It aint easy being brilliant...

Peyton Manning completed 27-35 passes for 291 yards and 3 TD’s as the Denver Broncos improved to 5-3 on the season.

With the victory, Manning improved to 8-0 in his career against the Bengals.

Wanna hear something interesting?

If the playoffs started today, Manning’s Broncos would face Andrew Luck’s Colts in the Wild Card round.

In a matchup of 2 of the most elite QB’s in the last 20 years, it was the NFL’s poster boy and his Denver Broncos team that shined the brightest.

Manning threw for 305 yards and 3 TD’s as the Broncos improved to 4-3 and dropped Brees and the Saints to 2-5.

Brees, despite throwing 2 TD passes and adding yet another game to his consecutive games with a TD pass record, looked rattled and less than sharp as the Saints got yet another loss closer to being eliminated from the playoffs in a division in which the Falcons are steamrolling the competition.

Manning an his receivers appear to be completely harmonized with one another. And in a weak ass division like the AFC West which all but guarantees the Broncos a playoff birth, that is bad news for the rest of a rapidly weakening AFC.

The San Diego Chargers were up 24-0 at halftime and it appeared as if the Denver Broncos, under 1st year QB Peyton Manning, were about to 2-4.

But the NFL’s Mark Kate Olsen (Eli is Ashley) would have NOTHING of it.

The Broncos struck quickly out of the gates in the 2nd half as Manning connected with Demaryius Thomas on a 29 yard TD pass.

And it got better or worse depending on which team you were placing your money or faith on.

The only person as instrumental to the Denver Broncos masterful 4th quarter comeback as Peyton Manning was Chargers’ starting QB Philip Rivers.

Rivers through 3 of his 4 total interceptions in the 2nd half, deflating the Chargers’ confidence and frequently placing the ball in the hands of one of the top 5 QB’s to ever play the game in SOLID field position.

And let’s just say that Manning capitalized.

After a 65 yard fumble recovery for a TD by the Broncos’ Tony Carter to bring the score to 24-14, Manning hit Erin Decker for a 7 yard TD and Brandon Stokley for a 21 yard TD to give the Broncos a 28-24 lead.

But that still left Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers enough time to save what was a 24 point half time lead and bring home a huge AFC West victory.

It didn’t happen.

The Broncos’ Chris Harris picked off Rivers for a 4th and final time and took it 46 yards to the house with 2:05 remaining to give the Broncos a 35-24 lead, and leave the Chargers’ SHOOK in their own homme stadium in front of a National Television audience.

The Broncos outscored the Chargers 35-0 in the 4th, completing the 4th largest comeback victory in NFL history, and possibly turning the tides of an AFC West division well known for being decided in the season’s final week in the favor of the Denver Broncos.

You think Broncos’ fans miss Tim Tebow???

This was it.

A matchup between 2 generational quarterbacking Gods in a league in which the position may be more important than ever.

The hype was the same, the excitement was the same, and statistically throughout the careers of these 2 sure fire, first ballot hall of famers, the outcome was the same.

Coming into Sunday’s matchup between Tom Brady’s New England Patriots and Peyton Manning’s Denver Broncos, Tom “Captain Uggs” Cool held an 8-4 edge over Manning in 12 career head to head battles.

It was 9-4 by the time 2 guys who may very well be known as 2 of the top 5 QB’s in NFL history conducted their postgame interviews on Sunday.

Tom Brady’s 223 yards and 1 TD toss on 23 of 31 was actually out performed by Peyton Manning’s 345 yards and 3 TD’s on 31 of 44, but on a day in which his team rushed for 251 yards, he didn’t need to me.

Stevan Ridley lead a massive New England Patriots’ rushing attack that pounded out 251 yards and 3 TD’s with 151 yards and a TD all for himself on Sunday. Those are numbers that you would’ve been more likely to expect from the Denver Broncos, a team that lead the NFL in rushing in 2011, coming into this season. But THIS season’s New England Patriots’ team is different from the Pats’ offense that used to rely on the deep ball from Brady to Moss, and it’s different than the Pats’ offense that relied on Brady to Gronk and Hernandez last season. THIS season’s New England Patriots’ team is going to run it down your throat and STILL make you deal with Gronk and a soon to be returning Aaron Hernandez.

THIS New England Patriots’ offense may be the most versatile one they have had in the remarkably successful Brady/Bellichick error.

And the rest of the should be afraid.

VERY afraid.

Peyton Manning threw for 338 yards and 3 TD’s on 30-38, Willis McGahee ran for 112 yards and a TD on 19 carries, and the Denver Broncos improved to 2-2 on the season via a 37-6 beatdown of the now 1-3 Oakland Raiders.

The Broncos put up 503 total yards of offense, held the Raiders to 237, and posessed the ball for nearly 15 minutes longer than the men in black.

If you’re the Oakland Raiders, you are quite simply not going to win many games in which you get only 34 yards on 2.6 yards per carry from Darren McFadden.

I still think that Darren McFadden has it within him to be an elite running back in this league. But until he shows that via the proper platform from the Raiders, this team will continue to stink.

It’s as simple as that, really.

Matt Schaub threw for 290 yards and 4 TD’s on 17-30, Arian Foster toted the rock 25 times for 105 yards and a TD, and the Houston Texans became one of only three 3-0 teams in all of the National Football League on Sunday.

You can make a very convincing argument that the Houston Texans are the NFL’s premier team at this point in the season.

(They are CERTAINLY the best team in the state of Texas…COUGH…)

Peyton Manning bounced back from his 3 interception Week 2 performance against the Falcons to throw for 330 yards, 2 TD’s, and 0 interceptions, but you HAVE to think that 26-52 completions for a career 65% passer is of at least some concern.

In my opinion, the main thing contributing to Peyton’s low complaetion percentage was the same thing that made Tim Tebow look even less accurate than he already is in 2011….

The amount of completely accurate passes that Denver Broncos receivers DROP.

To me, it is just unbelievable that proffesional football players can bobble the ball as much as these cats have over the past couple of years…

Perhaps some of that sticky shit that Gene Hackman put on wide receiver Clifford Franklin’s hands in “The Replacements” could be put to good use in the “Mile High City…”

For the Texans, you are the NFL’s premier team, for my money. You are capable of dominating in all areas of the game. Stay healthy, Houston. You have a shot to win this season’s super bowl.

For the Broncos, your 1st 3 games were brutal. Pittsburgh, Atlanta, and Houston??? That being said, you ultimately spend your season preparing to face teams of this caliber. What these 3 games say to ME, is that your team is certainly above average but clearly not elite. You have a chance to take out a little agression on the Raiders on Sunday.

One week removed from every sports personality on God’s green Earth proclaiming Peyton Manning “back and better than ever the Broncos new starting QB looked more like Jay Cutler than the only 4 time MVP in the league’s history on Sunday night.

After tossing 3 interceptions in less than a full first quarter on Monday night, Manning failed to do what his brother had done the day before, and lead his team bag from a huge hole that his arm had single handedly dug.

Yes, Manning looked great against the Steelers openming week. But anybody who thought that Manning was never going to suffer any setbacks after 4 neck surgeries and a full year of no football was simply kidding themselves.

In my mind, YES the Falcons were great, and yes they got the win, but the result of this game has far more to do with what Manning and the Broncos failed to do than what the Falcons actually did.

The Broncos threw for more yards, ran for more yards, had more total offense, ran more plays, and accomplished more yards per play than the victorious Falcons.

But all you need to know about this game can be found in 1 statistical category.

Broncos 4 turnovers, Falcons 0.

If you are the Broncos, you did everything you need to do in order to win the game aside from taking care of the football. The problem with that, is that that is the most important statistic in all of football. Of everyone guilty of reading too much into the “Peyton is back” hype, perhaps the Denver Broncos and head coach John Fox were most guilty of all. 

If you are the Falcons, this is a huge, primetime television victory. You are 2-0 in a division in which the Saints are struggling, your defense appears to be firing on all cylinders, and Matt Ryan is more than capable of getting the job done under center. Get excited, Falcons fans. This has the potential to be a big year for you. 

Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls…

Peyton Manning is BACK!

Why do I feel as if I can say that and not be a contributor to “overreaction Monday?”

Because it was the Steelers defense he carved up.

19-26 for 253 yards and 2 TD’s, including a 71 yard TD toss to Demaryius Thomas with 5:29 remaining in the 3rd quarter.

After Manning had his 4th neck surgery, I stated on this blog that I thought that Peyton Manning should retire to avoid further injury to himself.

I was wrong.

There have been FAR more athletic players than Peyton Manning. But few in the HISTORY of professional football have been more intelligent or wanted it more than number 18.

Peyton Manning is back, he is prime, and it is GREAT for the game of football.

Even IF we have to tolerate corny ass Manning commercials by the dozens.

So what team does this game tell us more about?

The answer is simple…

It’s Denver.

Would they get behind Peyton Manning and embrace his presence completely?

Would Manning be able to quickly insert himself into the offense and assert his position as team leader?

Would the city be able to get behind Peyton after being so firmly behind Tim Tebow only a few months ago?

The answer to each of the 3 questions was a resounding YES.

The Steelers will bounce back. They will be fine. But this night wasn’t about them.

This night belonged to Peyton Manning.

And no player is more deserving of the spotlight.

There was only ONE way that Broncos’ head man John Elway was going to be able to rid himself of the adoring Broncos’ fan base new found hero Tim Tebow, and avoid a full blown riot.

And he did it.

This offseason John Elway rid himself of the untraditonal, innacurate starting QB he never wanted under center for his football team in the 1st place, and it INSTANTLY became an after thought.

How?

By bringing in one of the top 5 greatest QB’s of all time, and one of very few football players more popular than Tebow, former Colts’ great Peyton Manning.

Tim Tebow electrified the Broncos fan base and the entire sports’ world in 2011 by turning out 3 quarters of shitty football only to strap on his Superman cape and lead the team to a miraculous 4th quarter victory seemingly on a weekly basis. Leading the Broncos to an AFC West title, a playoff berth, and a first round playoff upset over the defending super bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers.

All of that being said, if you don’t think that the Denver Broncos are better off with arguably the greatest regular season QB in NFL history under center, then you shoul probably check yourself into the nearest psych ward, STAT.

Sure, the Denver Broncos are weak at the wide reiever position. Buty Peyton Manning has made an entire career out of turning average wide recievers into pro wol caliber superstars (see Pierre Garcon).

If the great Peyton Manning can turn this recieving corps into an elite one, it could very well be the greatest accomplishment of his stellar career. But I think he can do it.

The Denver Broncos were 31st in the NFL in passing yards per game in 2011. You KNOW that will improve, and that at the very worst Peyton will move the team to 15th in that category in 2012. The Broncos lead the NFL in rush yards per game in 2011, in large part because of the mobile Tim Tebow. There is absolutely no way that happens in 2012. But if the Broncos can keep that in the top 10, their offense could be among the league’s most versatile.

Where the Broncos can certainly stand to improve is on the defensive side of the ball. The Broncos were 18th in pass yards per game, and 22nd in rush yards per game. Unfortunately for them, Peyton Manning does not play defense. But the Broncos did improve their secondary this offseason by adding safety Mike Adams from Cleveland, and cornerbacks Tracy Porter and Drayton Florence. And having Manning on the team actually does improve their defense. How? Having Peyton Manning as your QB means longer offensive drives, which means less time on the field for your defense, which means a fresher and faster defense.

The Broncos numbers on defense will improve, the additions of former Manning teammates Brandon Stokley and Jacob Tamme, and WR’s Andre Caldwell and Joel Dreesens will improve the teams recieving corps, and the 2012 AFC West championship belongs to the Denver Broncos.

PREDICTION: 10-6, AFC West Champions

“Tebow Takes Manhattan.”

That has been the phrase on New YorkCity and nationwide newspapers.

You have NO DOUBT seen it on Twitter, and Skip Bayless has been pushing it like it’s a boulder on top of a person whose life he needs to save on ESPN’s “First Take.”

I guess it doesn’t matter to any of these esteemed writers and media outlets that the New York Jets ACTUALLY play out of New Jersey.

John Elway NEVER wanted Tim Tebow as his starting QB in Denver.

EVER.

No matter how many regular season wins he lead them to after taking over the reigns of a 1-4 team.

No matter how many 4th quarter comebacks he single handedly lead.

No matter HOW much attention he brought to a city that had been largely forgotten in terms of football since the aformentioned John Elway road off into the sunset on top after his 2nd consecutive Super Bowl.

Hell, it didn’t even matter to Elway that Tim Tebow lead a Denver Broncos team that stumbled in the weeks leading up to the playoffs, to a 1st round playoff victory over the defending AFC Champion, Pittsburgh Steelers.

What MATTERED to Elway was Tim Tebow’s 46.5 completion percentage.

What mattered to Elway was Tebow’s 72.9 QB rating.

What mattered to Elway was the game that the Broncos WON in which Tebow completed only 2 for 8 passes.

Nevermind that “Tebow Time” put the Denver Broncos at the very center of the football universe. He was the fans’ quarterback, NOT Elway’s.

But OBVIOUSLY Elway wasn’t going to be able to get rid of Elway for just some ol’ third round rookie draft pick or even Brady Quinn, for that matter. The fans would RIOT, and form outside of Elway’s bedroom with torches and pitch forks.

If he wanted Tim Tebow out, and we ALL know he did, he HAD to make a HUGE splash.

Insert Peyton Manning.

With the addition of Manning, Broncos’ fans quickly forgot that Tim Tebow EVER existed. For them, it just meant that all of the #15 jerseys were being pushed to the back to make room for all of the ugly ass bright orange #18 Peyton Manning jerseys. Seriously citizens of Denver, it’s time you write letters to the franchise demanding they do something about those ugly ass jerseys. You need to forget those ugly orange jerseys every bit as quickly as you’ve forgotten how loudly you once cheered Tim Tebow on to victory.

With one trade from the Broncos to the Jets, John Elway got what he wanted, the fans of Denver (if everything goes to plan) get Peyton Manning for the last 3 productive seasons of his Hall of Fame career, and the New York Jets get the biggest star in the game in the biggest media market in the world.

They will most likely not be beating the defending champion New York Giants on the field anytime soon, but with this mov, they will almost certainly get the most publicity, they will certainly sell the most merchandise, and they will dominate the back page of New York tabloids.

Win/win, right?

Depends on how you look at it.

All I know is, if I were Mark Sanchez, I wouldn’t let the 3 year $40 million extension that the Jets just signed me to, fill me with too much hope or a false sense of security.

Tim Tebow will be the starting QB for the New York Jets by Week 8.

Those of you who doubt that, message me back around that time.

I’ll be the one with a smile on my face saying I told you so.