Peyton Manning's first game action in nearly two years was short and uneven. His one and only possession ended in a goal-line interception, and he watched from the sidelines as the Broncos routed the Bears 31-3. Manning finished the night completing four of seven passes for 44 yards and the one pick on a rainy, messy field.
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Despite those conditions, coach John Fox was satisfied: “I thought it was a good first drive in these conditions -- it was sloppy. It was sloppy by the receivers as far as the conditions, but I thought it was a very good first outing.”
Analysis: There are almost too many caveats to count here before judging Peyton's performance -- his first game back after a series of career-threatening neck surgeries, new team, new offense, poor field conditions -- but despite clear signs of rust, he showed flashes of the old Peyton that's headed to Canton. He had a perfect 19-yard throw to Eric Decker to convert a 3rd-and-17, and the interception was a fluky deflection off Brandon Stokley's shoulders. Manning is probably the biggest wild card in the entire fantasy world, but last night's game simply didn't give us enough of a sample size to know where he's at.
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