It's not just that Peyton Manning's back. It's like he never left.
Manning (19 of 26, 253 yards, 2 TDs) was in complete control Sunday night, picking apart the Pittsburgh Steelers' defense in a vintage performance. With one commanding performance, the Denver Broncos are legit contenders to come out of the AFC.
Here's what else we learned during the Broncos' 31-19 win:
» Once the Broncos went into the no-huddle offense in the second quarter, Manning (129.2 passer rating) was unstoppable. Denver had three touchdowns and a field goal in its final four possessions.
On NFL Replay
NFL Replay
will re-air the
Denver Broncos' 31-19 win over the Pittsburgh
Steelers in Week 1 on Tuesday, Sept. 11 at 9:30 p.m. ET.
»Tracy Porter certainly has a flair for the dramatic, doesn't he? Porter -- most famous for his pick six of Manning that clinched Super Bowl XLIV -- put this one away with a pick six of Ben Roethlisberger late in the fourth quarter.
» Roethlisberger's night will be remembered for the Porter play, but he played very well on balance. Roethlisberger was at his best moving out of the pocket and lengthening plays. Sound familiar?
» An extremely shaky effort from replacement referees. Numerous errors, large and small. Were they spooked by the national stage or just out of their depth? Either way, it wasn't good.
» Von Miller Tebowed after sacking Roethlisberger in the final moments. "I had to show a little love," Miller said in a postgame interview. A nice finishing touch on a special night in Denver.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @danhanzus.
