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Peyton Manning

Poll: Who Faces Seahawks In NFL Opener?

February 8th, 2014 at 7:33pm CST by Peter Sowards

One of the many perks of being Super Bowl champions, with the exception of last year’s Ravens, is hosting the following season’s opening game in primetime.

Though the official schedule for the 2014 season won’t be announced until April, we do know each team’s home and road opponents, which gives us some insight as to who might be heading to Seattle for the first of the league’s 256 contests.

Fresh off a 43-8 whooping in Super Bowl XLVIII, the Broncos could be an interesting choice for the opener. They opened the 2013 season as well, avenging a devastating loss in the divisional round to the Ravens with a 49-27 victory. The game was played in Denver because of a scheduling conflict with Baltimore’s MLB team, the Orioles. As you probably recall, Peyton Manning tied an NFL record with seven touchdown passes.

For a rematch of the most recent NFC championship — one of the better games played during the 2013 season — the league could call for the division-rival 49ers to open against Seattle. Plenty of sparks flew the last time these teams played (cough, Richard Sherman) and the rivalry is developing into Bears/Packers and Steelers/Ravens territory.

One of the more memorable regular season games the past few years is the “Fail Mary” game between the Packers and Seahawks, the last game played with replacement referees. With Green Bay set to travel to the Pacific Northwest in the 2014 season, pitting two of the top teams in the NFC up against one another in the NFL opener would be a great way to kick off the season.

Lastly, there’s always a chance that the league and networks will schedule the Cowboys in a must-see primetime game. This is probably the most improbable of all the scenarios, but it’s not impossible. “America’s Team” continues to draw monster ratings year after year with the unpredictable Tony Romo under center, and their 2006 playoff matchup with the infamous bobbled snap by the aforementioned Romo remains one of the most exciting finishes in postseason history.

Back up your vote with a comment as to why you think a certain team should open its season with a trip to Seattle.

AFC West Notes: Broncos, Manning, Chargers

February 4th, 2014 at 6:21pm CST by Zachary Links

Several of the Broncos‘ pending free agents have expressed a desire to stay put in Denver, but we learned earlier today that the club will let Eric Decker, Shaun Phillips, Mike Adams, and others test the open market. More on the Broncos and other AFC West clubs..

  • At a season-ending press conference on Tuesday, Broncos executive vice president of football operations John Elway said that the club is operating as if quarterback Peyton Manning will continue to play while preparing for the future. “Well, we’re going to keep building like Peyton’s going to be here, and when Peyton decides to hang ‘em up, we have expectations hopefully to make that transition,” Elway said, according to Mike Wilkening of Pro Football Talk. “It’s going to be tough, but we’re going to hopefully be ready for that transition, too.”
  • Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com looks at the Chargers‘ running back situation heading into 2014. Of course, Ryan Mathews and Danny Woodhead combined to give San Diego one of the most productive running back duos in the NFL in 2013, but the rest of the depth chart could see some changes. Ronnie Brown will be an unrestricted free agent and fullback Le’Ron McClain is unlikely to return at a cap figure of $2.5MM.
  • Joe Fortenbaugh of National Football Post asks if Decker is really worth $10MM a year. Earlier today, our own Luke Adams looked at the free agent stock of the Broncos wide receiver.
  • New Chiefs receiver Weston Dressler will be missed in Canada, writes Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star. Kansas City inked the Saskatchewan Roughriders wide receiver to a reserve-futures contract earlier today.

Extra Points: Packers, Muamba, Polian

February 3rd, 2014 at 10:45pm CST by David Kipke

Weston Hodkiewicz of the Green Bay Press-Gazette thinks that the Packers will be forced to lean heavily on a cadre of young defensive lineman that will step into starting roles next season. Defensive linemen Mike Daniels, Datone Jones, and Jerel Worthy will likely replace departing free agents B.J. Raji, Ryan Pickett, and Johnny Jolly on the defensive front of the Packers’ base 3-4 defense. Defensive line coach Mike Trgovac expects Jones and Worthy to mimic Daniels’ 2013 campaign with breakout performances next year.

A few more Monday night notes:

AFC Rumors: Manning, Ravens, Sheets, Gaine

January 29th, 2014 at 12:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier this week, Peyton Manning attempted to dispel any rumors or speculation that he’d retire if the Broncos win the Super Bowl, telling reporters that he intended to play beyond this season. Not everyone is buying that though, according to Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report, who writes that many people around the NFL think Manning will call it a career after this game, especially if he wins. “The belief around football,” according to Freeman, is that Peyton doesn’t want to announce such a decision now because it would be a distraction heading into Sunday.

As we wait to see whether Freeman is right, or whether Manning’s career will continue into 2014, let’s round up a few other Wednesday notes from around the AFC….

  • The Ravens tried out a pair of free agents this week, auditioning linebacker Craig Wilkins and defensive end Cordarro Law, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Law spent last season with the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders, recording 14 sackes, while Wilkins was cut in the summer by the Seahawks after spending training camp with the team.
  • Wilson also reports (via Twitter) that running back Kory Sheets worked out for the Raiders this week. The Regina Leader-Post first had the details on the 2013 CFL Grey Cup MVP’s audition with Oakland.
  • Eric Decker will be a free agent this winter, and could interest the Jets as New York pursues receiving help. However, Decker said on Media Day in Newark that he hadn’t thought about the possibility of playing with the local team, writes Brian Costello of the New York Post.
  • The Dolphins announced today that they’ve mutually parted ways with assistant GM Brian Gaine (Twitter link). Gaine had been a finalist to become Miami’s new GM, so when the team hired Dennis Hickey instead, Gaine’s departure was considered somewhat inevitable.
  • Craig Kelley and Kevin Bowen of Colts.com look ahead to the Colts‘ offseason, with Kelley answering fans’ questions in a two-part mailbag, while Bowen focuses on question marks surrounding the club’s receivers, tight ends, and offensive line.

Broncos Notes: Gase, Manning, Roster

January 28th, 2014 at 1:44pm CST by Luke Adams

As Denver prepares for this Sunday’s game at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, let’s round up a few of Tuesday’s Broncos-related notes:

  • Before the Browns hired Mike Pettine as their head coach, Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase was viewed as a top candidate for the job. However, Gase said today that he didn’t feel like the time was right to pursue a head coaching position, as Marc Sessler of NFL.com details. “It just wasn’t the right time, as far as the timing with us [going to the Super Bowl] and the focus I wanted on this game,” Gase said. “I’m not worrying about it right now… it’s on the backburner for me.”
  • Peyton Manning has indicated that, win or lose this weekend, he intends to continue his playing career, but that didn’t stop reporters today from asking about what he expects to do after he retires as a player. Manning ducked the question, however, telling reporters, including Mike Klis of the Denver Post, that he’d figure that out when the time comes: “I don’t think John Elway wants to hear about a player that’s thinking about a second job after he’s done playing.”
  • In a piece for CBSSports.com, Joel Corry takes an in-depth look on how the Broncos built the roster that will compete for a title this Sunday. As Corry writes, Josh McDaniels, Elway, and, of course, Manning all played a large role in the makeup of the current Denver roster.

Peyton Manning Wants To Play In 2014

January 26th, 2014 at 4:50pm CST by Dallas Robinson

At his Super Bowl press conference on Sunday, Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning reiterated his desire to continue playing football beyond this season, according to Don Banks of Sports Illustrated (via Twitter). “I certainly want to keep playing,” said Manning. 

The 37-year-old noted that he will take the rest of his career on a season-by-season basis, with the status of his neck likely being a deciding factor. Chris Mortensen of ESPN recently reported that Manning will undergo tests on his neck in March, per his contract details. If injury risk has increased, Manning might be forced to retire. Manning dispelled notions that he would follow in the footsteps of John Elway and Ray Lewis, both of whom retired immediately following a late-career Super Bowl victory (Twitter link). “They couldn’t play any more,” he said. “I still enjoy playing football.”

Manning has enjoyed a career revitalization since coming to Denver in 2012. This season, he broke league records by throwing for 5,477 yards and 55 touchdowns. He also led quarterbacks by a wide margin in DYAR, and helped the Broncos finish first in offensive DVOA.