We expected to see the pistol formation during Thursday night's preseason opener between the Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers (won by the Broncos, 10-6). We did not expect to see Peyton Manning running it.
Manning, who only stayed in the game for one uneventful drive, won't be running any read-option plays. But the pistol formation could give the Broncos' zone-running scheme a boost and give defenses more to worry about.
Also: It is damn good to have football back.
The Around The League Podcast is now available on iTunes! Click here to listen and subscribe.