is a serious long con. As Fisher noted after the game -- and confirmed by Pro Football Focus -- the Rams weren't in "11" personnel (one running back, one tight end, three wideouts) very often so Austin couldn't hit the field much. But that still doesn't explain the complete lack of use for a guy they traded up to get and, by most accounts, one of the most explosive playmakers in this rookie class. At least is returning kicks.

NFL's best and worst quarterbacks this season

By Will Brinson CBSSports.com October 15, 2013

We're in the golden age of quarterbacking in the NFL. At no point in history have there been this many capable and competent quarterbacks across so many teams in the NFL. A combination of rules changes, an influx of talent, improvement in offensive strategy and a greater understanding of the game by young players has led to some really fun to watch football.

Half the league -- 16 teams -- feature significant contributions from a player taken in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft (or NFL Supplemental Draft) in the last three years.

Of course, not all of those contributions are great. Or even good. At the very least, while we're getting more and more talent into the league, not all of the hires are home runs. Such is life in any venue and it's only intensified when it comes to something as competitive as quarterbacking in the NFL.

Six weeks into the season seemed like as arbitrary time as any to put together our top five best quarterbacks and top five worst. These are the top and bottom five as of right now. It is a snapshot of the 2013 season in this moment, six weeks in. You will hate the list anyway. Let me know what you think in the comments or on Twitter @WillBrinson.

Five Best Quarterbacks

1. Peyton Manning, Broncos -- A laughably easy choice at the top spot. No one's playing as well as Peyton right now and it's not particularly close. His 25/38, 277- yard, two-touchdown performance against the Jaguars was a pretty major disappointment given his performance in the five games before. He's completing 74.2 percent of his passes and is still somehow on pace for 5,800 passing yards. Ryan Clady went down and Manning didn't skip a beat. Manning has four receivers - - Wes Welker, Julius Thomas, Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker -- on pace for 1,000 yards this season. It's not even clinical. It's a virtuoso performance. You should be watching and you should be appreciating.

2. Drew Brees, Saints -- We'll see how Brees plays if Jimmy Graham is lost for any extended period of time. That's a major concern. But six games in, Breesus is dealing. The Saints offense struggled outside against the Buccaneers and the Saints but give credit to those defenses. Brees looks like he's getting back on the same page with too, really clicking at times this season. His yards per attempt is up to 8.3, which is where it was in 2011 before dipping to 7.7 last year. His completion percentage is up (66.2), his interceptions are dipping (he's not forcing as much) and Brees is on pace for a third consecutive 5,000-yard season. Ridiculous.

3. Philip Rivers, Chargers -- I'm as surprised as you are to see Rivers here. But he's completing a stunning 72.6 percent of his passes through six weeks and has the Chargers with three more wins than anyone expected. Rivers is averaging more than 300 yards per game, which is something he hasn't done since, well, ever. (His career high was 294.4 in 2010.) Rivers yards per attempt is back above eight for the first time since that year as well. But perhaps the most impressive thing about the way Rivers is playing? Who he's playing with. His offensive line is still a shadow of the unit he played with in San Diego's hey day. And Rivers top targets are an older , rookie Keenan Allen and Vincent Brown. The former first-round pick is having incredible, MVP-level success this season in spite of everything around him.

4. , Cowboys -- The one enduring image for most folks is Romo's interception against the Broncos late. That's a misguided notion. Not only does it feed a silly narrative but, as my colleague Ryan Wilson adeptly pointed out, it ignores the fact that Romo had his foot stepped on during the pick in question.

Let's toss that one performance-blinding throw out the window and look at Romo's actual production though. And the reality is he's been outstanding. Romo doesn't have a game with less than 60 percent completions and is hitting on 70.2 percent of his passes for the season. He has just three picks all year, against 14 touchdowns. Neither his raw numbers (282.2 yards a game passing) or efficiency (7.77 YPA) are absolutely mind-blowing. But Romo's been incredibly consistent, efficient and smart through six weeks of the season. As it stands right now, Romo's on pace to have -- by far -- the best season of his career. And it's one of the best starts in all of the NFL, quarterback-wise.

5. Aaron Rodgers, Packers -- If we're building teams, Rodgers is still the No. 1 choice. He showed, with an absolute cannon toss to , just how much talent he's got in terms of arm strength and accuracy. Enjoy:

Now consider that Rodgers worked most of the preseason without Nelson, will be without Randall Cobb for the next six to eight weeks, lost this offseason and will be forced to rely heavily on and James Jones.

He's not in the middle of his greatest stretch of six games like Peyton or anything. And with a renewed focus on Eddie Lacy and the running game lately it's possible that Rodgers stats slip a little moving forward (it would be a mistake to put too much emphasis on the run, of course). Then again two games against the Vikings, one against the Giants and one against the Eagles in his next six could mean an explosion regardless of who's catching the ball. His last three weeks aren't world-beater games. But he's averaging more than 325 passing yards a game, and a big ole' 8.95 yards per attempt is quite stout. He's not getting the hype but he's just plugging along at an elite level.

Hon. Mention: Andrew Luck, Colts; , Lions

Five Worst Quarterbacks

5. , Cardinals -- It's not necessarily all Palmer's fault. The Cardinals offensive line isn't very good and he doesn't have much time to throw. It complicates matters that wants to take shots down the field. And he's close to on pace for 4,000 yards. He'd hit 3,955 at his current 247.2 yards per game pace, but that assume he stays healthy for 16 games. Palmer is 34, has been sacked 13 times and isn't finding his weapons -- , , Andre Roberts -- as often as Arizona needs him to. He doesn't have a game without an interception yet this season (and only has one with more touchdowns than picks) and only has two games where he topped 65 percent completions.

4. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Titans -- Fitzy got tossed in an unfortunate situation with the Titans. suffered an injury and the former Bills starter was called upon in relief against the Jets. He did well, going 3-for-8 with a touchdown and 108 passing yards, but the Titans were already shellacking New York. The next two games? Not nearly as good. He gets credit for going against a pair of stout defenses in the Titans and Seahawks, but he's been really bad. He completed 51 percent of his passes against KC with 247 yards, one score and two picks. Against Seattle (in Seattle, which is even tougher) he managed no touchdowns, two picks, a 58 percent completion rate, 171 passing yards and a 5.90 YPA. Things get a little bit easier, with the 49ers coming up before Fitzpatrick can catch his breath during the bye and then the Rams and Jaguars after that. But as Pete Prisco and Pat Kirwan like to say, Fitz is still slinging that helium balloon and with Chris Johnson failing to alleviate any pressure via the running game, it's hard to expect a turnaround in his performance.

3. Eli Manning, Giants -- How did we get here? (This is not my beautiful house.) We'd all moved on to debating about the elite status of someone else (Joe Flacco), convinced that Eli was just fine and wouldn't ever struggle again and all of a sudden he's completely fallen off a cliff. Manning is completing 53.7 percent of his passes and leads the NFL with a whopping 15 interceptions. He's on pace to become just the second player in NFL history with more than 40 interceptions in a season and while he might stop throwing as many bad passes, it's hard to imagine the raw number coming down. The Giants are terrible on defense so Eli will keep tossing the rock. He can't seem to get on the same page as his receivers, which leads to mistakes. The offensive line is horrible -- he's being sacked 6.5 percent of the time, the highest rate of his career -- and that won't make life much easier. This is not Eli's beautiful life. 2. Brandon Weeden, Browns-- Let's be clear. Any time your'e benched for , things are not going well. Weeden technically was "injured" and "replaced" by Hoyer but he had it coming either way. A three-pick and 49 percent completion day to open the season against Miami got things started off on the wrong foot. The perfect bookend for that nightmare? The game-sealing interception he threw against the Lions Sunday. It is, arguably, the worst pass attempt in the history of the NFL.

Think about this pick for a second. It is first-and-10 and the Browns have the ball down seven points at midfield. Weeden is (sort of) chased out of the pocket, (sort of) rolls left and (sort of) throws -- against his body, no less! -- an underhanded pass toward the sidelines into double coverage. It's the perfect storm of terrible decision making.

1. , Jaguars -- Technically Chad Henne is still the starter. He should get one more week. But my money is on the Jags wringing out every last ounce of bad quarterbacking from Gabbert as they fight and claw their way toward at the top of the draft. In three games this year, Gabbert has completed an impressive(ly bad) 48.8 percent of his passes. He hasn't topped 185 yards once, despite attempting 86 passes (a phenomenal 5.59 YPA on the year). And he has thrown one touchdown against seven interceptions. That one touchdown was a 67-yard touchdown to Justin Blackmon and it accounts for more than 7 percent of Gabbert's yardage for the season! It's not fair to merely sit and mock Gabbert, as his situation isn't great. But he truly is the worst quarterback in the NFL, by a wide margin.

Irsay: Peyton backed Luck, I want rings

FoxSports.com October 15, 2013

Things seem to have worked out OK for both Peyton Manning and Jim Irsay.

Things could have ended very badly, with a very bitter taste, for both Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts.

Thanks to Andrew Luck, though — and a little career renaissance by Manning — both sides can head into this week’s Broncos-Colts contest saying they’re happy with the way it worked out. In fact, it was Manning himself who pushed Indianapolis to select Luck in the first place, team owner Jim Irsay revealed in a recent USA Today interview.

“He said, ‘You’ve got to take Andrew,’” Irsay recalls. “‘You have to. You’re crazy if you don’t.’”

And yet, while Irsay had mostly nice things to say about his former QB during the interview, he did drop in one pretty big knock against Manning -- namely that despite his great statistics, Manning was not winning championships.

“We’ve changed our model a little bit, because we wanted more than one of these,” Irsay said, motioning to his Super Bowl ring. “(Tom) Brady never had consistent numbers, but he has three of these. Pittsburgh had two. The Giants had two. Baltimore had two, and we had one. That leaves you frustrated.

“You make the playoffs 11 times, and you’re out in the first round seven out of 11 times. You love to have the ‘Star Wars’ numbers from Peyton and Marvin (Harrison) and Reggie (Wayne). Mostly, you love this (the ring).”

That criticism has been used many times in the Brady-Manning debate, with Manning detractors saying he could produce gaudy statistics year to year but couldn’t win big games. It’s something else for Irsay to be mentioning it — although he seemed to be pointing to it for more practical reasons. Manning’s MVP-quality play season after season meant he was commanding a huge salary.

“Circumstances created this decision,” Irsay said. “You have to understand there’s no way (the current Colts success) occurs if (Manning is) in Indy. It’s just impossible, where our salary cap was — having him stay at the type of (salary) number that he expected and deserved to earn and all those things.”

As the Colts prepared to move on from Manning in 2012, Irsay said the legendary QB tried to see things from the team’s perspective. The Colts ended up cutting Manning loose and drafting Luck No. 1 overall. Manning, although parting with the organization that had long been his, got to jump into a winning situation right away with the Broncos, while Indianapolis rebuilt quickly under Luck and a new coach.

“I think it’s perfect,” Irsay said. “What happened is what Peyton and I hoped would happen. The desire was for him to get well and get to a team that has a chance to win another Super Bowl before his career ended. And our desire was to be able to transition to Andrew. To be so good so soon is stunning.”

Both the Colts and the Broncos made the playoffs last year, with both Luck and Manning receiving individual praise for their role in leading their respective teams.

John Fox calls Jim Irsay’s comments a ‘cheap shot’ and ‘inappropriate’

By Andy Nesbitt FOXSports.com October 15, 2013

Well, Sunday’s Broncos-Colts matchup this Sunday night is getting better by the minute.

Peyton Manning’s return to Indianapolis for the first time in a different uniform is juicy enough. Now Broncos coach John Fox has blasted Colts owner Jim Irsay over comments Irsay made about the Colts teams that Manning led over the years.Fox sounded of Tuesday during a radio interview. Here’s what he had to say, courtesy of ProFootballTalk:

“I saw the comments [from Irsay] and to be honest with you I thought it was a bit of a cheap shot,” Fox told Pat Kirwan and Jim Miller of SiriusXM NFL Radio. “To me, in my opinion, they were disappointing and inappropriate. I mean, Peyton would never say anything. He’s too classy to do that. But they sounded a little ungrateful and unappreciative to me for a guy that has set a standard, won a Super Bowl, won division titles, won four MVP awards. I’d be thankful with that one Super Bowl ring because there’s a lot of people that don’t have one.”

What did Irsay say that made Fox so upset? Oh, just this:

“We’ve changed our model a little bit, because we wanted more than one of these,” Irsay said, referring to his Super Bowl XLI ring. “[Tom] Brady never had consistent numbers, but he has three of these. Pittsburgh had two, the Giants had two, Baltimore had two and we had one. That leaves you frustrated.

“You make the playoffs 11 times, and you’re out in the first round seven out of 11 times. You love to have the Star Wars numbers from Peyton and Marvin [Harrison] and Reggie [Wayne]. Mostly, you love [championships].”

Well, that’s interesting. We know Peyton won’t have anything to say about any of this. We’re guessing Irsay will.

Stay tuned.

Greatness takes a lot more than luck

By Kevin Lincoln FoxSports.com October 15, 2013

After Philip Rivers and the feisty Chargers upset the Indianapolis Colts on Monday, the hot-headed quarterback said something shockingly prescient: “I wasn't sure who the Colts were playing this week, all the ads I saw.”

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Although he was sticking up for his own squad, Rivers also hit upon one of the early themes of the 2013 NFL season, which is that the Colts are here to stay, a league power once again behind head coach Chuck Pagano and, most of all, quarterback Andrew Luck.

The narrative found its legs when the Colts handed the Seahawks their first loss in Week 5, making them 4-1 and in the driver’s seat of the AFC South.

This flew in the face of expectations, which had it that the Colts were bound to regress, considering that in 2012 pegged them as the worst 11-5 team in NFL history.

That had to do with the fact that they consistently won close games, at a seemingly unsustainable rate. How unsustainable? Outscored-by-their-opponents-over-the- season unsustainable. (They were the first 11-5 team to be able to claim that).

What people didn’t doubt was that Andrew Luck would continue to improve on his rookie year. Despite the win-loss record, Luck’s season wasn’t dazzling on paper: 54.1 percent completion rating, 23 touchdowns, 18 interceptions, 76.5 QB rating, 7.0 yards per attempt.

It was dazzling, however, when you took into account the fact that the team he’d quarterbacked to the playoffs had gone 2-14 the year before. In a league that still places value on winning games above all else in terms of establishing your stock, Luck looked like a diamond.

And when the team continued to win in 2013, Luck received the lion’s share of the credit. Not that he didn’t deserve it: by the end of the Seahawks game, he’d thrown 7 TDs and only 2 INTs, and his completion rating was up above 60 percent, a colossal improvement on the most glaring statistic of his rookie season.

So the hype machine geared into overdrive, buoyed by the fact that Peyton Manning, the man the Colts cut to replace with Luck, is having arguably the greatest season by a quarterback in NFL history. With a matchup between the two looming in Week 7, and the Broncos undefeated, football had its Perfect Storm. Then Luck and the Colts lost to this mediocre Chargers team, with Luck throwing no touchdowns and an interception. Indy only managed nine points. Reality set in. And this isn’t a bad thing for Luck.

There’s nothing the NFL loves more than a quarterback who distinguishes himself, and those that do are generally treated like gods, or at least gods in training.

Robert Griffin III was the case study last year: despite the remarkable success of Luck and his fellow rookie , RGIII became the gold standard of young passers thanks to his spectacular style of play, even more spectacular stats, and the resurgence of Washington, one of the league’s marquee franchises. Griffin’s star overwhelmed that of Luck’s and Wilson’s; those guys both became household names as well, but their ubiquity didn’t even touch that of Griffin’s.

You could say this has to do with RGIII’s personality, but that’s not it. Wilson played for one of the league’s all-around best teams, and his success was, while appreciated, also viewed as a part of a larger whole. Luck’s numbers paled in comparison to those of Wilson’s and Griffin’s, despite being impressive in isolation — particularly the record. RGIII stood alone as the perfect package of NFL heroism: a quarterback who played theatrically, made few mistakes, boosted his team, and looked good doing it.

This year, Griffin and his team are struggling. And so it became Luck’s turn to be crowned the heir apparent. His lack of success last week doesn’t change that. He’s still having a terrific season. But one bump of a game — happens to even the league’s best passers — helps deflate the idea that Luck, only 24 years old, only in his second NFL season, has somehow become the total quarterback, or that he doesn’t have growing left to do.

Letting expectations inflate too fast and too large can ultimately be problematic for a young player. It’s wrong to say that this game helps Luck, but it does ground his growing legend a bit. That is, until Week 7, when, if he can beat Peyton’s Broncos, he’ll be set right back into ascendancy.

Meanwhile, Russell Wilson — with his 61.4 percent completion rating, 8 TDs, 4 INTs, and 7.9 yards per attempt, and 50 rushing yards per game — once again makes a strong, quiet argument for being the best of the three. He still has the best supporting cast. But as good as Luck is, and as good as RGIII could be, Wilson’s right there.

BRIAN BILLICK'S NFL Power Rankings: Week 6 is an acclaimed NFL game analyst for and a Super Bowl-winning coach.

FoxSports.com October 15, 2013

The Broncos are still top dog, but check out the surprising No. 2 team in our rankings.

FOX SPORTS NFL POWER RANKINGS RK Team RECORD CHANGEHIGH/LOW COMMENTS

Denver has the No. 1 scoring offense, total offense and passing offense -- but also the worst passing defense, the 29th 1 6-0 - 1/2 ranked total defense and the 24th ranked Broncos scoring defense. They are beatable.

The Chiefs had 10 sacks on Sunday. They now have 31 on the season...four more 2 6-0 2 2/19 than they had all of last year! Chiefs

The Seahawks haven't lost at home since 2011, outscoring their opponents 337- 3 5-1 - 2/3 128 in that span, but the Titans made it a Seahawks little too close for comfort on Sunday.

Bill Belichick is better than anyone at taking away an opponent's best weapon. 4 5-1 2 3/6 Jimmy Graham finished with zero catches Patriots on Sunday. Zero.

The Saints had a season-high 131 rushing 5 5-1 3 2/16 yards and averaged five yards per carry, Saints but I'm not sure Drew Brees on a naked bootleg was their best chance at icing the RK Team RECORD CHANGEHIGH/LOW COMMENTS

game.

Eric Reid should be earning some early buzz for defensive rookie of the year. 6 4-2 1 1/13 Every time I watch the 49ers defense he 49ers is making plays.

The Colts have a chance to redeem themselves with a home game against the Broncos next week, but I think that 7 4-2 2 5/15 makes for a better story than it does a Colts reality.

After going 44 consecutive games without a 100-yard rusher, the Packers have done 8 3-2 - 6/15 it three times this season. Packers

Reggie Bush had just one game last season in which he tallied more than 125 9 4-2 - 6/18 yards from scrimmage. He now has three Lions in just six games this year.

The Bengals earned their first road win of the season at Buffalo on Sunday, but it 10 4-2 - 5/12 was an overtime dog fight. Bengals

Martellus Bennett has quietly been one of the best pickups of the offseason. His 31 receptions in the six games this season 11 4-2 - 4/11 are already two more than all of the Bears Bears tight ends last season.

Dallas beat Washington despite being 12 3-3 - 11/17 Cowboys outgained by 220 yards and allowing 216 rushing yards. That isn't going to happen RK Team RECORD CHANGEHIGH/LOW COMMENTS

very often.

The Ravens lost at home for just the fourth time in their last 30 games while 13 3-3 - 5/15 posted his fourth game of the Ravens year with fewer than 40 rushing yards.

Miami comes off the bye this week with back-to-back divisional games. They host 14 3-2 1 10/25 the Bills this week and then travel to New Dolphins England in Week 8.

With a much-improved offensive line, I really thought Chris Johnson was going to 15 3-3 1 14/22 have a resurgence this season. I was Titans wrong. Very wrong.

Ryan Mathews broke the 100-yard rushing mark for the first time since Week 16 3-3 4 16/26 14 of 2011. Chargers

The Eagles have won back-to-back games for the first time this season and will host 17 3-3 5 16/23 the Cowboys on Sunday. With a win, they Eagles will take control of the NFC East.

Seriously, what was Brandon Weeden 18 3-3 1 17/30 thinking with that under-handed floater? Browns

I have said all along that the Jets would be lucky to make it to their bye week with a 3-6 record. There next three games are 19 3-3 1 18/30 Jets all against division leaders -- the Patriots, Bengals and Saints. I'm sticking to my prediction. RK Team RECORD CHANGEHIGH/LOW COMMENTS

You get your wish, Houston. 20 2-4 4 4/20 Texans

The Cardinals snapped a two-game winning streak and Carson Palmer 21 3-3 2 19/29 continued his streak of multi-interception Cardinals games (four).

The Bills have four losses by an average of just 6.3 points. No one is going to want 22 2-4 1 20/27 to play the Bills when they are healthy. Bills

Sunday was the Steelers' first game this season without a turnover, and, coincidentally, it was also there first game 23 1-4 6 20/29 with a takeaway. Win the turnover battle, Steelers win the game.

The Rams clawed their way back to .500 with a 38-point showing on Sunday -- the 24 3-3 3 14/27 most points they have scored since Rams putting up 41 in 2006.

Nothing has come easy for Atlanta this season, but the next three opponents are a combined 5-11. This is a good stretch 25 1-4 4 4/25 for the Falcons to get back to .500 before Falcons hosting Seattle in Week 10.

The Panthers' two wins have come against teams that are a combined 1-10 26 2-3 2 22/28 on the season. Panthers

27 1-4 3 10/30 I'd be surprised if it wasn't Josh Freeman Vikings behind center against the Giants this RK Team RECORD CHANGEHIGH/LOW COMMENTS

week. That way he can have a primer game before facing they Packers in Week 8.

Washington had scored touchdowns on seven of 11 trips to the redzone entering 28 1-4 3 13/28 the game but failed to score on any of Redskins their three trips on Sunday.

The Raiders never reached the redzone on Sunday and had a season-high 11 29 2-4 3 26/32 penalties in the game. Raiders

With a little more discipline, Justin Blackmon could be the next Anquan 30 0-6 2 30/32 Boldin. Jaguars

The Giants have now had at least three turnovers in all six games this season. 31 0-6 1 15/31 That's bad. Giants

Tampa has lost 10 of their last 11 and are 32 0-5 1 21/32 being frequented by the Center for Buccaneers Disease Control -- does it get any worse?

John Fox shoots back at Colts owner Jim Irsay for ‘disappointing and inappropriate’ comments on Peyton Manning

By Frank Schwab Shutdown Corner/Yahoo! Sports October 15, 2013

Well, maybe Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning's return to Indianapolis on "Sunday Night Football," won't be all hugs and tears after all.

Some of Colts owner Jim Irsay's comments on Manning to USA Today seem to have touched a bit of a nerve. Near the end of the story, Irsay is quoted as saying by getting rid of Manning the Colts "changed their model" because he wanted more championships, something he apparently feels they didn't get enough of with Manning. Indianapolis won just one Super Bowl with Manning, and we'll get to how ridiculous Irsay's comment is, but first, here's Broncos coach John Fox's quotes from SiriusXM NFL Radio shooting back at Irsay:

"I saw the comments [from Irsay] and to be honest with you I thought it was a bit of a cheap shot," Fox said on SiriusXM. "To me, in my opinion, they were disappointing and inappropriate. I mean, Peyton would never say anything. He’s too classy to do that. But they sounded a little ungrateful and unappreciative to me for a guy that has set a standard, won a Super Bowl, won division titles, won four MVP awards. I’d be thankful with that one Super Bowl ring because there’s a lot of people that don’t have one.”

That's all much more accurate than Irsay thinking that the statistics of the Colts offense somehow held them back from winning more than one Super Bowl. Here's what Irsay said:

"(Tom) Brady never had consistent numbers, but he has three of these (championship rings," Irsay told USA Today. "Pittsburgh had two, the Giants had two, Baltimore had two and we had one. That leaves you frustrated.

"You make the playoffs 11 times, and you're out in the first round seven out of 11 times. You love to have the Star Wars numbers from Peyton and Marvin (Harrison) and Reggie (Wayne). Mostly, you love this (referring to his Super Bowl ring)."

If Irsay thinks the Colts would have won one Super Bowl or been to the playoffs close to 11 times (or had that great new stadium) without Manning, he has lost his mind. There's one main reason his team is a contender again, and that's because it had the good fortune to get the first pick and land once-in-a-generation quarterback prospect Andrew Luck. The thought that Manning kept the Colts from winning more than one title is flat out wrong. Irsay probably was focused on the thought that the Colts were better off moving on from Manning because he took up a lot of their salary-cap and they wanted a more balanced roster, because he couldn't possibly have meant what his quotes appear to be saying. Irsay knows better. And it's not like the Colts have reinvented football the last couple years without Manning; they just happened to fall into another great quarterback.

But if nothing else, it adds a little more tension to Manning's return to Indianapolis.

Peyton Manning told Jim Irsay: ‘You’re crazy if you don’t’ draft Andrew Luck

By Eric Edholm Shutdown Corner/Yahoo! Sports October 15, 2013

It's easy to forget, less than two years ago, just how tough a decision Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay faced.

He had Peyton Manning, coming off a season-long neck injury the year before, due a massive amount of money. Irsay also had the No. 1 pick in the 2012 NFL draft, a position that allowed them to potentially draft Andrew Luck, viewed as a once-in-a- generation quarterback prospect.

This wasn't something Irsay could just flip a coin on. So he talked with Manning while the quarterback was still on the Colts' roster.

In a story by USA Today's Jarrett Bell, Irsay recalled those candid moments with his franchise pillar and how he and Manning tried their best to put themselves in the others' shoes.

It became obvious what the only resolution was — no disrespect to Robert Griffin III, the only other player the team seriously considered with the pick.

"He said, 'You've got to take Andrew,'" Irsay told Bell. "'You have to. You're crazy if you don't.'"

Well, crazy and Irsay might extend beyond that decision. But it's clear now, with the Colts and Manning's Denver Broncos set to face each other Sunday for the first time, with Peyton returning to Indianapolis in what is sure to be a storm of emotions and picture flashes, that both parties made out as best as possible.

"I think it's perfect," Irsay says. "What's happened is what Peyton and I hoped would happen. The desire was for him to get well and get to a team that has a chance to win another Super Bowl before his career ended. And our desire was to be able to transition to Andrew. To be so good so soon is stunning."

Lucas Oil Stadium won't just be a reunion. It will mark the meeting of two very good football teams — a possible AFC title game preview, even. Sure, the Colts dropped a game in San Diego Monday night they probably should not have. But Luck would be pretty far down their list of flaws — he mostly has been spectacular, when they've cut him loose (an argument for another day).

If Manning and the Broncos win, it will not be revenge. If Luck and the Colts win, it will not be validation. That's what's special about this game: There is no real wrong result, because it appears that both teams made out as well as they could have hoped.

John Fox critical of Jim Irsay's talk on Peyton Manning

By Dan Hanzus NFL.com October 15, 2013

If you were wondering why you saw and a multi-colored peacock doing backflips in the streets on Tuesday, we have your answer.

The Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts will meet on "Sunday Night Football" in five days. That matchup got even more enticing now that Broncos coach John Fox has criticized Colts owner Jim Irsay over recent comments about Peyton Manning.

"I saw the comments, and to be honest with you I thought it was a bit of a cheap shot," Fox said Tuesday on SiriusXM NFL Radio (via DenverBroncos.com). "To me, in my opinion, they were disappointing and inappropriate. Peyton would never say anything, he's too classy to do that, but they sounded a little ungrateful and unappreciative to me, for a guy that's set a standard, won a Super Bowl, won division titles, won four MVP awards.

"I'd be thankful of that one Super Bowl ring, because a lot of people don't have one."

Irsay told USA Today that the Colts "changed (their) model a little bit" because they wanted more than the one ring the franchise won during Manning's 14-year run in Indy.

"You make the playoffs 11 times, and you're out in the first round seven out of 11 times," Irsay said. "You love to have the 'Star Wars' numbers from Peyton and Marvin (Harrison) and Reggie (Wayne). Mostly, you love this," Irsay said, flashing his Super Bowl ring.

Irsay's words certainly appear to have been twisted here. The owner spoke glowingly of Manning's legacy in Indianapolis in a conversation with NFL Media's last week. It's possible (actually likely) that Irsay's idea of changing the "model" was less about Manning and more about the organizational direction (Goodbye Bill Polian, hello Ryan Grigson).

Whatever his intentions, Irsay ticked Fox off, which makes this a story. Expect an Irsay tweet sometime around 4 a.m.

Denver Broncos add Tavarres King; Packers miss out

By Chris Wesseling NFL.com October 15, 2013

The Green Bay Packers will explore other avenues after striking out in their initial attempt to replace injured wide receiver Randall Cobb on the active roster.

The Packers expressed interest Monday in signing fifth-round rookie Tavarres King off the Denver Broncos' practice squad.

The Broncos responded Tuesday by promoting King to the 53-man roster, and they waived linebacker Adrian Robinson in a related move.

King finished his University of career ranked third all time with 21 receiving touchdowns and fourth with 2,602 receiving yards. In line for the final wide receiver spot after a solid first training camp, he was a surprise cut in favor of Andre Caldwell.

It will be a major upset if King plays more than a special teams role, provided the other Broncos receivers stay healthy.

Green Bay's predicament at wide receiver was exacerbated by the departure of intriguing size-speed prospect Charles Johnson, who was lured away from the Packers' practice squad by the Cleveland Browns hours before Cobb and James Jones went down with injuries on Sunday.

The Packers ultimately promoted Tech undrafted rookie to provide depth behind Jordy Nelson, James Jones and .

Bill Polian: Jim Irsay should be grateful for Super Bowl ring

NFL.com October 16, 2013

John Fox isn't the only one taking offense at Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay's comments about the Colts' decision to part with Peyton Manning after the 2011 season.

Former Colts general manager Bill Polian -- fired by Irsay after the team went 2-14 in 2011 without an injured Manning -- also fired back at his old boss on Tuesday.

Irsay started the contretemps in a USA Today article about the Colts' momentous decision to release Manning and draft Andrew Luck after Manning missed all of 2011 with multiple neck surgeries.

"We've changed our model a little bit, because we wanted more than one of these," Irsay said, showing the Super Bowl ring he won with Manning in the 2006 season. "...Pittsburgh had two, the Giants had two, Baltimore had two and we had one. That leaves you frustrated. You make the playoffs 11 times, and you're out in the first round seven out of 11 times. You love to have the Star Wars numbers from Peyton and Marvin (Harrison) and Reggie (Wayne). Mostly, you love this," Irsay said, flashing the ring again.

Appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Polian was asked what Irsay was trying to say.

"Truthfully I don't know. I think he's got some misstatements of fact in there. For one thing, I don't believe that Baltimore had two at the time that we were fired, all of us, Peyton, me and the rest of the staff, (coach) Jim Caldwell at the end of the '11 season," Polian said.

"...I really don't know what to make of it to tell you the truth," Polian continued. "I do know that he was very upset after the loss in the second Super Bowl and I think it's pretty telling that getting to the Super Bowl in his mind doesn't count. And for anyone who is in the game and who has to make that journey from training camp to the Super Bowl, you know that it's awfully difficult to get there.

"And as John Fox said today, if you have one, you count yourself lucky. I've had teams that have been to six Super Bowls and won one. I'm not ashamed of that record by any means, and I'm certainly not ashamed of what we did in Indianapolis."

So far, Manning has stayed out of this back-and-forth. His new team, the 6-0 Denver Broncos, visit the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night, and the Colts are planning a tribute to Manning, their former quarterback, who won four league MVP awards during his 14-year career in Indianapolis.

Chap and Kravitz debate: Would you rather have Peyton Manning or Andrew Luck? IndyStar reporters Bob Kravitz and Mike Chappell debate who the Colts should have kept in 2012

By Mike Chappell and Bob Kravitz Indianapolis Star October 15, 2013

CHAPPELL

I’ll admit it, and my optometrist will back me up, I’m myopic.

No, that doesn’t mean I’m easily irritable.

It means I tend to see things up close, not in the distance. I’m more concerned with the here and now — and the immediate future — than the bigger picture.

So yes, in early March 2012, I would have taken a deep breath, pilfered Jim Irsay’s checkbook, forged his name on a $28 million check and kept Peyton Manning.

With one caveat. I pay the onerous option bonus and keep Manning, even at age 35 and after four procedures on his neck, if my physicians and a couple of independent neurologists assure me Manning has a very good chance of being ready for the start of the 2012 season.

Failing that, history unfolds as it has. The Colts cut ties with one franchise quarterback, draft another and, well, you know the rest.

But if I’m convinced Manning is going to give me another four or five years comparable to his previous four or five years, yep, I keep him. In 22 games with Denver, he’s passed for 6,838 yards with 59 touchdowns, 13 interceptions and a 112.5 passer rating. The Broncos are 19-3.

I make a calculated all-in bet to win in 2012, this year and the next few seasons, with No. 18.

You can have Adrian Peterson or J.J. Watt or the next “can’t miss” collegiate superstud quarterback. The NFL is all about the quarterback. When you’ve got that guy, you ride him as long as possible.

Tomorrow? As my wife constantly reminds me, tomorrow will take care of itself. Somehow.

The pre-2012 draft hype churned in overdrive regarding Andrew Luck. The best prospect since Peyton Manning. Or John Elway. Fine. But there are no guarantees (Ryan Leaf, JaMarcus Russell, David Carr, Tim Couch, Vince Young).

A healthy Peyton Manning would have been as close to a guarantee as possible. I know he’s going to give me 10 wins and a shot at much more every season. I would have worried about 2015, ’16 and beyond down the road.

Myopic, remember?

If I had kept Manning, I wouldn’t have used the No. 1 overall pick on Luck, his eventual successor. As I mentioned, the $28 million investment meant I was in this for the short term.

The No. 1 pick would have been put on the market, in bright, flashing neon lights. When the Colts used the No. 1 overall pick on Luck, the Rams at No. 2 squeezed three first-round picks and a second-rounder out of Washington so it could take Robert Griffin III.

The No. 1 pick would have brought more, perhaps a fourth first-round pick or another second. That’s fresh talent added to Manning’s supporting cast.

Speaking of Manning’s supporting cast, tough decisions would have loomed. The Colts’ serious salary-cap issues would have been exacerbated by Manning’s $17 million cap charge in 2012.

Several players with big contracts were aging and/or injury-prone: Joseph Addai, Dallas Clark, Gary Brackett, Melvin Bullitt. Pending free agents included Reggie Wayne, Robert Mathis, Jeff Saturday and Pierre Garcon.

There’s every likelihood retaining Manning would have meant deciding whether to re-sign Wayne or Mathis. Keeping both probably wasn’t an option.

But those are tough decisions I would have made, because I already had made the toughest.

Keep Peyton Manning.

KRAVITZ

Now, I’m not one to gloat …

Oh, that’s a lie.

I’m definitely one to gloat.

Because, well, I was right to pen several columns two years ago suggesting the Colts should let Peyton Manning go and seize the opportunity to rebuild for the next decade-plus with Andrew Luck.

Because it’s working. It’s been a win-win for Manning and the Broncos, and Luck and the Colts. You know how I know I’m right?

Because Skip Bayless, the ESPN loudmouth who still thinks Tim Tebow can play in this league, thinks I’m wrong. That’s when you know for sure you’re on the right side of history.

Granted, Manning has been spectacular this year, and seems to have most, if not all, of his arm strength back. The Broncos should be in the AFC title game, at the very least, and early on, look like the favorites to reach and win the Super Bowl.

But it wouldn’t have happened here.

That’s what the vocal minority in this town forget. If Manning had stayed, he would have played with a severely depleted team. I’ve talked to Jim Irsay about this. I’ve talked to Ryan Grigson about this. It’s highly doubtful they could have brought back Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis and Reggie Wayne if Manning had returned. At least two of the three would have been let go, and probably all three. Manning’s massive cap hit would have left the aging, expensive Colts with next to nothing.

And seriously, can you imagine Manning playing behind last year’s offensive line? As it was, Luck got sacked and hit countless times, and he’s a good runner. Manning would have been a sitting duck.

Another thing that’s forgotten is, when it came time for Irsay to make the toughest call of his football life, nobody really knew how healthy Manning was. What sense did it make to throw $30-plus million at a guy who might or might not be able to play at a high level? Sure, John Elway took a chance, but he didn’t pay the same kind of money, and had a contract that gave the Broncos an out after one year if Manning didn’t recover.

It’s simple math:

Do you want Manning for three or four years — you hope — as he goes after another MVP award at age 38?

Or do you want Luck for 12 to 15 years, hitting his prime about the same time Manning is hanging it up?

This was a once-in-the-lifetime-of-a-franchise opportunity, a stroke of luck — pardon me — and it’s something 31 other owners would have done in a single heartbeat.

I understand the emotion that surrounds Manning. And I share that emotion. I admire him as an athlete and as a person. In a more perfect universe, he would have finished in the same place where he started. But circumstances, namely his injury and a 2-14 season, conspired against that happening. It would have been foolish, a crime, if the Colts had passed on Luck, who, we are seeing now, has a chance to be one of the all-time great quarterbacks.

My guess is we’ll be debating this for as long as Manning is in the league and continuing to amaze us. I know this: I’ll continue to say I was right all along.

Because I was.

Tony Dungy says Manning would still be with Colts if Irsay had known he would be healthy again

By Phillip B. Wilson Indianapolis Star October 15, 2013

Former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy said the team’s decision to release quarterback Peyton Manning wasn’t a “no-brainer” based on conversations the former coach had with owner Jim Irsay at the time.

With Manning now healthy and leading the unbeaten Denver Broncos and a record- setting offense into Indianapolis on Sunday night, Dungy said Irsay would have kept the quarterback if the owner thought the scenario would play out this way.

“I can almost guarantee you if (Irsay) knew (Manning) was going to be healthy like this, and playing this kind of football, in hindsight, I don’t think he would have done it,” Dungy said in a conference call to promote NBC’s telecast of Sunday night’s game.

Dungy, a studio analyst for NBC’s “Football Night in America,” said the Colts made the right decision based on the information at the time. There was uncertainty about Manning’s neck issues, which required four surgeries, as well as the opportunity for the Colts to use the No. 1 overall pick on quarterback Andrew Luck.

But Dungy remembered how Irsay agonized about it.

“I can tell you that it was not a no-brainer,” Dungy said. “I was on the phone with Jim Irsay probably five or six times over the course of maybe a month as it was leading up to that (decision).

“He knew all the factors. ... Jim also had a great deal of loyalty. Jim was a young boy when his dad (Robert) traded Johnny Unitas, so he knew the ramifications of those types of decisions. And he also knew how much Peyton had done for the city of Indianapolis, for that franchise.”

Before the March 2012 decision to part with the four-time NFL MVP, doctors advised Irsay that Manning might never be healthy again. The owner realized an aging quarterback would be a tremendous risk.

“The health issue was the big thing,” Dungy said.

Analyst Cris Collinsworth of NBC agreed with Irsay’s decision.

“Given the health uncertainty of Peyton Manning at the time, I would have done exactly what Jim Irsay did,” Collinsworth said. But some fans will never forgive Irsay for the decision. They see Manning as the face of the franchise, even now. While he’s on the other sideline, Sunday night’s crowd will have hundreds if not thousands of No. 18 jerseys.

Manning played 13 years for the Colts, including 2002-08 for Dungy. Few football people know the quarterback better.

While Manning might downplay the significance of his return to Lucas Oil Stadium, a venue dubbed “The House That Peyton Built,” Dungy laughed about the quarterback trying to sell this anticipated matchup as just another game.

“Yeah, in a sense, he is going to treat it that way because that’s the way he prepares — it’s analytical, this position, this linebacker, that corner, that defensive coordinator,” Dungy said. “But I promise you this means a lot to him, coming back there and playing in front of those fans, just the whole thing.

“It’s more than just a game against a faceless opponent.”

The conference call hardly mentioned Luck, who has the Colts (4-2) in first place in the AFC South after guiding the team to the playoffs and breaking numerous rookie records, including passing yards, set by Manning in 1998.

But that’s another reminder of how much Manning has meant.

“When I got there (in Indy), he had been there for years already, it was a city,” Dungy said. “Peyton Manning made it a football city, without question.”

Manning vs. Colts is NFL's third-most expensive ticket on secondary market

By Michael Boren Indianapolis Star October 15, 2013

Peyton Manning’s return to Indianapolis is bringing out some of the highest ticket prices for an NFL game this season in the secondary market.

The average price on sites such as eBay, StubHub and TicketCity has shot up to $334 a ticket, according to SeatGeek, a website that shows fans ticket prices across the secondary market.

It’s the third-most expensive NFL game this season. Only the Broncos-New York Giants game at MetLife Stadium — which featured Manning versus his brother, Eli — and the San Francisco 49ers-Seattle Seahawks game in Seattle sold for more.

In Indianapolis, blame the hefty prices on a 6-0 Denver Broncos team, a first-place Colts team and, of course, Manning’s return to play against the franchise many say he built into a powerhouse.

“It’s almost a perfect storm that’s creating a ridiculous demand for this game,” said Connor Gregoire, a spokesman for SeatGeek.

The average ticket price of other Colts home games this year in the secondary market is $107, nearly $230 less than Sunday’s game, according to SeatGeek.

So expect to dish out a lot. Far-away $40 seats, for example, are turning into $200 seats, and middle-section seats for $126 are turning into $550 seats. It’s the price to pay to see a legend’s return.

Peyton Manning to be joined in Indy by Marvin Harrison, Edgerrin James

By Sam Farmer LA Times October 15, 2013

The Indianapolis Colts will be rolling back the NFL clock Sunday.

Not only is Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning returning to face his former team for the first time, but longtime teammates Marvin Harrison and Edgerrin James will be there at Lucas Oil Stadium to welcome him back, a celebratory reunion of the Big Three.

“It’s going to be really exciting,” Colts owner Jim Irsay told The Times. “Edgerrin and Marvin are coming in, they’re fired up to come back in. Talked to those guys and it’s going to be exciting to have those guys come in. We were such a close-knit group, those teams that were in the late '90s through the whole decade.”

James, a first-round pick in 1999, won the NFL rushing title in each of his first two seasons, and left Indianapolis in 2006 as the Colts’ all-time leading rusher with 9,226 yards. He was given an honorary Super Bowl ring, even though he played for Arizona the year Indianapolis won it all.

Harrison, a first-rounder in 1996, played 13 seasons with the Colts and in 2006 became the fourth receiver in league history with 1,000 career catches. There are now nine of those, with Indianapolis receiver Reggie Wayne joining that elite group Monday night.

A three-time All-Pro and eight-time Pro Bowl selection who retired after the 2008 season, Harrison set a league record with 143 receptions in 2002.

James was inducted into the Colts' ring of honor in 2012, and Harrison was inducted in August.

“The only disappointment is not to have won another championship or two,” Irsay said. “That’s something that we want to chase in this new era.”

Will Peyton Manning's Return To Indianapolis Measure Up To Past Prodigal Sons?

By Tom Van Riper Forbes.com October 15, 2013

In the playoff-centric world of modern sports, regular seasons can get pretty humdrum.

To keep people coming, teams turn to endless promotions – bobble heads, beach towels, family ticket packages. But for hyping a regular season game, there’s no better weapon than that one that sometimes falls into your lap: the return of the prodigal son.

It’s when that franchise player finishing out his career in a different uniform comes back as a visiting player. Not just the popular player, mind you, but the icon. The most important player in franchise history, or something pretty close. The one whose return overshadows the game, who makes the whole day seem surreal and leaves the crowd dazed and confused as to who to cheer for. That’s what the Indianapolis Colts have this Sunday, when they welcome back Peyton Manning, than man who threw for almost 55,000 and 400 touchdowns during his 13 years in Indy, while leading the team to the playoffs 11 times.

Manning, still carving up opponents as brutally as ever, visits with the undefeated Denver Broncos. It’ll be right there in , NBC’s Sunday Night matchup kicking off at 8:30 PM EDT. Some sideline and club seats are going for $4,000 or $5,000 online.

These things sometimes turn into crow-eating, PR disasters for owners – when the fans’ overwhelming cheers are also meant as obvious sign of derision to the club for letting him go. Colts’ owner Jim Irsay probably won’t have that problem on Sunday. His split with Manning was amicable, as Manning headed west to finish out his career with a contender while the Colts looked to the future behind top 2012 draft pick Andrew Luck. By all accounts, it’s worked out well for both sides.

Manning’s emotional return to Indianapolis will be a rare event, but not unprecedented. Here’s a look at the mixed results of a handful of other franchise icons on the day of their big return:

Brett Favre

Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packer -Nov. 1 2009 at Green Bay Apparently, you can go home again. Going up against his young replacement, Aaron Rodgers, Favre leads the Vikes to a 38-26 win with four TD passes and no interceptions in front of 71,000 fans.

Michael Jordan

Washington Wizards at Chicago Bulls – January 9, 2002

Jordan is back in the league after a three-year retirement. Against what is now a very weak Bulls’ team, he shoots just 7-for-21 but finishes with 16 points and 12 rebounds in an ugly 77-69 win.

Roger Clemens

Toronto Blue Jays at Boston Red Sox – July 12, 1997

Greeted warmly by a Boston crowd that didn’t start booing Clemens until he went to the Yankees two years later. The cheering is also a swipe at Sox GM Dan Duquette, who had declared Clemens to be in the twilight of his career and let him go. Clemens gives Duquette’s box a pointed look as he walks in after the eighth inning, his day over after 16 strikeouts in a 3-1 victory. Duquette would be vindicated in the ensuing years.

Guy LaFleur

New York Rangers at – Feb. 4 1989

The Canadiens’ great from 1971 to 1985 came out of a three-year retirement with the Rangers at age 37. With the Forum crowd cheering his every move right from the opening warm-ups, LaFleur comes through with a pair of goals. Montreal still wins, 7-5.

Wayne Gretzky

L.A. Kings at – October 19, 1988

The Great One, who immediately turned hockey into L.A.’s “in” , gets the homecoming over with early, in the seventh game of the season. He nets two assists but the Oilers outgun his Kings, 8-6.

Pete Rose

Philadelphia Phillies at Cincinnati Reds – June 1, 1979

Over 48,000 show up on a Friday night (the Reds averaged about 30,000 a game) for the emotional return of the 12-time All-Star. Rose, who had bolted in a flap with management, goes 0-fo-4 as the Phils lose, 4-2. But he’d lead the team to its first- ever World Series title the following year.

Tom Seaver

Cincinnati Reds at New York Mets – Aug 21, 1977

Shea Stadium crowds had become sparse for a sinking Mets team that year, but it was jam packed for the “The Franchise’s” big homecoming. Seaver handles the Mets easily with 11 strikeouts in a 5-1 win, even smacking a double off old pal Jerry Koosman.

The Historic Decision To Cut Peyton Manning Worked Out Perfectly For Everyone

Tony Manfred BusinessInsider.com October 15, 2013

In terms of NFL personnel decisions, the stakes could not have been higher when the Indianapolis Colts decided to cut Peyton Manning in March of 2012.

The team had a choice between an aging legend (Manning) and a highly-touted but unproven draft prospect (Andrew Luck).

They chose Luck. They cut Manning, saved $28 million, and started from scratch without the best player in the history of the team. Manning, for his part, landed in Denver, driving Tim Tebow to New York in the process.

In the space of two weeks, these two franchises ousted their incumbent quarterbacks and made two of the most monumental decisions an NFL team can make.

Twenty months later, on the week Peyton returns to Indianapolis to play the Colts, it's clear that what happened in March of 2012 has worked out perfectly for everyone involved.

The best-case scenario for the Colts was simple:

1. Andrew Luck turns into the franchise quarterback NFL draft experts predicted he'd become — automatically making the team a contender for the next 15 years.

2. They use the money saved on Manning's contract to rebuild through free agency.

That's exactly what happened.

Luck is already in the top tier of the NFL quarterback hierarchy. His rookie-year stats suffered from a bad offensive line and no semblance of a running game, but he still threw for 23 touchdowns and led his team to a 11-5 record, which included seven game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime.

He's better, faster than anyone thought he'd be coming out of college. From a long- term point of view, the Colts choosing 15 years of Andrew Luck over four years of Peyton Manning was a no-brainer. The Broncos made a similar gamble when they signed Manning, and it paid off.

No one realized back in March of 2012 that the Broncos were this good. Yeah, they won a playoff game with Tim Tebow, but that was all smoke and mirrors. No one thought back then that the supporting cast around Tebow could be weaponized into an offensive juggernaut with the right quarterback.

The decision to dump Tebow and sign Peyton Manning on a $96 million contract only made sense if you were ready to compete for a Super Bowl immediately.

The Broncos, clearly, were.

Denver currently has one of the best offenses the NFL has ever seen. They're 19-4 since signing Manning, scoring 41.1 points per game in the process. They sit head and shoulders above the rest of the NFL.

The Colts and Broncos both took huge risks 20 months ago. Indy cut one of the best, most efficient players in the history of the NFL. Denver gave nearly $100 million to an aging, injured QB with the hopes that he could, like magic, turn unproven role players into a offensive machine before he retired.

They both came out huge winners.

Denver Broncos third most popular NFL team, new poll says

By Troy Hooper Boulder IJournal October 15, 2013

Mark Kizla, columnist for The Denver Post, had it wrong: The Denver Broncos are not the new America's team. But they are getting close.

The Broncos jumped 14 spots to rank as the third most popular professional football team behind the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers, according to a new poll released today. The New York Giants and the New England Patriots finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in the poll of 2,577 adults surveyed online between Sept. 18 and Sept. 24 by New York's Harris Interactive.

And while the Denver Broncos aren't America's team, they are the favorite to win the Super Bowl.

Over one-quarter of those polled (28 percent) picked the Denver Broncos to be the Super Bowl champions come February, compared to 14 percent who said it will be the Seattle Seahawks. Just under one in 10 thought the New England Patriots (9 percent) or the San Francisco 49ers (8 percent) will win the Super Bowl, and 7 percent picked the Green Bay Packers.

"Almost every team has a few die-hard fans who believe their team will manage to win the big game with one exception — no one who follows professional football believes the Jacksonville Jaguars will win the Super Bowl," a press release from Harris Interactive noted. In fact, the Jacksonville Jaguars were at the bottom of the list of favorite teams for the fourth consecutive year, according to the poll.

Officials in Denver have floated the idea of vying for a Super Bowl in 2018, 2019 or 2020 and Harris' polling provides a glimpse into the public's perception of holding the big game in a dome-less cold-weather stadium like Sport Authority Field at Mile High. The poll focused on this season's Super Bowl at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, which doesn't have a dome but is close to 's massive media market.

Americans are apparently divided over whether the NFL should have selected a site like New Jersey. Just over half of Americans (51 percent) believe that the NFL never should have chosen a dome-less cold-weather stadium for the Super Bowl, while 49 percent were in favor of such a venue. Roughly 60 percent of those polled believe weather will cause game-day issues during the Super Bowl on Feb. 2.

Over half of Americans (54 percent) polled said they follow professional football, down from last year's 59 percent. Sixty-eight percent of men said they followed pro football compared to 42 percent of women. Republicans and Democrats found some common ground: 58 percent of both parties follow football.

John Fox tees off on Jim Irsay

By ProFootballTalk.com October 15, 2013

This is getting good.

In response to comments to USA Today (which, frankly, were buried under far less compelling quotes) from Colts owner Jim Irsay regarding the various one-and-out playoff runs and absence of multiple Super Bowl wins from the Peyton Manning era, Broncos coach John Fox fired back.

“I saw the comments [from Irsay] and to be honest with you I thought it was a bit of a cheap shot,” Fox told Pat Kirwan and Jim Miller of SiriusXM NFL Radio. “To me, in my opinion, they were disappointing and inappropriate. I mean, Peyton would never say anything. He’s too classy to do that. But they sounded a little ungrateful and unappreciative to me for a guy that has set a standard, won a Super Bowl, won division titles, won four MVP awards. I’d be thankful with that one Super Bowl ring because there’s a lot of people that don’t have one.”

“We’ve changed our model a little bit, because we wanted more than one of these,” Irsay said, referring to his Super Bowl XLI ring. “[Tom] Brady never had consistent numbers, but he has three of these. Pittsburgh had two, the Giants had two, Baltimore had two and we had one. That leaves you frustrated.

“You make the playoffs 11 times, and you’re out in the first round seven out of 11 times. You love to have the Star Wars numbers from Peyton and Marvin [Harrison] and Reggie [Wayne]. Mostly, you love [championships].”

Apart from whether Irsay has a point (and some would say he does), the timing couldn’t have been worse. In five days, Manning returns to Indianapolis — and now it’s obvious he’s going to be pissed and driven and determined to show Irsay what Manning is still capable of doing.

Irsay has yet to address the situation on his favorite communications platform — Twitter. We’ll be keeping an eye on anything he may have to say there, decipherable or otherwise.

Broncos promote King after Packers start sniffing around

By Darin Gantt ProFootballTalk.com October 15, 2013

Tavarres King was going to be on a 53-man roster with one of the best quarterbacks in the league this week, one way or another.

He decided staying put was worth it.

According to Mike Klis of the Denver Post, the Broncos will waive linebacker Adrian Robinson to clear a roster spot to promote King from the practice squad.

The Packers, running short on wideouts at the moment because of Randall Cobb’s injury, were trying to sign King and that forced the Broncos hand.

“It all happened so fast, it was crazy there for a while,” King said Tuesday. “I didn’t know if I was going to be staying here or moving up to Green Bay. But I love it here. This is where I was drafted. I want this place to be my home. Fortunately for me, I guess I got a little love back.”

King was chosen in the fifth round, but was waived in final cuts and added back to the practice squad when he wasn’t claimed, meaning the Packers or anyone else in the world could have had him without letting him make the decision.

In moving on from Manning, Irsay says he chose championships over stats

By Mike Florio ProFootballTalk.com October 15, 2013

If the Colts end up losing two games in six days, they can thank in part their owner.

For starters, Jim Irsay went public last week with the plans for welcoming Peyton Manning back to town with a “great tribute.” It may have caused some of his players to lose focus on the more pressing challenge of beating the Chargers. (Though the impact on the players is debatable, if he had said nothing before Monday’s game, the chances of Irsay creating a distraction would have been zero.)

Now, Irsay is giving Peyton a little grist for his ever-churning Manning-face mill.

In an interview with Jarret Bell of USA Today, Irsay eventually boils the departure of Peyton down to one fact: Irsay preferred to chase team achievements, not individual ones.

“We’ve changed our model a little bit, because we wanted more than one of these,” Irsay said, referring to his Super Bowl XLI ring. “[Tom] Brady never had consistent numbers, but he has three of these. Pittsburgh had two, the Giants had two, Baltimore had two and we had one. That leaves you frustrated.

“You make the playoffs 11 times, and you’re out in the first round seven out of 11 times. You love to have the Star Wars numbers from Peyton and Marvin [Harrison] and Reggie [Wayne]. Mostly, you love this.”

And again, Irsay pointed to the ring.

Though buried under less inflammatory (but possibly specious) notions like “Peyton told me to draft Andrew Luck” and “we couldn’t fit both players under the salary cap,” Peyton will see it. And Peyton will view it as a slap in the face. And Peyton won’t be happy about it.

Then again, Peyton seems to only be happy when he’s not happy about something.

And if/when Peyton hangs 50 on the Colts, he can grab the game ball, cram it into Irsay’s midsection, and tell him to stick this in his trophy case.

Upon Further Review: Broncos vs. Jaguars

By Andrew Mason DenverBroncos.com October 15, 2013

DENVER -- Sunday's 35-19 win was important in and of itself, but as is often the case, the value of what the Broncos did at times isn't simply in the result of that play, but what it sets up for future games.

A TALE OF TWO FAKES

The Jaguars' ill-fated fake-punt call at the end of their first possession revealed just how steep they felt the mountain was. The timing and field position made this a shaky call, and the decision to try and gain four yards with fullback Will Ta'ufo'ou plowing toward the inside was a bit curious. From where he was lined up at the Jacksonville 21, he had to plow nine yards through an area of the field in which 11 players were compressed to reach the line to gain.

The play was high-risk, but it was not high-reward; Ta'ufo'ou's lack of breakaway speed ensured that the only chance of success rested on him bulling his way through. And against a special-teams unit that was on guard for the fake, it was doomed from the start.

"We saw the wings crash," said Broncos special-teams captain David Bruton. "We were alert for it because a similar situation in regards to point spreads happened with the Colts and Titans."

This was a 2004 game in which the Titans, then 4-7, reached deep into their satchel for any piece of trickery they could find to defuse the 8-3 Colts, who had averaged 39.4 points a game in the previous five weeks.

"The Titans were just trying to it, fake punts; they had three onside kicks in the first quarter," Bruton recalled. "So we were just prepared for it, talked about watching the fake and just being prepared for all the gimmicks just so that they could steal a possession."

The play also demonstrated Jacob Tamme's growing value on the special teams. Even though his playing time on offense has decreased, he's become one of the mainstays on kickoffs, punts and the coverage thereof. He jumped on Ta'ufo'ou from the backside, and ensured that he wouldn't gain a first down without carrying the sixth-year veteran tight end. Ta'ufo'ou is strong -- but not that strong.

Contrast all that with Denver's fake-punt call in the third quarter. Unlike Jacksonville's call, the Broncos' fake was low-risk (a failure would not have put the Jaguars in field-goal position immediately) and high-reward (because of Bruton's raw speed; he remains among the fastest players on the team).

"We had the field position where we wanted to, and they gave us the look," said Bruton. "Any time we can swing momentum our way, it's been huge, and that's definitely a big thing with our special teams this year -- we've always had a play, some way, that's definitely swung the momentum in our favor in a huge way."

The Broncos had the manpower on that side to take care of every Jaguars rusher one-on-one; the Jaguars had two men opposite Broncos gunner Andre Caldwell, but it would have been impossible for either of them to reach Bruton in time to prevent the first down -- and in fact, it was 25 yards before either one was in a position to potentially impact the play.

The long-term consequence of this play is that the Broncos might not see as many teams devote two men to their gunners, opting to keep an extra man or two closer to the inside. A freer release for Caldwell and should allow them to get downfield quicker and should improve the Broncos' overall punt coverage, which has only been mid-table to this point (the Broncos' average of 8.2 yards per punt return is 17th in the league).

NOTES:

-- If there's one area the Broncos would like to improve in their record-smashing passing game, it is the ratio of dropped passes. They dropped five on Sunday, including two apiece by running backs Knowshon Moreno and Montee Ball, According to ProFootballFocus.com, there have been 417 passes dropped around the league this year; that's a ratio of one drop every 15.96 attempts; the Broncos' drop ratio is one every 11.05 attempts. However, it's worth noting that drop ratio has not been tied to overall success or failure to this point. The teams with the seven highest drop ratios are all .500 or better, and include three division leaders.

-- Knowshon Moreno's three touchdowns will force teams to change what they do in goal-to-go situations. On his last score, a 3-yard run on third-and-goal, the Jaguars played the Broncos conservatively, only attacking with four men. The Broncos had a surplus of available blockers, which allowed space to get out in front and successfully block safety Jonathan Cyprien at the goal line. The offense might not be as dazzling when it grinds it out, but it can be effective in crucial situations, and if teams overplay the run by even one man, Peyton Manning can capitalize by finding one of his targets.

-- Malik Jackson's emergence this season has been one of the most pleasant developments for the defensive line, with justified plaudits coming his way for his third-quarter sequence of two sacks sandwiching a tackle for a loss. The sacks also demonstrate his versatility and quick thinking: on the first sack he reads a developing rollout from left defensive end quickly and doesn't get caught out of position; on the second sack he lines up at nose tackle and uses a stunt from Shaun Phillips to work outside and collapse the pocket from outside.

And although Jackson has received the glory the last two weeks, fellow 2012 draft pick continues to help the pass rush; ProFootballFocus.com credits Wolfe with a team-leading 16 quarterback hurries this year, including a season-high four Sunday.

Fox: Franklin 'Not Ruled Out By Any Stretch'

By Gray Caldwell DenverBroncos.com October 15, 2013

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Most of the attention from Head Coach John Fox's weekly appearance on Sirius XM NFL Radio was on one topic in particular.

But Fox also addressed the health of right tackle Orlando Franklin, who suffered knee and ankle sprains in the team's 35-19 win against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

"We'll see tomorrow -- he had a good day of treatment today (and) yesterday. He's not ruled out by any stretch, so he'll be day-to-day," he told Pat Kirwan and Jim Miller.

After Franklin's injury, the Broncos shuffled the offensive line by inserting Chris Kuper at right guard and moving Louis Vasquez to right tackle.

Quarterback Peyton Manning wasn't sacked in the game, so Fox said he was pleased with the group's performance.

"Our O-line coaches do a great job of moving guys around," he said. "I think they did a superb job. If it doesn't work out for Orlando, we'll pretty much go that way."

He also touched on the return of Von Miller now that the linebacker's suspension is over.

"He's a special player. He's very, very talented, one of the better pass rushers, in my opinion, in the league," Fox said. "We'll see how it goes in practice. I haven't watched him practice in six weeks. He's been in the building, he's been at meetings, he's been with our strength and conditioning coaches, so he looks great. We'll see how he looks in practice tomorrow."

Fox Defends Manning

By Gray Caldwell DenverBroncos.com October 15, 2013

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- If there wasn't enough hype already surrounding the Week 7 Sunday Night Football matchup between the Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts, comments made by Colts Owner Jim Irsay to USA Today Tuesday might have added even more.

Tuesday afternoon, Head Coach John Fox joined Jim Miller and Pat Kirwan for his regularly scheduled weekly interview on Moving the Chains on Sirius XM NFL Radio.

He was asked about Irsay's take on Peyton Manning's tenure in Indianapolis.

"I saw the comments, and to be honest with you I thought it was a bit of a cheap shot," Fox told the hosts. "To me, in my opinion, they were disappointing and inappropriate. Peyton would never say anything, he's too classy to do that, but they sounded a little ungrateful and unappreciative to me, for a guy that's set a standard, won a Super Bowl, won division titles, won four MVP awards. I'd be thankful of that one Super Bowl ring, because a lot of people don't have one."

Irsay was quoted in USA Today discussing the transition from Manning to Andrew Luck.

"We've changed our model a little bit, because we wanted more than one of these," Irsay said, pointing to his Super Bowl ring.

"(Tom) Brady never had consistent numbers, but he has three of these," he continued. "Pittsburgh had two, the Giants had two, Baltimore had two and we had one. That leaves you frustrated.

"You make the playoffs 11 times, and you're out in the first round seven out of 11 times. You love to have the Star Wars numbers from Peyton and Marvin (Harrison) and Reggie (Wayne). Mostly, you love this."

After that last line, he pointed to his ring again.

During Fox's radio appearance, Miller and Kirwan pointed out that Lucas Oil Stadium might not have been built without the success on the field Manning orchestrated for 14 years in Indianapolis.

"I think any time you're able to get that done as an organization, there's got to be great commitment from your city, your fans," Fox responded. "I know at least the feedback that I've gotten, I don't live in Indy, but we do spend some time there during the combine every year. He did a lot of great things in that community and for that organization."

As for whether Manning will get caught up in the hype surrounding his return to Indianapolis, Fox didn't buy it.

"He's the most prepared player I think I've ever been around," the head coach said. "He's a guy that raises all boats in that locker room. Nobody cares more about winning than Peyton Manning. I think his teammates feel that, and it doesn't even just mean offense -- I'm talking about offense, defense, kicking game, everybody down there.

"So he's going to stay focused. He's not going to get involved in the circus. All his focus will be on the preparation that's going to take us to beat the Indianapolis Colts."

King Signed to Active Roster, Robinson Waived

By Stuart Zaas DenverBroncos.com October 15, 2013

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. –The Broncos have signed wide receiver Tavarres King to the active roster from the team’s practice squad and waived linebacker Adrian Robinson, the club announced on Tuesday.

King was drafted by the Broncos in the fifth round with the 161st overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. He spent the first six weeks of the 2013 season on the team’s practice squad.

The receiver finished his career at Georgia ranked third all-time with 21 receiving touchdowns and fourth with 2,602 receiving yards. He totaled seven 100-yard receiving games for the Bulldogs, including a team single-game record 205 against Michigan State in the 2012 .

The 6-1, 191-pound receiver was named the Class AAAA Offensive Player of the Year by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution) as a senior at Habersham Central High School in Mt. Airy, Ga. after totaling a state-record 1,632 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns on 99 receptions.

Robinson is a 2nd-year linebacker who was assigned to Denver via waivers on Sept. 1, 2013 from Philadelphia.

He appeared in all six games for the Broncos this season, making one defensive stop to go with two special-teams tackles.

Also on Tuesday, the Broncos waived guard from injured reserve.

New Coats on a Snowy Day

By Brandon Moree DenverBroncos.com October 15, 2013

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo. – As a gentle snow flurry whirled outside, approximately two dozen school children were presented with brand new winter coats courtesy of Knights of Columbus’ Coats For Kids Distribution Tuesday afternoon.

Several Broncos and wives of Broncos, including Defensive Coordinator Jack Del Rio and his wife Linda as well as center and his wife, were at the event to hand out the jackets. Robin Fox and several other wives were also helping children find the right coat.

“This is a great project, especially for Denver,” Linda Del Rio said. “We have the first real snow today so it’s kind of like providence that we’re giving out 1,000 coats.”

The organization is planning to distribute more coats later this month.

The weather outside was a reminder of just how important a coat can be this time of the year. Since 2009 the Knights of Columbus Coats for Kids Program has given away more than 125,000 coats to kids.

“It’s great to be back in the community and help kids out that are a little less fortunate and it's great timing with the weather getting cold right now,” Vallos said. “It’s good to see the smiles on kids' faces, getting new coats.”

The event took place at the HealthQ Facility in Greenwood Village and the children arrived just after noon. Jack Del Rio credited the Knights of Columbus for their work and support of the community.

“It’s nice to be able to take a break from the normal grind of coaching football and get away on out lunch break and come over here and share – joining up with the Knights of Columbus,” Jack Del Rio said. “A great organization, they do a wonderful job of giving and I think not only just giving back to the community but maximizing what they have, the resources they have. I’ve been involved with a lot of different charitable projects and I know the Knights of Columbus are excellent about squeezing every last little bit of product out of the dollars that they get.

“So we’re happy to be joined up with them today.”

NBC Crew Talks Sunday Night Matchup

By Mike Morris DenverBroncos.com October 15, 2013

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- The Broncos’ upcoming Sunday night showdown with the AFC South-leading Colts has already generated its share of excitement – even with the men responsible for calling the game.

NBC Sunday Night Football analyst Cris Collinsworth and Football Night in America analysts Tony Dungy and spoke about Sunday’s matchup, which will mark quarterback Peyton Manning’s first game back in the city where he spent the first 14 years of his career, on a media conference call on Tuesday afternoon. The analysts discussed Manning’s return to Indianapolis and the quarterback’s sustained level of excellence in his 16th NFL season, among other topics.

And while Collinsworth has certainly seen a lion’s share of football during his nearly 25-year broadcasting career, in addition to his eight-year playing career in the NFL, he noted that the Broncos and Colts matchup on Sunday is a truly special occasion.

"This is nothing but magic,” Collinsworth said. “We’re honored to call the game and really looking forward to it.”

Dungy, Manning’s longtime former head coach who won Super Bowl XLI with Manning, remarked that the quarterback might be playing at the highest level of his entire career – although the coach never dreamed that it would have happened with Manning wearing a Broncos uniform.

“I don’t think I would have anticipated this. I never thought I would see him in a different uniform and certainly wouldn’t think he’d be coming back playing maybe the best football of his career – undefeated and putting up such gaudy numbers,” Dungy said. “It’s going to be an emotional night, a fun night and a night where we’re going to see great quarterbacking, I think, on both sides of the field – something I’m really looking forward to watching.”

Manning’s 2,179 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, 178 completions and 128.8 quarterback rating this season are all NFL bests. The quarterback has recorded a quarterback rating of 90.0 or better in an NFL-record 18 consecutive games – a sustained level of excellence that Manning has been able to replicate throughout his career, as the quarterback’s 61,666 passing yards and 458 touchdowns rank second in NFL history.

And it’s Manning’s efficiency at throwing the football and reading defenses that Harrison, who played against Manning for years as a safety with the Chargers and Patriots, described as making the quarterback someone “you can’t game plan for.” “You just kind of hold your breath, try to do a few things right and hopefully you don’t get beat,” Harrison said. “Just to see the type of football he’s playing, like Coach Dungy said, at this stage of his career is absolutely amazing when I put on tape and see the decision making, the quick thought process in which he’s doing things, his impact on how he makes others so good around him, and just his leadership – it’s just truly amazing and I just marvel at it.”

The analysts all weighed in on Manning’s football intellect and leadership, attributes that his former coach said are the strongest qualities in the quarterback’s repertoire.

“I think that’s really his number one asset when you look at it,” Dungy said. “He is so smart, he’s got such a great memory, such great recall. He kind of likes that situation of having to make the decisions and help everybody out. He doesn’t shy away from it.”

Collinsworth added that Manning’s cerebral approach to the game is identified and appreciated by players across the league.

“I think the line that I hear the most when talking about Peyton Manning from the players that we interview is he’s playing chess when most of us are playing checkers,” Collinsworth chuckled. “It’s a pretty good line.”

And while there’s plenty to be said about rigors of preparing to face Manning from the perspective of an opposing player or coach, Collinsworth pointed out that the quarterback even forces him to elevate his game as a commentator.

“I have to say that I studied harder for an Indy game when he was there or a Denver game now, watching Peyton Manning, than I do with any quarterback because I don’t want to look stupid,” Collinsworth said. “He just has a way of anticipating things that makes it really fun to watch.”

Collinsworth also noted that Manning’s contributions – both on and off the field – have made impacts that will be felt for years to come.

“We’ve gotten a chance to meet so many of the guys around the league,” he said. “These are intelligent guys that do the right thing. At the top of the list, or certainly one of the top guys, is Peyton. He gets it on a lot of levels.”

Harrison took that even farther.

“He is – and I know Patriots fans, they get really angry at me when I say this – he is truly the best quarterback that I’ve faced in my career,” Harrison said. “I’ve had the privilege of going against so many great, Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks, but Peyton Manning is something special.” And as Manning readies for his homecoming in Indianapolis, his former coach said the circumstances surrounding the game won’t affect the quarterback’s preparation – but the return will resonate with significance.

“I promise you, this means a lot to him,” Dungy said. “Coming back there, playing in front of those fans, just the whole thing. It’s more than just a game against a faceless opponent. I know him and the way he’s going to prepare – he’s going to try to keep himself in that mode all week, but it’s going to be difficult.”

AFC West Rundown: Week 6

By Mike Morris DenverBroncos.com October 15, 2013

Kansas City Chiefs (6-0)

Week 6: Won 24-7 vs. Oakland

How it happened: With a ravenous defense leading the charge, the Chiefs sacked Raiders quarterback Terrelle Pryor 10 times – and that abundance of pressure paid off for Kansas City. After the Raiders jumped out to a 7-0 lead midway through the second quarter, the Chiefs reeled off 24 unanswered points – as Kansas City turned three second-half interceptions of Pryor into 17 points, ultimately proving to be the difference in the game.

It was over when: The Chiefs intercepted Pryor twice in the game’s closing minutes. Holding onto a 14-7 lead late in the game, cornerback stepped in front of a Pryor pass with 4:07 to play, leading to a 33-yard field goal that made it a two-score game. On the ensuing possession, defensive back picked off Pryor and returned it for a touchdown, sending into a frenzy and capping the Chiefs’ scoring.

Key performer: Tamba Hali spent his entire afternoon in the Raiders’ backfield – or so it seemed. The Chiefs’ Pro Bowl linebacker registered 3.5 sacks and five quarterback hurries of Pryor. Hali’s effort raised his season total to 7.5 sacks in 2013, good for fourth best in the NFL; his teammate, linebacker , is tied for the league lead with 9.5.

What’s next: One of only two unbeatens remaining in the NFL (along with the Broncos), the Chiefs will host the Texans (2-4), who have dropped four straight games.

Between the hash marks: -Running back scored a pair of rushing touchdowns from 7 and 2 yards out on Sunday, and Charles’ versatility was on display as he totaled 78 rushing yards and a team-high 50 receiving yards. That’s hardly a new trend; in addition to his 475 rushing yards, Charles’ 300 receiving yards this season are second on the team only to wide receiver (310 yards).

-Arrowhead Stadium has long held the reputation as one of the noisiest venues in the NFL. That reputation was confirmed on Sunday when the stadium set the Guinness Book of World Records’ mark for loudest outdoor sports stadium with a reading of 137.5 decibels.

Oakland Raiders (2-4) Week 6: Lost 24-7 at Kansas City

How it happened: The Raiders had been undefeated in their previous six outings at Arrowhead Stadium, and Pryor got Oakland off to another strong start with a 39- yard touchdown strike to wide receiver . That was the final time the Raiders offense would cross the 50-yard line, however, until Pryor completed an 18-yard pass to wide receiver Rod Streater on the second-to-last play of the game.

It was over when: Cooper intercepted Pryor with 4:09 to play, setting up the Chiefs with excellent field position and allowing Succop to extend Kansas City’s lead to 10 with a field goal.

Key performer: Linebacker helped anchor a Raiders defense that held tough all afternoon long, finishing with a team-high eight tackles and sacking Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith once for a 10-yard loss.

What’s next: The Raiders will look to recoup during their bye week before playing host to the Steelers on Oct. 27.

Between the hash marks:

-The Raiders defense was stingy on Sunday, limiting the Chiefs to just 216 yards of total offense – including just 128 passing yards from Smith.

-Although he was constantly under duress on Sunday, Pryor finished the game with 60 rushing yards on six attempts. He has rushed for more than 30 yards in all five games he’s played this year, and Sunday marked the third time he’s cracked the 50-yard rushing mark.

San Diego Chargers (3-3)

Week 6: Won 19-9 vs. Indianapolis

How it happened: Behind an efficient performance from quarterback Philip Rivers (who completed 22-of-33 passes for 237 yards and a touchdown) and the steady running of Ryan Mathews (22 carries for 102 yards), the Chargers held the ball for 38:31 and did not commit a single turnover, keeping Colts quarterback Andrew Luck off the field for much of the evening.

It was over when: Cornerback intercepted Luck with 1:07 left to play, ending all hope for a Colts’ comeback – the interception came just four plays after kicked a 50-yard field goal, his fourth of the game, to give the Chargers a 19-9 lead. Key performer: Rookie wide receiver Keenan Allen was a dependable target for Rivers, hauling in nine catches for 107 yards and a 22-yard touchdown grab in the second quarter. After recording just 30 receiving yards through the first three weeks of the season, Allen has emerged with 302 yards in the last three weeks.

What’s next: The Chargers will travel to Jacksonville to play the Jaguars (0-6) on Sunday.

Between the hash marks:

-The Chargers defense kept Luck in check, allowing the quarterback just 202 passing yards; Luck’s 66.3 quarterback rating was his lowest of the season.

-Mathews cracked the 100-yard mark for the first time since Dec. 11, 2011. He rushed for more than 1,000 yards that season.

Denver Broncos (6-0)

Week 6: Won 35-19 vs. Jacksonville

How it happened: The Broncos used a trio of second half touchdowns from running back Knowshon Moreno to overcome a trio of turnovers and put away the Jaguars. Stellar in the second half throughout much of its franchise-record 17-game regular- season winning streak, Denver once again finished strong on Sunday, outscoring Jacksonville 21-7 after the break. The Broncos have now outscored opponents 151- 80 in the second half of games this season.

It was over when: Moreno scored his final touchdown of the day on a 3-yard plunge with 9:09 remaining. The score was set up by a Kayvon Webster interception, followed by a 31-yard strike from quarterback Peyton Manning to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, moving the Broncos deep into Jaguars territory.

Key performer: When Moreno touched the ball in the red zone on Sunday, he made it count. The running back scored on three of his 15 carries, finding the end zone on runs of 1, 8 and 3 yards. He also chipped in 62 receiving yards on seven catches, including a key 28-yard catch-and-run on third-and-20 on the Broncos’ opening drive, keeping the offense on the field and leading to Manning’s 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end Julius Thomas.

What’s next: The Broncos travel to Indianapolis for a Sunday-night showdown with the 4-2 Colts, who lost 19-9 at San Diego on Monday night.

Between the hash marks:

-Manning threw two touchdown passes on Sunday, bringing his total to 22 on the season – it’s the most prolific start through six games in NFL history (Tom Brady’s 21 in 2007 was the previous high total), and Manning moved past into second place all-time with his 204th career game with at least one touchdown pass. Manning’s 92.9 quarterback rating pushed his NFL-record streak to 18 consecutive regular season games with a QB rating of 90.0 or above.

-Malik Jackson’s two sacks and three tackles for a loss were career bests – after registering just five tackles as a rookie in 2012, Jackson has posted 13 tackles and 3.5 sacks so far this season.