Colts vs. Broncos 2014 final score: 3 things we learned from the Broncos’ 31-24 win

The last time we saw Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, he was heading off the field at MetLife Stadium after losing the Super Bowl to the Seattle Seahawks in a game that could have been called at halftime. But against Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, Manning and the new-look Broncos defense were firing on all cylinders in the first half. The Colts made a comeback in the second half, but the Broncos were able to hang on for the 31-24 victory.

1. Hello, Julius Thomas, and howdy, Emmanuel Sanders

Broncos tight end Julius Thomas had a solid season in 2013, with 788 yards and 12 touchdowns. On Sunday night, he had three touchdowns in the first half alone. Without Robert Mathis' pass-rushing threat due to his suspension for PEDs, Manning could throw at will during the first half. Another beneficiary was wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, who was averaging 13.6 yards per catch in the first half alone. Montee Ball ran the ball effectively, pushing through contact and running around tacklers for a fourth-quarter touchdown. Colts linebacker D'Qwell Jackson was victimized repeatedly on pass coverage, helping the Broncos sustain drives and maintain possession. The Colts defense did slow down the Broncos in the second half, limiting Manning to just 70 yards passing and giving the Colts a chance to come back from 17 points down.

Julius Thomas, Photo credit: Jeff Gross / Getty Images

The Broncos emphasized defense in the offseason, adding Aqib Talib, Bradley Roby and T.J. Ward to improve a secondary in need of serious help. They also added former Dallas Cowboys pass rusher DeMarcus Ware, who provided serious muscle against the Colts. From limiting the Colts to four first downs in the first half to two critical stops in the red zone in the third quarter, the Broncos defense was everywhere Sunday night. Luck was able to escape the pocket and run towards the end of the first half (including for a critical touchdown), but his receivers were largely blanketed for most of the game. Broncos safety Rahim Moore picked off Luck twice. One area to improve: fourth-down defense. Luck had wide-open receivers for two huge fourth-down conversions that helped the Colts get back into the game.

Before the season started, much was made of the injuries suffered by members of the Colts offensive line during the offseason -- and for good reason. Center Khaled Holmes, offensive tackle Xavier Nixon and guard Joe Reitz were all out Sunday due to injury. The starting center against the Broncos (A.Q. Shipley, who started five games for the Colts two years ago) was acquired off waivers from the Baltimore Ravens as a backup for Holmes just a week before kickoff. The result? Tough sledding for the Colts running game and limited time for Luck in the pocket. The line improved over the length of the game, giving Luck more time to throw (especially on two big fourth-down conversions). That pocket protection led to the Colts getting to within seven points with 3:26 left in the game.