5 trends from NFL Week 1 that will continue all season

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Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) prepares to hand off to running back Ronnie Hillman (23) in the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos won 19-13. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /

Peyton Manning isn’t Peyton Manning anymore, but that’s okay in Denver.

The Denver Broncos are 1-0 in 2015, but it certainly wasn’t a work of art.

Peyton Manning and company slipped past the Baltimore Ravens by a final score of 19-13 in the opener, and they did it without the benefit of a single offensive touchdown. Manning wasn’t the worst quarterback on the field in week 1, with Baltimore’s Joe Flacco struggling mightily throughout the day, but it wasn’t a vintage Manning performance with only 175 yards on 40 attempts to go along with an interception.

Because of his age (39) and the way the 2014 season ended, expectations must be managed for Manning. He is no longer the quarterback that reigned over the league as the best regular season signal-caller in NFL history, but fortunately for the Broncos, he may only need to act as a game manager to lead Denver to the AFC West title.

Denver’s defense, which ranked third in the NFL a season ago, was lights-out against Baltimore, confusing Flacco throughout the day. The Ravens managed to generate only 173 yards of total offense, and the Broncos certainly justified preseason buzz that predicted vast success of the group.

Of course, it was “only one game” with regard to both Manning and the defense, but given the influence of Gary Kubiak, the stage appears to be set for a reduced role for the quarterback this season. This isn’t the burial of Peyton Manning as an “elite” player at the position or a knock against him, but Denver’s best chance to win may just be leaning on a potentially elite defense instead of an all-time great.

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