Kiszla: Broncos, showing no mercy, are running the score up on the NFL By Mark Kiszla The Denver Post September 29, 2013

Is there such a thing as running up the score in pro football? Does the NFL believe in mercy?

"I don't think so," Broncos defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson said Sunday. "I think some coaches have some respect for each other and don't want to run up the score. But at the same time, even when you've got guys who say they want to play you in the parking lot, when they don't stop you, this is what happens."

There's a burp in church, the car hidden in plain sight in a parking lot and the sting of a 52-20 defeat against the Broncos.

All can leave a grown man burning red with shame, feeling absolutely lost and crying for his mommy.

"They scored 52 points on us. Fifty-two points. That's a lot of points," sighed Philadelphia defensive lineman Fletcher Cox, the humiliation slowly seeping into his bones.

Denver won't stop scoring until the clock strikes zero.

"That puts fear in opponents' defenses, knowing they have to put their track shoes on and try to stop us, knowing that they have to come to Mile High and play in this altitude, and knowing they could be facing a long afternoon, that's tough," Vickerson said.

Karma is a bear. And the bear ate Philly coach Chip Kelly in front of 77,002 witnesses in Sports Authority Field at Mile High.

Without really trying, the Broncos scored seven touchdowns, by air and by land, by a kick return and a blocked punt. Video game numbers?

No, what played on the stadium scoreboard was more like a cartoon.

Starring as the Roadrunner: Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning.

Kelly played the role of Wile E. Coyote.

Beep, beep.

How does getting a 52-point anvil dropped on your head feel, Mr. Kelly?

"It is disconcerting," Kelly said.

At the NFL level, can an offense break a foe's spirit?

"I think it can at any level," Kelly replied curtly. His curt was full of hurt.

Anybody remember how Kelly toyed with opponents, making them look silly stupid, when he was the coach at the University of Oregon? Anybody in Colorado recall how Kelly beat the Buffaloes 70-14 last season? Think anybody in the Pac-12 Conference privately chuckled when Kelly got his hat handed to him by Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning?

Karma is a bear.

With 179 points to their credit during a 4-0 start to the regular season, the Broncos are making a mockery of NFL competition.

One week Denver running backs are playing rock, paper, scissors on the sideline to see who gets to score a touchdown against Oakland, and the next week Manning is joking Thunder, the team mascot, might need an IV after all those touchdown gallops in celebration of the highest single-game scoring output in franchise history.

The Broncos are so good, they're clowning defenses. Think the good fellas of the NFL are amused? Of course not.

There's no crying allowed in the NFL about running up the score.

"No, everybody is a professional here. But, at the same time, you never want to embarrass players or organizations," said Vickerson, who has experienced the pain of surrendering 59 points twice during his pro career. "Scoring is scoring. As a defense, you've got stop that nosebleed some kind of way. But it definitely hurts."

Here's my theory of why the Broncos keep punching teams in the kisser until their foes tap out.

There's a controlled anger motivating this Denver team, a sense of unfinished business, an emptiness from the home playoff loss to Baltimore, a void that can't be filled unless the Broncos make it all the way back to the Super Bowl.

Maybe that loss to the Ravens wasn't devastating. Maybe it is the fuel that makes this Denver team burn so hot.

"We feel like we got robbed a little bit, and it was our fault. We shot ourselves in the foot," Broncos defensive end Derek Wolfe said. "We've got to make up for this

year. And we're on a mission. We're trying to get back to the big game. That's a mission that's week by week, day by day, snap by snap."

The need for vengeance wasn't quelled with beating Baltimore 49-27 in the season-opener. Why?

"You have to establish dominance and that's what we're trying to do as a football team," Wolfe said.

Get this: Against the Eagles, the Broncos produced three touchdown drives of 80 yards and never required a third down to move the chains. Mercy, mercy, mercy.

The mission won't be complete until the Broncos arrive at Exit 16W in New Jersey, where the NFL championship will be played on the first Sunday in February.

Paige: Peyton Manning is the real Surgeon General By Woody Paige The Denver Post September 30, 2013

In Colorado lately, we've seen fire, and we've seen rain, and we've seen Peyton, and we've seen Thunder. We saw that the weather and the Broncos were spectacular Sunday.

In three home games, the Broncos have produced 18 touchdowns and four field goals. They scored seven touchdowns (for the second time this season) and a field goal against the Eagles on Sunday in a blowout of epic proportions. Michael Vick was not Philly's salve.

The Broncos' Arabian gelding mascot — Thunder II — races the length of the field to celebrate every score.

"Sounds like Thunder could use an IV after this one," Peyton Manning said after the Broncos set a team record with 52 points.

Sounds like Peyton could jump into that cold tub he loves for relaxation the day after games. Is that the fountain of youth Ponce de Leon was searching in vain for? Has Manning, at 37, transformed into Dorian Orange or Benjamin Bronco?

Seems like Manning is the perfect quarterback this season. Sixteen touchdown passes, zero interceptions and 1,470 yards in four games.

Multiply Peyton's numbers by four — and we are permitted to start considering the historic pace he's on — and he would finish with 64 touchdowns, ZERO interceptions and 5,880 yards.

Is that any good?

"He's a tremendous quarterback. I don't think anybody is going to dispute that," Broncos coach John Fox said, then laughed.

Eagles linebacker Connor Barwin said: "He got hot on us a lot."

Another obvious statement. What splendid quotes. Tweet John Bartlett.

Manning operates like a surgeon. He commands like a general.

He should be called The Surgeon General.

That's the opinion of Tony-nominated Broadway actor Jeremy Shamos, who grew up in Colorado and was a Broncos' season-ticket holder until seeking stardom of his own in New York 25 years ago. Shamos is an unabashed Peyton patron, but, then, the unwashed masses love the quarterback.

The Surgeon General should come with a warning for cornerbacks.

Perfect Peyton. Well, not quite. The best possible passer rating in the NFL is 158.3. Peyton is at 138.0. Something is wrong with that rating system if Peyton isn't rated perfect.

In the Broncos' final four drives, Peyton completed 13-of-13 second-down passes for first downs. The Broncos didn't have to worry about third or fourth downs.

As usual, the Broncos had to get on track. After the Eagles pulled within 14-13 in the second quarter, the Broncos ran off 38 consecutive points. Eagles coach Chip Kelly said, "Yeah, their offense is pretty good."

Two things about Peyton:

He's playing at a sensational level because of his health, his complete grasp of this offense and his set of receivers.

And, he's mad. Peyton says he doesn't think about the playoff loss to Baltimore — the only defeat suffered by the Broncos in the past 16 games — but every day that he looks in the mirror and stares at the tapes of defenses, he is reminded that the Broncos should have been Super Bowl champs last season, and is aware that the Broncos should be in the Super Bowl this season.

So, Peyton's on a determined mission, and the scoring and passing records are just sidelights to the purpose. The Eagles' defense became a pull-toy. The Broncos' defense and special teams are playing at a level that complements, and oft-times, surpasses Peyton and the offense.

Manning has been sacked only five times this season. He threw to eight targets Sunday. There wasn't a hint of an interception, and the receivers were open like church.

"There are always things you can improve on," Manning said afterward, as he always does.

He admitted he "enjoyed" the game. "That was a good team we played. We felt really motivated to score points against these guys. I thought we did that today."

Despite being a football historian, Manning wasn't aware that 52 points was a club all-time high. None of us probably knew. And I've seen fire and rain and snow and

lightning, but I've never seen the Broncos go up and down the field, down and up the field over and over, quite like that.

As did Thunder II.

With Trindon Holliday, Broncos still undefeated in NFL regular season By Mike Klis The Denver Post September 29, 2013

Where have you gone, Barrett Ruud?

After Game 5 of last season, the Houston Texans learned their star linebacker Brian Cushing suffered a season-ending knee injury.

They made a couple transactions after that game, but the upshot was the Texans signed linebacker Ruud to replace Cushing and made roster room by waiving young returner Trindon Holliday.

The Broncos pounced on the wire, and because they were 2-3 at that time, they were awarded Holliday ahead of Indianapolis on a waiver claim.

The Broncos haven't lost a regular-season game since. Their winning streak is at 15. And the one playoff game they lost, Holliday returned both a punt and kickoff for touchdowns.

Ruud played in nine games for the Texans last season, but is now an unsigned free agent.

Don't think this guy isn't a difference maker. Holliday has personally played in 15 games for the Broncos and has had made six touchdown returns, the latest a 105-yard kickoff return Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles that put his team up 14-3.

"After I broke the first wave and I see it's just me and the kicker, I feel like I have it," Holliday said.

That makes Holliday special. There are long kickoffs to around midfield in nearly every NFL game. Once Holliday gets to midfield, he's gone.

It was his second kickoff return for a touchdown, matching the team record set by Goldie Sellers in 1966. In only 15 games, Holliday is within two kickoff or punt returns for touchdowns from matching the career team record set by Rick Upchurch, who made two NFL all-decade teams with six.

Holliday accounted for seven of the 14 points the Broncos got from their special teams Sunday in a 52-20 rout. The other came from linebacker Steve Johnson, who blocked a punt, scooped it up and ran in the final 17 yards for a score.

"I look at it as another phase of the team," Holliday said. "Our offense is doing their thing. Defense is getting their things. So it's time for our special teams to really step up and show that we can do it."

Peyton Manning flying high as Broncos rout Eagles in Denver By Mike Klis The Denver Post September 29, 2013

Bring it on, NFL. Who's next to get torched by Peyton Manning?

Sammy Baugh and the John Elway-led Super Bowl Broncos were the latest to fall from the record books.

Milt Plum, your 53-year-old run of passing efficiency is now a dead-eye target within Manning's remarkable field vision.

As for the schedule, the Philadelphia Eagles became the latest victims of Manning's historic passing exhibitions. Manning threw four touchdowns, again without an interception, and special teams scored two more touchdowns as the Broncos embarrassed Chip Kelly's Eagles, 52-20, on a warm, late-September Sunday afternoon at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.

Manning didn't play in the fourth quarter, as backup Brock Osweiler got some playing time with the Broncos up 49-13.

Before Manning signed on to play with the Broncos prior to the 2012 season, he was already considered one of the all-time best quarterbacks.

In the 20 regular-season games since he's donned bright orange, Manning has been absurd, leading the Broncos to 17 wins on 53 touchdown passes against just 11 picks. He's gone to a level through four games this year that not even the greatest of the greats have gone before.

Manning has 16 touchdown passes without an interception this year. Plum started his 1960 season with 16 TD passes and no interceptions for the Cleveland Browns. But it took him 10 games to get No. 16. And he threw a pick later in that game.

The game against the Eagles was initially supposed to be the end of Von Miller's suspension. The Broncos would have reached that end with a 4-0 record. However, an appeal led to discovery of fraudulent shenanigans between Miller, the Broncos' star pass rusher, and specimen test collector that resulted in a six-game suspension.

Is that you, Jerry Jones, who is up next on the Broncos' schedule? It's on to Dallas for the Broncos next week for game 5 followed by — gasp! — the Jacksonville Jaguars in game 6 in Denver.

Where it goes, Manning probably knows.

The win Sunday was the Broncos' 15th in a row during the regular season, breaking the franchise record on a day when Tom Nalen was inducted into the Ring of Fame. Nalen was the starting center on the 1997-98 Broncos that had won 14 straight. Elway was the starting quarterback for most of that streak. He was the Broncos' front-office boss who quarterbacked the recruitment of the free-agent Manning last year.

Manning keeps passing milestones set by star quarterbacks of decades gone by. His seven touchdown passes in the season-opening win against Baltimore conjured up memories of Y.A. Tittle and Joe Kapp.

By winning all 15 games by at least 7 points, Manning's Broncos have the longest such streak since the Sid Luckman-quarterbacked Chicago Bears won 16 in a row by such margins in 1941-42.

Manning's 16 touchdown passes through four games broke the NFL record of 14 touchdown passes set by Sammy Baugh in 1943 and tied by Don Meredith in 1966 and Kurt Warner in 1999.

Sorry, Sling' Sammy. After 70 years, that four-game TD record is no longer yours.

Manning broke into the NFL as the No. 1 overall draft choice in 1998 and it's gone lost past the point where he has been considered a legend in his own time. So it's only right that one of the cherished records he has next in his sights is one engineered by Manning himself.

The NFL winning-streak record of 23 straight regular-season games was set by the 2008-09 Indianapolis Colts. You know who quarterbacked that team.

The Manning of then won the final 9 games of 2008, before he and his Colts lost their opening playoff game. The 2009 Colts then won their first 14 regular-season games and reached the Super Bowl where they lost to the New Orleans Saints.

Manning and the Broncos won their final 11 games of 2012, then lost their only playoff game. Check. They have breezed through their first four games of 2013 by an average of 22 points.

Manning threw two touchdown passes Sunday to slot receiver Wes Welker and two to Demaryius Thomas.

Overall, Manning completed 28 of 34 passes for 327 games against the Eagles. So in the span of six days — starting with his Monday night slaying of the Oakland Raiders — Manning completed 60 of 71 passes for 701 yards, 7 TDs and 0 picks.

Even his stats have a symmetrical rhythm to them.

Champ Bailey will miss fourth game, Joel Dreessen will play in first game By Mike Klis The Denver Post September 29, 2013

There is good news and bad news regarding season-long injuries to Broncos starters.

Tight end Joel Dreessen, out since aggravating his surgically repaired knee on Aug. 2, will dress and play today against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Cornerback Champ Bailey, though, needs another week to recover from his injured left foot. Bailey suffered the injury in the Broncos’ second preseason game Aug. 17 at Seattle. Broncos nickelback Tony Carter will play despite the ankle injury he suffered last week.

Duke Ihenacho will play By Mike Klis The Denver Post September 29, 2013

The game time decision on Broncos strong safety Duke Ihenacho: He’ll play.

Ihenacho didn’t practice much this week because of a right ankle sprain suffered in the Broncos’ second regular-season game against the New York Giants. The Broncos’ strong safety aggravated the injury in Monday’s game against the Oakland Raiders, but he’s going to dress for the game today against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Broncos defense adjusts to shut down Eagles, Michael Vick By Joan Niesen The Denver Post September 29, 2013

Tick, tick, tick.

They can't help but hate the clock, at least on a day like this one. The bench doesn't even get warm beneath them, sometimes. It stays that dull, metallic cold when the afternoon shadows have engulfed the sideline.

Four seconds off the game clock once.

Three minutes and change another time.

In between, they're trailing Michael Vick, stuffing LeSean McCoy, grabbing, flailing for an arm, an ankle, anything.

Don't envy the Broncos' defense, not against these Eagles at a hundred miles an hour. They can't blame the altitude, can't blame not knowing what was about to hit them like a snapping, scrambling high-speed crash.

And they didn't blame. Instead, they adjusted.

At halftime, the Broncos' defense had given up 13 points and 271 yards to Philadelphia. It allowed just seven more points and 179 yards in the second half, catching its collective breath and making the adjustments necessary to maintain control of the game.

"The whole first half, it was hard, but one thing about us, we do a good job subbing in," cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie said. "We have guys like Kayvon Webster step in and step up, and we just wanted to keep it rolling."

After struggling in the second quarter, the Broncos' defense knew three things. One was simple: players were struggling to communicate amid the seemingly instantaneous snaps from Vick. The others were something of a double-edged sword: they were exhausted, but the more time on the field, the better they grasped what their opponents were doing.

"The longer you're out there with them, you start to learn the tendencies, and you learn where you've got to fit and where you can make plays," linebacker Danny Trevathan said.

So halftime meant improving that communication and decoding whatever tweaks the Eagles had employed specifically for the Broncos. But more than anything, it was simply hoping that clock — tick, tick, tick — wouldn't work against them.

"It's kind of a love-hate thing," Rodgers-Cromartie said of the Broncos offense, especially in the first half. "You love that (Peyton Manning is) out there putting points on the board, but as a defense, they score so fast, you're like, it's time to take some of that time off the clock."

In the end, it was an act of balance. Defense speeds up to meet the Eagles, offense stretches its drives a hair longer, and that equilibrium yields a commanding 52-20 victory.

The clock, of course, keeps ticking, but perhaps not quite as loud.

Tom Nalen inducted into Denver Broncos' Ring of Fame By Joan Niesen The Denver Post September 29, 2013

Twenty-two seconds.

Other than that, Tom Nalen let everything else do the talking. The framed No. 66 jersey, the sketches and photos, the name splayed across the stadium's upper deck — that rung louder than anything the former center could have said.

Nalen, who played for the Broncos from 1994-2008 and won two Super Bowls, was inducted into the team's Ring of Fame at halftime during Sunday's game against the Eagles. The 24th member of the Ring of Fame, Nalen joins such greats as Shannon Sharpe, Rod Smith and John Elway, and he received a statue in the team's new Ring of Fame Plaza, which opened Friday.

"Guys that I've looked up to throughout my career, getting to know these guys, it really is a classy group of guys, and I'm not sure I belong there," Nalen said of his fellow Ring of Fame members, many of whom were assembled Sunday for the ceremony.

Nalen said that the experience of being inducted into the Ring of Fame and seeing his name displayed so prominently on the stadium was surreal, and in his speech, he thanked the Broncos for their commitment to winning and for honoring him in such a way. After exiting the field, the player who dodged the media throughout his career admitted that even the brief ceremony was a trial.

"That was the most uncomfortable I've felt on the football field in my life," Nalen said, laughing. "Mission accomplished, I guess."

His time at the podium was a matter of seconds, but the five-time Pro Bowler was sincere in his brevity. As his speech concluded and the crowd erupted, his former teammates, assembled to his left, offered their opinions of his words.

Perfect, they yelled.

Broncos defense adjusts to shut down Eagles, Michael Vick By Joan Niesen The Denver Post September 29, 2013

Tick, tick, tick.

They can't help but hate the clock, at least on a day like this one. The bench doesn't even get warm beneath them, sometimes. It stays that dull, metallic cold when the afternoon shadows have engulfed the sideline.

Four seconds off the game clock once.

Three minutes and change another time.

In between, they're trailing Michael Vick, stuffing LeSean McCoy, grabbing, flailing for an arm, an ankle, anything.

Don't envy the Broncos' defense, not against these Eagles at a hundred miles an hour. They can't blame the altitude, can't blame not knowing what was about to hit them like a snapping, scrambling high-speed crash.

And they didn't blame. Instead, they adjusted.

At halftime, the Broncos' defense had given up 13 points and 271 yards to Philadelphia. It allowed just seven more points and 179 yards in the second half, catching its collective breath and making the adjustments necessary to maintain control of the game.

"The whole first half, it was hard, but one thing about us, we do a good job subbing in," cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie said. "We have guys like Kayvon Webster step in and step up, and we just wanted to keep it rolling."

After struggling in the second quarter, the Broncos' defense knew three things. One was simple: players were struggling to communicate amid the seemingly instantaneous snaps from Vick. The others were something of a double-edged sword: they were exhausted, but the more time on the field, the better they grasped what their opponents were doing.

"The longer you're out there with them, you start to learn the tendencies, and you learn where you've got to fit and where you can make plays," linebacker Danny Trevathan said.

So halftime meant improving that communication and decoding whatever tweaks the Eagles had employed specifically for the Broncos. But more than anything, it was simply hoping that clock — tick, tick, tick — wouldn't work against them.

"It's kind of a love-hate thing," Rodgers-Cromartie said of the Broncos offense, especially in the first half. "You love that (Peyton Manning is) out there putting points on the board, but as a defense, they score so fast, you're like, it's time to take some of that time off the clock."

In the end, it was an act of balance. Defense speeds up to meet the Eagles, offense stretches its drives a hair longer, and that equilibrium yields a commanding 52-20 victory.

The clock, of course, keeps ticking, but perhaps not quite as loud.

Champ Bailey again sidelined with foot injury; Dreesen to play against Eagles By Joan Niesen The Denver Post September 29, 2013

Cornerback Champ Bailey will not play for the Broncos on Sunday, missing his fourth consecutive regular-season game with a foot sprain he suffered in the preseason. Chris Harris will start in Bailey's place.

Running back C.J. Anderson, quarterback Zac Dysert, linebacker Paris Lenon, guard Chris Kuper, tackle Winston Justice and defensive tackle Sylvester Williams make up the rest of the Broncos inactives.

Tight end Joel Dreessen, who has yet to play in 2013, will be active against the Eagles.

For Philadelphia, quarterback Matt Barkley, safety Patrick Chung, cornerback Shaun Prater, tackles Matt Tobin and Dennis Kelly, defensive end Damion Square and tight end Emil Igwenagu will be inactive. Earl Wolff will start in Chung's place.

Champ Bailey: “I’m not going to force something to happen that’s not there.” By Joan Niesen The Denver Post September 29, 2013

Cornerback Champ Bailey spoke briefly to the media in the locker room after Sunday’s 52-20 Broncos win over the Eagles.

Bailey, who hasn’t played since a preseason game in Seattle where he injured his left foot, has been listed as questionable on the team’s injury report for the past two games but has yet to play.

When asked if his team’s success without him has contributed to him holding himself out a bit longer, Bailey refuted any such belief.

“That has nothing to do with anything that’s wrong with my body,” he said. “When I’m ready to play, I’ll play.”

Bailey said he evaluates himself daily in terms of whether he might be able to play the following Sunday, and for the past few weeks, it’s taken until game day for him to decide that he isn’t ready.

“I’m not going to force something to happen that’s not there,” he said.

Bailey gave no indication as to when he might be ready to go. His replacement, Chris Harris, logged one tackle Sunday.

Bests/worsts vs. Eagles: Every game is a (Trindon) Holliday for Broncos By Joan Niesen The Denver Post September 29, 2013 The best and worst from the Broncos’ drubbing of the Eagles on Sunday…

BESTS

Trindon Holliday. Holliday’s kick return might have tired the Broncos’ defense early, but it also gave the team a commanding lead.

Young defenders. Duke Ihenacho and Danny Trevathan have been, if not surprisingly good, then simply good early this season. Ihenacho finished the game with nine tackles despite a nagging ankle injury, and Trevathan had 10.

A touchdown a game. Wes Welker has scored a touchdown in each of the Broncos’ first four games, which no player had done since 2011. He finished the afternoon with 76 yards receiving and two TDs.

WORSTS

Defensive communication. The Broncos’ defense held its own, but there were moments when the Eagles’ offense moved at such a pace that it appeared Denver was struggling to stay on the same page.

Moreno’s late hit. Running back Knowshon Moreno was called for a late hit on the Broncos’ drive at the end of the first half, which forced the team to punt and allowed the Eagles 10 seconds with the ball before halftime. It didn’t come back to bite Denver, but on a day like Sunday when the team had so few mistakes, it’s hard not to nitpick.

Montee Ball. This is only because the rookie running back got little action Sunday. After committing fumbles in the team’s past two games, it’s looking more like he’s playing his way out of the Broncos’ running back rotation, giving the team one fewer option.

Source: Jack Del Rio won’t leave Broncos during 2013 season By Joan Niesen The Denver Post September 29, 2013 A team source told The Denver Post Sunday morning that defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio will not leave the team during the 2013 season. Del Rio’s name has come up as a possible target for USC in its search for a new head football coach; the team fired Lane Kiffin after its Saturday loss to Arizona State.

Del Rio’s contract with Denver is up in February, and whether he stays with the Broncos or pursues a job elsewhere remains to be seen. The defensive coordinator played football and baseball collegiately at USC before spending 12 seasons in the NFL, and he’s coached at the pro level ever since, for the Saints, Ravens, Panthers, Jaguars and now Broncos. So far in 2013 he’s been responsible for leading a defense that has put up the best numbers against the run game in the NFL and has been a pleasant surprise after losing Von Miller and Champ Bailey for the beginning of the season.

Dusty Saunders: Football still rules in TV ratings By Dusty Saunders The Denver Post September 30, 2013

It's that time of year when the NHL and the major-league baseball playoffs invade a sports TV land dominated by King Football.

And this year's invasion could be tougher than usual.

September produced the largest audience ratings in recent history for college and NFL coverage.

Examples:

• CBS's broadcast of the Alabama-Texas A&M battle Sept. 14 had the most viewership of any regular-season college football game in 23 years.

• NBC's "Sunday Night Football" continues to be a weekly network leader in prime time against all entertainment programming. The Bears-Steelers game (Sept. 22) had 3 million more viewers than CBS's Emmy awards.

• The NFL Network's coverage of the Chiefs' win over the Eagles on Sept. 19 produced 9 million viewers, the largest in the history of the Thursday night cable series.

• In addition, weeknight national prime time football-oriented shows, dealing with scores and commentary, are also showing increased audiences on ESPN and Fox Sports 1.

• A leading prince in this huge football kingdom?

Peyton Manning, who again got national exposure Sunday on Fox's late afternoon game with coverage by Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, the network's No. 1 team. They spent the afternoon almost in awe of the Broncos in general and Manning in particular.

Still, hockey and baseball have their weapons ready for their invasion.

Local fans will find out if Patrick Roy can fire up the Avalanche from the coach's box as he so often did on the ice in front of the goal. The Avalanche begins the season on Wednesday at home against the Anaheim Ducks on Altitude and then hosts the Nashville Predators at 7 p.m Friday.

Nationally, the NHL, on cable's NBC Sports Network, opens the season at 6 p.m. Tuesday with the champion Chicago Blackhawks hosting the Washington Capitals.

If NBC's major preseason publicity campaign works, the NHL television season should produce strong ratings.

Play-in time.

Dedicated baseball fans will have a chance to watch a "play-in" Monday before Tuesday's playoffs.

Texas hosts Tampa Bay at 6 p.m., with the winner going to Cleveland on Wednesday. Cincinnati is at Pittsburgh on Tuesday. The three games are on TBS.

Long afternoon.

The best CU highlight during Saturday's 44-17 loss to Oregon State on the Pac 12 Network: an expertly produced 20-second promotional pitch which deftly outlined the educational benefits in Boulder.

Rockies review.

I've heard some complaints that Root Sports, KOA radio and the Denver electronic media in general overplayed Todd Helton's retirement. Not so.

The deserved, often emotional tributes took some of the sting out of the ending of another disappointing season.

Radio changes at Mile High

James Merilatt, head of Mile High Sports, has something in common with major-league managers: He often changes lineups.

Numerous changes occur Monday. The highlight: Mike Pritchard, a former CU and Atlanta Falcons wide receiver and ESPN talent, and Lance Britton, a local sports personality, join Eric Goodman in the important weekday drive time show (4-6 p.m.)

The first two replace Mark McIntosh, who left to pursue other interests.

Midday also undergoes a shuffle with veteran Gil Whitely working only an hour (11 a.m.-noon). Irv Brown and Joe Williams are heard noon-2 p.m. with Danny Williams and Marcello Romano at 2-4 p.m.

New weekend programming already features a promising college-oriented football show (8-11 a.m. Saturday) featuring Denver Post writer John Henderson and veteran Michael Klahr.

Knowshon Moreno keeps “Rock, Paper, Scissors” game going for Broncos By Nick Groke The Denver Post September 29, 2013

In an 11-play, 80-yard drive in the second quarter Sunday against the Eagles, the Broncos ran the ball seven times (and all but two plays went without a huddle).

Knowshon Moreno took five of those rushes, with Hillman the other two.

So it was all but pre-determined that Moreno would get the call to end the drive. His TD run up the middle from four yards out helped the Broncos to a 21-13 lead. His 34 yards on that drive alone pushed Moreno to 79 yards (a team high) in the game.

Moreno also kept alive the Broncos’ continuing game of “Rock, Paper, Scissors.”

Hochman: Broncos treating the NFL like it's the preseason By Benjamin Hochman The Denver Post September 29, 2013

Does it even matter?

Does it even matter that the Broncos slapped around the Eagles like some college dorm kid playing Madden while sipping a smuggled six pack?

Sunday was a glorious Denver day — 76 and sunny, 52-20 — but with the talent the Broncos have, and with the ghost of Jacoby Jones haunting Sports Authority Field, these regular-season games are really just preseason games, leading into the only games that matter.

I hate to rain on the parade you're already planning for February, but here's a question. Just because the Broncos are dominating in September, does it mean anything, as long as you're playing well heading into the playoffs? Or does that even matter, considering the Ravens lost four of their final five last season, before, of course, going undefeated in the postseason.

Asked about the "20-preseason games" theory, Broncos receiver Eric Decker said, "In this league, if you have that mentality, it's going to sneak up and hurt you on Sunday. So it's every week coming out and playing your best football — learning, digesting and doing it again the next week. And by the time you get to January and February, you'll be in a good position, and everything else will take care of itself. We can't lose focus with every game."

What else is he going to say, though? Look, other teams (Indianapolis, Kansas City, Miami) are growing, learning about each other with each game, building toward January.

The Broncos are just killing time. Really, for all the Denver accolades this season, this is the only Denver accomplishment that really matters — Peyton Manning did not get hurt.

What if a Bronco said, "We don't have Von Miller, Ryan Clady and Champ Bailey and we beat the Eagles as if they're the Boston College Eagles. As long as we've got Peyton in the playoffs, who cares that we won — or even if we lost — in Week 4? Let's just be healthy for Week 17."

And that's what's crazy about this crazy league — as The Post's Mike Klis recently reported, the past eight Super Bowl winners have averaged 10.9 victories and a 3.9 playoff seed. So who's to say that being hot entering the playoffs even matters?

But what are the Broncos to do? They're going to approach this thing the only way they know how, and that's playing at a stupid-high level each week — hoping they'll then play at stupid-high level in the playoffs.

"We don't know what complacent means. We're hungry," Broncos safety Rahim Moore said. "The way we play on the field, that's how (intense) we are in meetings. We take pride in what we do, we work hard and we have a bunch of guys who love football — and it shows. You can tell by our plays, guys having fun."

It's wild that we're heading into only Week 5, and the Broncos have this feel of a dominating baseball team playing out August and September. Perhaps the best thing going for the Broncos is that Kansas City no longer is playing like Kansas City. The Chiefs are also 4-0, even if those four haven't been Madden-y, they count the same in the AFC West standings. Denver plays the Chiefs twice in three weeks (Nov. 17 and Dec. 1), with a road game at New England wedged in between.

"They show a challenge for us down the road," Decker said, "and we've got to make sure we're on top of it and stay with them, and that we have an opportunity to make a mark."

Manning masterful in Broncos' 52-20 rout of Eagles By Arnie Stapleton Associated Press September 29, 2013

DENVER (AP) — Seems the only one not impressed by Peyton Manning's off-the-charts exploits is Peyton Manning.

"There's always things we can improve on," Manning said after the Denver Broncos scored more points than they ever had in their 54-year history in a 52-20 demolition of the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

Manning's hair was still wet but his brain already had moved on to the next game, against the Dallas Cowboys (2-2) next weekend.

"We have a tough road game next week, another unfamiliar opponent," Manning said, his unemotional, even-keeled approach matching the cold-blooded efficiency he had just displayed in producing another batch of records on a picturesque Autumn afternoon in the Rocky Mountains.

Manning threw four more TD passes and the Broncos (4-0) added two special teams scores, pulling away from the Eagles (1-3), who were close at halftime.

Manning's 16 TD passes are the most for any quarterback in the first month of an NFL season, besting the previous mark of 14 set by Don Meredith in 1966 and tied by Kurt Warner in 1999. He also joined Milt Plum in 1960 as the only quarterbacks to throw that many touchdown passes without an interception.

After last season's playoff pratfall, Manning realizes it will all mean nothing if the Broncos don't parlay this fantastic start into an equally excellent finish in four months.

That's why setting the franchise record of 15 straight regular-season wins was no cause for celebration.

"The recaps don't mean a whole lot," Manning said. "It was a good win because it was this game and we'll learn from it and we have a tough test next week playing a team that we're unfamiliar with, that is a good football team, that is tough to play at home.

"I think we'll enjoy this win and we'll learn from it. But you have to move on to the next week pretty quickly."

Five reasons why the Eagles (1-3) couldn't knock the Broncos from the unbeaten ranks:

BRONCOS BASH: After Chris Polk's 4-yard touchdown run cut Philly's deficit to 14-12, first-year Eagles coach Chip Kelly, who was famous for never taking his foot off the gas at Oregon, went for the PAT instead of the 2-point conversion. The Broncos scored the next 31 points.

"Might have to give old Thunder an I.V. after this one," Manning said of the white Arabian gelding who trots around the Sports Authority Field following touchdowns.

If there's any I.V. bags left, that is.

With two TD passes each to Demaryius Thomas and Wes Welker, Manning completed all but a half dozen of his 34 throws for 327 yards, and he didn't even step on the field in the fourth quarter.

SPECIAL TEAMS: The Broncos' special teams got into the act again, scoring on Trindon Holliday's 105-yard kickoff return and Steven Johnson's 17-yard return of his own blocked punt.

"I was just unblocked," Johnson said. "I was going to rush the center and he got out of the way, and I said, 'OK, I'll go block the punt."

Those special teams contributions helped Denver surpass the franchise scoring record of 50 points set against San Diego on Oct. 6, 1963.

LINEBACKER LAMENTS: Only the 1966 Dallas Cowboys, with 183 points, scored more than the Broncos' 179 in their first four games.

Just think, if linebacker Danny Trevathan hadn't fumbled his would-be pick-6 in the opener in premature celebration, the Broncos would be the most proficient point-producer in NFL history.

"We all learned from that," said Johnson, who nevertheless held out the football as he neared the goal line on his punt return TD before tucking it in just as he saw punter Donnie Jones swooping in from his right.

SHORTNESS OF BREATH: All week long, Kelly downplayed the altitude, saying it wouldn't be a factor.

The thin air certainly wasn't just in Eagles running back LeSean McCoy's mind. He needed a few breathers on the sideline to get some supplemental oxygen into his lungs.

"I just couldn't breathe," said McCoy, who carried the ball 16 times for 73 yards.

THIRD DOWNS: Teams always talk about getting off the field on third down, but the Eagles couldn't even put the Broncos in third-down situations to begin with.

Manning drove Denver on a trio of touchdown drives in the third quarter covering 80, 80 and 65 yards, and not once did the Broncos face a third down in any of them.

Denver collected 35 first downs overall and only five of them were on third-down conversions.

"I think it is disconcerting," Kelly said. "But you're also playing against an offense that four teams have tried to stop them and they haven't yet."

Manning leads Broncos' 52-20 rout of Eagles By Arnie Stapleton Associated Press September 29, 2013 DENVER (AP) — Forget fast-break football. This was steel-cold efficiency.

Peyton Manning made quick work of the Philadelphia Eagles in a warp-speed game between the NFL's top two offenses, both of which like to snap the ball quickly.

The Denver Broncos scored more points than they ever had in their 54-year history on Sunday, blowing out the Eagles 52-20 behind Manning's four touchdown throws and two special teams scores.

"Might have to give old Thunder an IV after this one," Manning said of the white Arabian gelding who trots around the Sports Authority Field following touchdowns.

If there's any IV bags left, that is.

With two TD passes each to Demaryius Thomas and Wes Welker, Manning completed all but a half dozen of his 34 throws for 327 yards.

He didn't even step on the field in the fourth quarter and cooled his cleats on the sideline for a 12-minute stretch in the first half, no less.

Just another day in the life of Manning, whose 16 TD passes are the most in the first month of a season, besting the previous mark of 14 set by Don Meredith in 1966 and tied by Kurt Warner in 1999.

Manning also joined Milt Plum in 1960 as the only quarterbacks to throw that many touchdown passes without an interception.

"We have high expectations for ourselves and want to go out there and score a lot of points," Welker said. "We were able to do that today."

Just as they have all season, piling up 49, 41, 37 and 52 points, thanks mostly to Manning, who's off to the best start of his storied career and helped Denver outgain Michael Vick and the Eagles 472 yards to 450.

Manning got off to a rather slow start but drove the Broncos (4-0) on a trio of long touchdown drives in the third quarter to make this one another laugher. Those drives covered 80, 80 and 65 yards and not once did the Broncos face a third down in any of them.

"He's efficient, man," marveled Champ Bailey. "And hopefully he gets better — I don't know how, but hopefully he does — because this guy's a prime example of what it takes to be a great quarterback in this league.

"I know a lot of quarterbacks wish they could do it like that."

Denver collected 35 first downs overall and only five of them were on third down conversions.

"I think it is disconcerting," Eagles coach Chip Kelly said. "But you're also playing against an offense that four teams have tried to stop them and they haven't yet. I don't have an answer."

No one has figured out the Broncos after their halftime adjustments yet.

"We find kind of our second wind," Eric Decker said. "That's something we've trained for, to be able to play 60 minutes, to be able to finish in the second half.

"That's what we do best. We have a lot of confidence coming out of the locker room that we're going to score or shut them down defensively and put this game away."

The Eagles (1-3) also allowed two TDs on special teams in losing for the third straight time, all to AFC West opponents: Trindon Holliday's 105-yard kickoff return and Steven Johnson's blocked punt, which he scooped up himself and returned for a 17-yard score.

Matt Prater's 53-yard field goal capped Denver's 15th straight regular-season win, which bested the franchise mark of 14 set in 1997-98 and also broke the previous franchise scoring record of 50 points set against San Diego on Oct. 6, 1963.

Only the 1966 Dallas Cowboys, with 183 points, scored more than the Broncos' 179 in their first four games.

Holliday's sixth TD return in 21 career games oddly worked in Philadelphia's favor, keeping Manning on the sideline for more than 12 minutes on the game clock.

"I think it did have a little bit of an effect on us," Manning said. "We probably had our worst series, had a three-and-out, after that."

After throwing a 6-yard scoring pass to Welker, Manning stood impatiently on the sideline for the final 10:19 of the first quarter and the first 42 seconds of the second quarter, and when he did get the ball back, his 40-yard pass went off a wide-open Decker's fingertips.

Then, Welker slipped on a third down screen pass and Manning was back on the sideline watching Chris Polk's 4-yard touchdown run cut it to 14-13.

Knowshon Moreno's 4-yard TD run made it 21-13 at halftime.

The Eagles became the first team in NFL history to accumulate at least 1,000 yards passing and 750 yards rushing through the first four games of the season.

That was of little consolation.

"We couldn't stop them," Eagles linebacker Connor Barwin said.

Notes: Holliday's TD return rate of 1 per every 3.5 games played is the best since the 1970 merger. ... Vick finished 14 of 27 for 248 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions and ran eight times for 41 yards.

Eagles can't slow Manning, Broncos in 52-20 loss By Pat Graham Associated Press September 29, 2013 DENVER (AP) — This was the type of precision, pace and offensive production that Chip Kelly envisioned bringing to Philadelphia.

Only the first-year Eagles coach had to watch the show from across the field.

When Peyton Manning is operating like this, well, there's not much a defense can do. Manning threw four touchdown passes as the Denver Broncos scored more points than they ever had in team history Sunday, beating the Eagles 52-20.

"He just frustrates you," Kelly said. "Maybe at the end of the season we will break down the Broncos tape and look at what he does."

For now, the Eagles (1-3) simply want to move on as fast as possible, try to get back on track after dropping three straight.

"If you would've told me at the beginning, before we started the season, that we would be 1-3 right now, I would've called you a liar," LeSean McCoy said. "Just got to get it together. Can't panic. Tons of games left."

The Eagles can take comfort in this: opposing defenses have yet to figure out a solution. The Broncos (4-0) have scored 179 points in their first four games, with only the 1966 Dallas Cowboys (183) scoring more.

Manning didn't even play the fourth quarter, his work done after picking apart the Philadelphia secondary to the tune of 327 yards.

Even when the Eagles thought they had the perfect defense, Manning would audible at the line and uncover a weak spot.

"That's his job," defensive end Fletcher Cox said. "He may be one of the greatest guys playing the game right now. I think he did a great job of just handling all the situations."

Cary Williams was with Baltimore last January, when the Ravens eliminated the Broncos in the playoffs on their way to a Super Bowl title. This version of Manning hardly resembled the one Williams saw on that bitterly cold day.

Manning has rarely been sharper, completing 28 of 34 passes with two TDs each to Wes Welker and Demaryius Thomas. Manning now has 16 touchdowns, joining Milt

Plum in 1960 as the only quarterbacks to throw that many touchdown passes without an interception.

"He's a savvy veteran," Williams said. "He's seen it all. ... They were the better team — clearly."

The Eagles actually had the ball longer than the Broncos in the first half, picked up more first downs and gained more yards. Didn't matter, though, as the Broncos led 21-13 at the break.

Part of that had to do with special teams as Trindon Holliday returned a kick 105 yards for a score in the opening quarter, one of two breakdowns the Eagles had on the day. They also had a punt blocked in the fourth quarter, with Steven Johnson scooping it up for a 17-yard touchdown.

"You have to be on your game. You have to make sure you don't give Peyton Manning good field position," Michael Vick said. "I felt like we were fighting. But football is also a team game and you've got to be able to put it all together."

Like Manning, Vick sat out much of the fourth quarter. Philly was simply too far back for his left arm or speedy wheels to rally the team back into the game. Vick finished 14 of 27 for 248 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions and ran eight times for 41 yards.

"We just didn't click today," McCoy explained. "I thought for a while we were rolling. We just didn't get it done, as simple as that."

McCoy said the thin air of the Mile High City got to him several times as he struggled to find his wind.

Just imagine how the defense felt, chasing receivers all over the field. The trio of Thomas, Welker and Eric Decker combined for 21 catches for 250 yards.

"Peyton, he's their offensive coordinator," Cox said. "If he sees something, he's going to check away from it for something that's good for them."

The way Manning and the Broncos ran their offense was precisely how the Eagles want to operate, right?

"I don't want to say like them. This is Eagle football," McCoy said. "When we run our offense, we're making plays at a fast tempo, putting points up. That's the way I envision that."

Notes: Asked if he's contemplating benching Vick, Kelly said: "No. Not at all." ... WR DeSean Jackson was held to two catches for 34 yards. ... Backup QB Nick Foles was 3 for 4 for 49 yards and a TD in relief of Vick.

Bailey inactive again as Broncos face Eagles Associated Press September 29, 2013

DENVER (AP) — Champ Bailey still isn't ready to return to action. His troublesome left foot is keeping him out of the Denver Broncos' game against Philadelphia on Sunday.

Bailey hasn't played since getting hurt Aug. 17 in Seattle. His monthlong absence to start the season is the second longest of his 15-year career. He missed seven straight games with a hamstring injury in 2008.

With Bailey deactivated again, cornerback Quentin Jammer, who came to Denver this offseason after a decade in San Diego, is active for the first time all year. He supplants rookie defensive tackle Sylvester Williams, who played just eight snaps last week and is deactivated against the Eagles.

Among the Eagles' inactives is starting free safety Patrick Chung (shoulder).

Broncos, Seahawks, Chiefs, Patriots perfect Associated Press September 30, 2013

The first quarter of the schedule went perfectly for Denver, Seattle, Kansas City and New England.

Peyton Manning threw four more touchdown passes, giving him 16, the most in the first four games of a season. He also passed for 327 yards in a 52-20 rout of Philadelphia. Denver (4-0) has won a team-record 15 straight regular-season games and scored 179 points.

"We were motivated to be on top of our game offensively, to score points, touchdowns, not field goals," Manning said Sunday. "I thought we did that today. We certainly enjoyed that."

Seattle (4-0) rallied from a 17-point hole and won at Houston 23-20 in overtime on Steven Hauschka's 45-yard field goal.

"It was important for our ball club just to win on the road, just to continue our win streak," said cornerback Richard Sherman, whose interception return TD forced overtime. "I think that was important to us, to be that stepping stone, to continue to grow as a team."

Alex Smith threw three touchdown passes, Dexter McCluster returned a punt 89 yards for another score and Kansas City kept the New York Giants winless at 0-4 in a 31-7 rout.

"I know they'll battle," said Chiefs first-year coach Andy Reid, who spent the previous 14 seasons coaching the Eagles. "That's what I know. There are a lot of things I don't know but I do know this: We're a tough bunch."

New England staged a defensive stand after nearly frittering away a late lead and won at Atlanta 30-23.

"We are just griding it out," Tom Brady said. "4-0 is good, we certainly played better, got a lot to learn from."

Two more 3-0 teams, Miami and New Orleans, meet Monday night in the Big Easy.

Chicago fell from the undefeated ranks when it lost 40-32 at Detroit.

Week 4 began when San Francisco (2-2) beat St. Louis (1-3) 35-11 on Thursday night.

Green Bay (1-2) and Carolina (1-2) were off.

BRONCOS 52, EAGLES 20

At Denver, the Broncos set a team record for points — they have been around 54 years — with Manning's two TD passes each to Demaryius Thomas and Wes Welker. Manning even sat out the fourth quarter.

Manning also joined Milt Plum in 1960 as the only quarterbacks to throw 16 touchdown passes without an interception.

The Eagles (1-3) have allowed 138 points in four games.

SEAHAWKS 23, TEXANS 20, OT

At Houston, the Seahawks' first 4-0 start in franchise history was aided when Doug Baldwin caught a 7-yard pass and Kareem Jackson was penalized for unnecessary roughness for dumping him into the ground. That got Seattle in field goal range and Hauschka's kick came four plays later.

The Seahawks rallied to tie it at 20-20 on the pick-6 by Sherman in the fourth quarter.

Texans linebacker Brian Cushing sustained a concussion, and Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said defensive end Michael Bennett was OK after being taken off the field on a stretcher after injuring his lower back.

CHIEFS 31, GIANTS 7

Smith had touchdown passes of 4, 2 and 35 yards for the Chiefs, who under Reid have already doubled their victory total of 2012. They are the second team to go from a two-win season to 4-0 the next year, matching the 1980 Lions.

Smith was intercepted twice, the first giveaways by the host Chiefs, who also lost a fumble.

The Giants are 0-4 for the first time since 1987. Eli Manning connected with Victor Cruz on a 69-yard scoring play for New York's only score. The Kansas City defense sacked Manning three times.

PATRIOTS 30, FALCONS 23

At Atlanta, Brady threw for 316 yards and two touchdowns to improve the Patriots to 4-0 for the first time since their perfect regular season of 2007.

Strong defense in the red zone was decisive as Atlanta (1-3) had a chance to tie in the final minute. Matt Ryan's fourth-down pass went off the hands of Roddy White, tightly covered by Aqib Talib, in the end zone with 36 seconds remaining.

Rookie Kenbrell Thompkins finished with six catches for 127 yards, and Julian Edelman chipped in with 118 yards on seven receptions.

LIONS 40, BEARS 32

At Detroit, Reggie Bush's 37-yard touchdown run helped Detroit score 27 points in the second quarter. He accounted for 173 yards of offense as Detroit (3-1) moved into a first-place tie with Chicago (3-1) in the NFC North.

The Lions scored 24 straight points, including three TDs in a span of 3 minutes, 26 seconds, after Matt Forte's 53-yard TD run gave the Bears a 10-6 lead early in the second quarter.

Jay Cutler, who had four turnovers, threw a pair of touchdown passes and 2-point conversions in the final four minutes.

VIKINGS 34, STEELERS 27

At London, what looked like an international series dud between winless teams turned out quite entertaining.

Greg Jennings had two touchdown catches, Adrian Peterson ran for two scores and the Vikings' defense made a big stop with time running out at Wembley Stadium. Everson Griffen stripped Ben Roethlisberger at the 6-yard line with 19 seconds left. Kevin Williams recovered to seal the victory for Minnesota (1-3).

Jennings made a 70-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown and Peterson had a 60-yard score to help offset two scores by Pittsburgh rookie running back Le'Veon Bell.

The Steelers fell to 0-4 for the first time since 1968.

"Right now, you could say we're the worst team in the league," Roethlisberger said. "That hurts."

BILLS 23, RAVENS 20

Joe Flacco threw a career-worst five interceptions, and finished 25 of 50 for 347 yards and two touchdowns for the visiting Super Bowl champion Ravens (2-2).

Rookie linebacker Kiko Alonso's second interception of the game with 57 seconds remaining moved Buffalo to 2-2. Converted safety Aaron Williams also intercepted Flacco twice, while Fred Jackson had 87 yards rushing and a touchdown. Robert Woods scored on a 42-yard reception.

Torrey Smith had five catches for 166 yards and a 26-yard touchdown for the Ravens.

REDSKINS 24, RAIDERS 14

At Oakland, Robert Griffin III threw a go-ahead touchdown pass late in the third quarter to help Washington (1-3) overcome an early 14-point deficit. David Amerson returned an interception for another score.

Washington looked ready to extend the worst start for the franchise since 2001 when it fell behind 14-0 after the first quarter thanks to a blocked punt touchdown and a scoring pass from Matt Flynn.

But the much-maligned Washington defense allowed the Raiders (1-3) no more points. Oakland starting running backs Darren McFadden (hamstring) and Marcel Reece (knee) both left with injuries.

CHARGERS 31, COWBOYS 20

At San Diego, Philip Rivers threw for 401 yards and three touchdowns, including a 56-yarder to Antonio Gates.

The Chargers (2-2) had blown late leads in their two losses this season. However, they scored the final 20 points against Dallas.

Gates slid behind linebacker Sean Lee to score with 6:54 to go. Lee had intercepted Rivers on a deflected pass and returned it 52 yards for a touchdown and a 21-10 lead late in the second quarter. Dallas (2-2) didn't score again.

TITANS 38, JETS 13

At Nashville, before he left with a right hip injury that landed him in a hospital, Jake Locker threw a career-high three touchdowns. Locker was hurt early in the third quarter when hit first by Muhammad Wilkerson after throwing an incomplete pass, then popped by Quinton Coples. He grabbed at his hip as he went to the ground and was carted off the field before being loaded into an ambulance.

The Jets (2-2) yielded five sacks; Alterraun Verner intercepted two passes and recovered a fumble; Karl Klug sacked Geno Smith and stripped him of the ball for a TD; and the Titans (3-1) turned Smith's four turnovers into 28 points.

BROWNS 17, BENGALS 6

At Cleveland, Brian Hoyer threw two touchdown passes in his first start at home. Hoyer's 1-yard pass to Chris Ogbonnaya with 4:54 left gave the Browns (2-2) an 11-point lead that its vastly improved defense preserved. In his second start in place of injured Brandon Weeden, Hoyer finished 25 of 38 for 269 yards. He threw

a 2-yard TD pass in the first half to Jordan Cameron, who had 10 catches for 91 yards.

Cleveland limited the Bengals (2-2) to 63 yards rushing.

COLTS 37, JAGUARS 3

At Jacksonville, the Jaguars' awful season continued as Andrew Luck threw two touchdown passes and Trent Richardson ran for a score.

Indianapolis (3-1) led 20-3 at halftime — Jacksonville (0-4) has been outscored 75-8 in the first half this season — and made it a laugher with consecutive touchdown drives in the third quarter.

Luck found Coby Fleener for a 31-yard score, then connected with Reggie Wayne in the back of the end zone from 5 yards.

CARDINALS 13, BUCCANEERS 10

At Tampa, Carson Palmer threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Larry Fitzgerald, then Jay Feely kicked a 27-yard field goal with 1:29 remaining.

Patrick Peterson had two interceptions, one setting up Arizona's first TD in six quarters, the other to ruin any chance of rookie Mike Glennon pulling off a comeback in his first NFL start for the Bucs (0-4).

Feely also kicked a 42-yard field goal for the Cardinals (2-2), who trailed 10-0 at halftime.

Starting in place of the benched Josh Freeman, Glennon was steady until late in the game.

For Broncos every return is a Holliday By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com September 30, 2013 DENVER -- The Denver Broncos would be hard pressed to get more from a waiver claim than they have from Trindon Holliday. Well, the Broncos would be hard-pressed to get more production per play from anybody this side of Peyton Manning than they have from Holliday. Sunday was Holliday’s 16th game with the Broncos, last January’s playoff game included. His 105-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the first quarter of their runaway win over the Eagles was his sixth touchdown return for the team. Since being claimed off waivers from the Texans, Holliday has three kickoff returns for touchdowns and three punt returns for touchdowns. He returned a punt 81 yards for a touchdown earlier this season. “It’s cool, we work to make those things happen,’’ Holliday said. “Those guys get it blocked and a lot of times I just have to beat the kicker. I always feel like I have it when that happens.’’ “I didn’t see the entire film,’’ said Eagles coach Chip Kelly, “but I know there was a pretty big hole.’’ But for a quirk of the NFL calendar and a slice of good fortune, Holliday would be doing all of that elsewhere right now. The Broncos were on the hunt for a returner last season following a loss to the New England Patriots that dropped them to 2-3. The Texans, in need of help at linebacker because Brian Crushing had suffered a season-ending knee injury, placed Holliday on waivers. The Broncos and the Colts put in claims and the Broncos were awarded Holliday on the basis of record since the Colts were 2-2 at the time. Had the claims come just a week earlier the Colts would have gotten Holliday. Week 6 is the first week of the season when waiver claims are awarded on current records rather than the previous season’s. The Colts had finished with the league's worst record in 2011, the Broncos were 8-8. “It’s worked out here, I feel like this is the place for me,’’ Holliday said. “I just wanted to contribute as soon as I could here. I wanted to find a role and make the most of it.’’ Check that off the list. For the Broncos it's been a match made in touchdown heaven. Even though Holliday is just 5-foot-5, he just might be the fastest man in the league -- Champ Bailey has called him “by far the fastest guy I’ve ever played with.’’ Holliday was an eight-time track All American at LSU and he won the NCAA

100-meter title in 2009 besting a field that included current Oakland Raiders wide receiver Jacoby Ford. Holliday has run an electronically-timed 9.98 seconds in the 100 meters at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The Broncos have lived with the adventure Holliday can be fielding the ball at times -- he’s had plenty of bobbles in his time with the team -- and coach John Fox has often used another player to field punts deep in Broncos territory. But, in the end, they see the effect Holliday has on coverage units. If they can get him some space, his speed is the ultimate closer. “We know if you give him any sort of crease, he’s gone, that's it, if he gets out front, nobody is catching him,’’ said Broncos defensive tackle Mitch Unrein. “That’s something a lot of teams don’t have.’’

Broncos have all the answers — so far By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com September 29, 2013 DENVER -- In the growing avalanche of numbers, career bests and team records pouring down the east side of the Continental Divide four games into this Denver Broncos season, there is one thing that is both staggering for even the most die-hard Broncos fans and gut-wrenching for even the most glass-half-full people still on the schedule. Denver is averaging a league-leading 44.8 points per game, but no, that’s not the one. Peyton Manning has thrown 16 touchdown passes without an interception, but that’s not it either. Manning has completed 75 percent of his passes, Wes Welker has six touchdown catches -- as many as he had all of last season -- and Trindon Holliday has two touchdown returns. But, no, no and no. The scary thing is that there just may be more in there, more to come. Consider that Manning didn’t throw a touchdown pass in the first quarter of the season opener, that he sat out the fourth quarter of the Broncos’ 52-20 scorched-earth win over the Philadelphia Eagles and that there was a span of roughly 12 minutes in the first half Sunday when Manning was on the sideline as the Broncos' defense was on the field because of Holliday’s 105-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.

So, that’s just under three quarters’ worth of football off the table, meaning that Manning has essentially thrown 16 touchdown passes in 13 quarters. Yes, 16 touchdowns in just over 13 quarters, and you don’t need a slide-rule to know that’s in the area between ridiculous and historic. And if linebacker Danny Trevathan had not tossed the ball aside too quickly on a touchdown that was negated in the season opener because of the ill-advised celebration after an interception return, the Broncos would be the highest-scoring team over the first four games in NFL history. Asked if he ever had a stretch like Manning is having now, Broncos executive vice president of football operations John Elway, a pretty fair passer in his day, said, "No, because no one has." Even John Fox, a noted practitioner of the various ways to say "stay in your lane" or "one game at a time," is having a difficult time keeping a lid on how things are going at quarterback. Given yet another chance to drop the word "greatest" or "best" into a sentence about the Broncos’ 4-0 start, Fox said:

“We’re a quarter into it, I’m one of those guys who would probably be understated and overproduce. We’re not anywhere near done with our body of work, we’re only a quarter of the way into it. I’m pleased with where we are, truth be told you can’t be any better than 4-0 after four games, so we’ll try to continue to prepare and do the things necessary to get ready for each week, including Dallas this week." Then asked if he could understate what Manning has done with the offense so far, Fox simply smiled. "Again, I’ve said he’s a tremendous quarterback, I don’t think anyone would dispute that," Fox said. "I can state the obvious, but I think everybody here knows that."

SportsNation: How good are Broncos?

The Broncos put on their best offensive show yet Sunday. Will records fall? Will Denver go undefeated? Vote!

And everybody knows the rest after four games. The Broncos have now defeated two read-option teams, the defending Super Bowl champ and a coach who once beat the highest-scoring offense in league history in the Super Bowl. The Broncos have gone fast and they've slowed it down. Their defense has had some lapses in blowout wins, but it grinds teams on third downs -- the Eagles had one three-and-out in three games coming in, but had two Sunday -- and gets to opposing quarterbacks stuck working in Manning’s vapor trail. And special teams? In four games, the Broncos have scored touchdowns on a punt return, a kickoff return and a blocked punt. You give this team special-teams touchdowns and you’re begging for a spot on the highlight reel. "We gave up a lot of points and couldn’t stop them," Eagles linebacker Connor Barwin said. "I know [Manning] gets hot and gets going, he got hot on us [Sunday], but like I said earlier in the week, you have to get stops and create turnovers. We didn’t do that." Misery does love company, as the Raiders didn’t do it, the Giants didn’t do it and the Ravens didn’t do it either. At some point it bears pointing out that those four teams are currently a tidy 4-12. And some will say nobody has dug in yet against the Broncos and forced them to play a roll-up-your-sleeves game with punts flying back and forth and field position at a premium. Some wonder, almost out of habit or at least with memories of the Broncos’ meltdown on a frigid day last January dancing in their heads, if the Broncos can muscle up to win one, on defense and with the run game if needed. So sure, there are some question marks that remain with plenty of time, 12 regular-season games and whatever the postseason becomes, for them to arrive. "And we know we haven’t done anything yet but get a good start, but I said it

before and I’ll say it again right now," Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey said. "You do what this team has done, you score 37 points in one and over 40 in the other ones, you get to the quarterback, stop people on third down the way we’ve done so far, that’s pretty damn good." That it is.

Locker Room Buzz: Denver Broncos By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com September 29, 2013 DENVER -- Observed in the locker room after the Denver Broncos' 52-20 win against the Philadelphia Eagles:

Catch their breath: Because of Trindon Holliday's 105-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, the Broncos' defense actually found themselves on the field for 25 consecutive plays from scrimmage against the Eagles' fast-break offense, and the Eagles came away with just two field goals on the two drives. It was a section of the game that might have turned the tide. “Our guys went through a tough stretch there and answered the bell,’’ Broncos coach John Fox said. Regular week: The Broncos opened the season on a Thursday night, then faced the Eagles just six days after a Monday night win over Oakland. This week will be the first “normal’’ game week of the season. “And I think that could be a good thing to get settled in some,’’ cornerback Champ Bailey said. Williams a no-go: For the first time this season, Broncos’ first-round pick Sylvester Williams was a game-day inactive on Sunday. Williams had played just eight snaps on defense against the Raiders on Monday night. But Fox said the decision was "no offense,'' that the team wanted more defensive backs in the lineup against the Eagles' three-wide look and kept 10 active for the game. Close not enough: Cornerback Champ Bailey (left foot) was inactive for the fourth time this season -- the first time he’s missed four consecutive games since the ’08 season. Bailey continues to say he’s close. He said Sunday the team’s winning ways have made it slightly, just slightly, easier to take. “When I’m ready to play, I’ll play. Winning makes everything easier. I’m still really focused on what’s good for my body, but yeah through the process I’m glad we’re winning.’’

Rapid Reaction: Broncos 52, Eagles 20 By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com September 29, 2013 DENVER -- A few thoughts on the Denver Broncos' 52-20 win over the Philadelphia Eagles: What it means: The Broncos have moved to 4-0 by defeating a passing offense that uses power formations (Baltimore), two read-option teams (Oakland and Philadelphia) and a team that hopes to sport a more traditional look (Giants). They have worked fast on offense, slowed things down and topped 40 points in three of four games. Stock watch: Even Google stock, with a corporate timeline of good days, has really, really good days. And even quarterback Peyton Manning can have an uptick in a Hall of Fame career. With four touchdown passes Sunday, he set an NFL record with his 24th four-touchdown game and now has 16 touchdown passes this season without throwing an interception. Defensive coaches who have faced Manning through the years say his accuracy is better than ever right now. On containment: The Broncos' defensive ends had a smattering of issues in keeping Eagles quarterback Michael Vick pinned inside the pocket. Robert Ayers, Shaun Phillips and Derek Wolfe each had moments when they got folded too far down inside in the rush and Vick was able to escape. As a result, the Eagles had 101 yards rushing by halftime. But the Broncos broke the game open after halftime and were more disciplined in the defensive front, largely muting the Eagles run game. Special-ness: With an offense ringing up numbers suitable to a game controller, the Broncos’ special teams units added their second and third touchdowns of the season -- a 105-yard kickoff return and a blocked punt returned for a score. The Broncos would also have a defensive touchdown on their résumé already this season had linebacker Danny Trevathan not tossed the ball aside too quickly on an interception return in the season opener. It’s tough enough to defend the Broncos' offense, but when they get points from the other units they are nearly impossible to handle right now. What’s next: The Broncos get another look at an NFC East team when they travel to Dallas next weekend. The Cowboys will face Monte Kiffin’s Cover 2 look with plenty of A-gap blitzes in the middle of the field. It's a defense that requires plenty of patience to solve. But if Manning has shown anything this season, besides other-worldly accuracy, it’s patience in the passing game.

Del Rio says focus is on current job By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com September 29, 2013

DENVER -- Looking as relaxed as a guy can look when he’s the defensive coordinator of a team that has yet to have two of its best players in its lineup in four games this season, Jack Del Rio said he was aware Sunday about the speculation about his potential interest in the newly opened USC head coaching job. But he just doesn't have much to offer right now. “There isn’t anything to say. It’s all speculation at this point, I’ve got a job to do here, my focus is right there.’’

Del Rio With that, Del Rio was out a side door of the Denver Broncos' locker room after Sunday’s 52-20 victory against the Philadelphia Eagles at Sports Authority Field at Mile High Del Rio’s name was linked almost immediately following Lane Kiffin’s firing at USC Sunday, given Del Rio’s head coaching experience and the fact he played at USC in college. ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter reported Sunday morning that Del Rio will be a top candidate for the USC job. The school fired Kiffin shortly after the team returned from a 62-41 loss at Arizona State. However, several team sources say USC officials will have to be willing to wait to give Del Rio the job. Del Rio’s contract, signed before the 2012 season, is up following the season, but Del Rio couldn’t leave for a new job until the Broncos are done playing, and that includes any postseason games. So even if Del Rio were to accept a position with a college program, that program would have to wait until early February for him to arrive on campus if the Broncos advance to the Super Bowl. Some in the league who have known Del Rio for an extended period of time say the former Jacksonville Jaguars coach might want to see what NFL head coaching opportunities are there at the end of the season as well. The first opportunity for NFL teams to interview head coaching candidates from Super Bowl teams is in the week following the conference championship games. Asked following Sunday’s game about Del Rio’s potential interest in the USC position, Broncos coach John Fox said; “Jack’s committed to the Denver Broncos. I know all of his focus is on coordinating the defense and helping us win moving forward, so I can’t really speak to that, because I’m kind of a social moron this time of year.’’

Asked if he would allow Del Rio to interview with a college team that was interested during the season, Fox said; “Um, again I can’t speak in hypotheticals, we’ll just trot down the road as we go, one day at a time.’’ Del Rio is in his second season as the Broncos defensive coordinator after a nine-year run as the Jacksonville Jaguars' head coach. Now in his second season in his job with the Broncos, he is a rare assistant in that position. When he was hired by Fox before the 2012 season, Del Rio became the team’s seventh defensive coordinator in seven seasons. But the Broncos finished second in total defense last season to go with fourth in scoring defense. This season, with the Broncos’ historically high-scoring offense having helped the Broncos put together four routs, the defense is tied for 22nd in scoring defense and 26th in yards allowed. The Broncos have also played all four of their games without 12-time Pro Bowl selection Champ Bailey and linebacker Von Miller in the lineup. Bailey has been out with a left foot injury, and Miller is suspended for the season’s first six games for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy.

Offers or not, Del Rio will finish out season By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com September 29, 2013

DENVER -- With the head-coaching job now open at his alma mater, Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio is expected to quickly emerge as a leading candidate to replace Lane Kiffin at USC. But according to multiple team sources, even if Del Rio was to interview and/or accept a new position, with USC or elsewhere, he won’t leave his current job with the 3-0 Broncos until the season’s end, even if it were to conclude with a Super Bowl trip. ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter reported Sunday morning Del Rio will be a top candidate for the job at USC, which fired Kiffin shortly after the team returned from a 62-41 loss at Arizona State on Saturday night. The Trojans will have an interim coach finish out the season (ESPN’s Joe Schad reported Sunday that USC assistant head coach Ed Orgeron will coach the Trojans the rest of this season). Del Rio is in his second season as the Broncos' defensive coordinator after a nine-year run as the Jacksonville Jaguars' head coach. When he was hired by John Fox before the 2012 season, Del Rio became the team’s seventh defensive coordinator in seven seasons. Some long-time coaching associates believe that while Del Rio would certainly be intrigued by the USC job, it might not be his only option -- especially if the Broncos continue their winning ways and go deep into the postseason. Del Rio may want to see what NFL opportunities exist at season's end before he makes any decision about his future. If the Broncos were to advance to the Super Bowl, Del Rio couldn't interview with an NFL team until a weeklong window following the conference championship games.

Broncos-Eagles matchup of the day By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com September 29, 2013

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- When quizzed this week about how they have prepared for their first in-person look at Chip Kelly’s offense, the Broncos coaches have said, at least publicly, they’ve looked only at what the Eagles have done in this season’s early stages. Forget about looking at what Oregon did during Kelly’s time at the school to compare how much things do, or don’t, look the same in Philadelphia's offense. Having a short work week after playing on Monday night, the Denver coaches don't have much time for that. But what the Chiefs did last week in a 26-16 win over the Eagles looked, at least in a general sense, a lot like what Stanford did last season in a 17-14 victory over Kelly’s then-No. 1 Oregon team. The Chiefs consistently won the middle of the line of scrimmage, with nose tackle Dontari Poe's top-notch work. Kansas City also matched up largely in man coverage on the Eagles wide receivers, and the Chiefs' safeties and linebackers repeatedly tackled well to limit the catch-and-run opportunities. For the Broncos to have a similar blueprint Sunday, defensive tackles Kevin Vickerson and Terrance Knighton must control the issue on the inside. When the Eagles turned a big play against the Chiefs -- quarterback Michael Vick had a 61-yard run and LeSean McCoy had a 41-yard run -- it was often because they got Poe pushed out of the middle. Poe's work was even more important when the Chiefs used a look that included just two defensive linemen at times against the Eagles' three-wide set. The Broncos will likely use a variety of specialty packages as well. But no matter how they dial it up, the Broncos are going to need Vickerson and Knighton to win the day against the middle of the Eagles line that includes center Jason Kelce and guards Todd Herremans and Evan Mathis.

Denver's Mile High advantage By Matt Williamson ESPN.com September 29, 2013

While the Seattle Seahawks have the best home-field advantage of any team in the NFL, the Denver Broncos clearly have the second-best. Their advantage mostly stems from the lack of oxygen due to the high altitude, but combining that with Peyton Manning's up-tempo, no-huddle offense has made the Broncos look unbeatable at home. This team is built to play at Mile High, and it's why it's so important for Denver to secure home-field advantage for the playoffs.

Let's take a look at what makes Denver's offense so potent and what AFC contenders are best suited to defend Manning's attack.

As they show week after week no matter the opponent, Manning's offense can simply play any style of game and dictate the flow and tempo of the game. He has seen it all, never forgets what he has processed and doesn't panic. He has a rare mind for the game to know when to speed things up and when to slow them down. The Broncos, unlike his old Indianapolis Colts offenses, use a much wider group of skill position players, as well as personnel groups and formations. They rotate skill players in, which of course helps to keep them fresh in the high altitude.

Denver has no problem putting a high-end player like Eric Decker or Julius Thomas on the bench and is presently using a three-man running back rotation. They throw a ton at opponents and Manning doesn't have a favorite target, instead regularly going to the player or play call that has the best mismatch in Denver's favor.

During the Mike Shanahan era in Denver, the Broncos always had one of the league's smallest and most athletic offensive lines. Those athletes up front were perfect for Shanahan's zone blocking scheme and the added bonus was those smaller offensive linemen didn't get as tired in the Denver altitude as heavier big men. Presently, Denver doesn't have a particularly small or overly athletic line, but instead has a well-conditioned and powerful group. Because they are well-conditioned to their home city and Manning's offense, they use power rather than finesse late in games to put away the opposition. And that means they can run the ball late to put away games if needed as well.

Manning will also force defenses to be in their stance a long time before the snap as he goes through his antics. Staying in your stance as a defensive lineman while preparing to explode out of it is tiring, and Manning's offensive line is much more accustomed to holding their stance that long. Manning is also a master at luring defenders offsides with cadence. None of this is an accident. And it also isn't an accident that the Broncos are undefeated at home or that they having consistently pulled away from their opponents in the second half. Sunday was a great example, as Denver only had an eight-point lead at halftime. But early in the second half, the

Eagles looked like a demoralized defense and were no longer competitive against the league's best offense.

Denver entered Sunday's game as the NFL's best run defense. Philadelphia and its unique rushing attack had success and was able to keep up with Denver in the time of possession category early on; this isn't the norm for Broncos. Shutting down the run is key for Denver and greatly complements the Broncos' massive home-field advantage, making the opponent's job of keeping Manning on the sidelines that much more difficult. The Broncos feature an oversized four-man defensive line that is much better against the run than pass with extremely active and speedy linebackers on the second level. They rotate their defensive line, which is imperative at home, but the linebackers are built for thin air. The Broncos, when fully healthy, also feature a very deep secondary and they are not afraid to use lighter sub packages, which again helps with fatigue issues. The Broncos are a very good man-to-man defense and their linebackers can run with opposing running backs or tight ends.

As we saw today, teams that like to speed things up on offense should be reluctant to do so in Denver. The Eagles played very slow on offense today compared to what they usually do. If offenses choose to play hurry-up and are unable to sustain offense consistently, especially if the run game is unsuccessful, then the offense could go three-and-out without taking very much time off the clock -- a huge disadvantage for an opposition's defense.

Is there a defense or two out there that could slow this group down? The short answer is no, as I truly believe that Manning has seen it all, and is just exceptionally tough to beat in Denver. But, because Manning is no threat as a runner, a team that excels in press man coverage could at least disrupt the timing of this passing attack without fear of turning their back on the quarterback. Seattle immediately comes to mind in this regard. I like Richard Sherman's chances against Demaryius Thomas, the Broncos' most difficult receiver to defend. A big physical strong safety like Cam Chancellor could also hold his own against Julius Thomas. Divisional rival Kansas City also could fit this mold, with Brandon Flowers playing the role of Sherman and Eric Berry matching up well with Julius Thomas. The Chiefs' front seven would make running very difficult as well. But as much as I like Flowers, he is clearly a step below Sherman.

While the Broncos have a fantastic home-field advantage, I do have a concern. And surprisingly, that concern is Manning. I thought Manning looked old and cold in Denver's home playoff loss last season. Of course he wasn't far removed from his neck procedures and could have been fatigued from a long season, but Denver's great signal caller is far from a young man. Denver also can have the most snow of any of the NFL cities and Manning's only real weakness in my opinion is his arm strength. Driving the ball through difficult conditions is not his specialty, as seen in several playoff clashes with the New England Patriots over the years.

In the ideal situation, the Broncos steamroll through the regular season and secure home-field advantage throughout the playoffs -- which I expect them to

accomplish. And once that happens, only a team that can play solid man-to-man press coverage and score enough to keep with Manning will have a chance. This offense is playing at an unbelievable pace now and right now no one wants to travel to Denver in the playoffs.

Peyton has Broncos riding high By Evan Kaplan ESPN.com September 30, 2013 As a reminder, Total QBR is a quarterback rating that takes into account all of a QB’s significant contributions (passing, rushing, sacks, fumbles, penalties) to his team’s scoring and winning and summarizes them into one number on a 0-100 scale, where 50 is average. Since 2008, the team with the higher QBR has won about 85 percent of the time. Complete QBR statistics for all quarterbacks can be found here. Manning can't be stopped Peyton Manning had a Total QBR of 95.9 against the Philadelphia Eagles, his highest this season and his second highest in a game since the start of the 2010 season. Dating back to Week 16 last season, Manning has a Total QBR of at least 80 in each of his last six regular season games, the longest such streak for any quarterback in the last eight seasons. Manning’s Total QBR this season is 91.4, the second highest for any quarterback through the first four weeks of a season since 2006.

Highest Total QBR in First 4 Weeks Single Season Since 2006

2007 Tom Brady 92.3

2013 Peyton Manning 91.4

2009 Eli Manning 89.6

2010 Aaron Rodgers 88.7

2007 Peyton Manning 88.3

2006 Peyton Manning 88.1

Manning has done the majority of his damage in the second half this season, throwing 10 of his 16 touchdown passes after halftime. His Total QBR of 98.0 in the second half is the highest in the league, and Jay Cutler

is the only other quarterback with a Total QBR over 85 in the final two quarters. Rivers bounces back Philip Rivers’ Total QBR dipped to 29.4 in the second quarter Sunday after he threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown. But his play was impressive throughout the rest of the game, raising his Total QBR to 81.3 and leading the San Diego Chargers to a comeback win. Rivers posted a Total QBR of 98.3 in the second half against the Dallas Cowboys compared to a 42.5 Total QBR in the first half. It was his highest in any second half in the last two seasons. For more on Rivers click here. Quick Hitters • Jake Locker posted a Total QBR of 87.8 against the New York Jets before leaving with an injured hip, his highest in any career game. Locker has a Total QBR of 86.8 in the last two weeks, the second highest in the league behind Peyton Manning. He is completing 67.2 percent of his passes while throwing four touchdowns and no interceptions in his last two games. • Russell Wilson’s Total QBR was 20.6 Sunday, the second lowest of his career, and he had far more success running the ball than throwing it. He rushed for 77 yards against the Houston Texans, the second most in any career game, and his expected points added on rushing plays was +2.4, compared to -1.8 on passing plays. Wilson threw for 123 yards Sunday, the second fewest in his career, and completed 12 of his 23 passes. • Eli Manning has a Total QBR of 30.0 this season, his lowest through four weeks in the last eight seasons. His Total QBR of 23.7 against the Kansas City Chiefs was his second lowest this season and he was unable to solve Kansas City’s pass rush. Manning posted a Total QBR of 0.6 against five or more pass rushers Sunday, completing two of his six passes with an interception and two sacks.

Peyton Manning masterful again; Broncos blow by Eagles By Lindsay H. Jones USA TODAY Sports September 29, 2013

DENVER – It's almost like Peyton Manning is just toying with opponents now.

For the third time in four games, Manning and the Broncos went into halftime in a close game Sunday. For the third time in four games, the third quarter belonged to Manning.

Manning threw three touchdowns and only one incompletion in the quarter as the Broncos pulled away from the Philadelphia Eagles, on their way to a 52-20 victory.

The Broncos have scored 62 total third-quarter points this season.

When the Broncos added a special teams touchdown early in the fourth quarter to take a 36-point lead, Denver's coaches sent Manning to the bench and gave backup Brock Osweiler the first significant regular season action of his career.

It was another historic day for Manning.

Manning, who threw one touchdown in the first half, now has 16 touchdowns and zero interceptions this season, passing Kurt Warner (1999) for the most touchdowns through four games, and tying Milt Plum (1960) for the longest streak without an interception in NFL history.

The Broncos also set a single-game record with 52 points – the first time with 50 or more points since 1963.

This was a game that could have been a shootout, with two up-tempo, high-scoring offenses. But from the first quarter, the Eagles couldn't keep pace with Manning and the Broncos.

When Manning led a first-quarter touchdown drive, the Eagles settled for a field goal. When Denver's speedy special teams star Trindon Holliday scored on a 105-yard kickoff return, the Eagles answered with another field goal.

"You can't trade three (points) for seven with Peyton," Eagles coach Chip Kelly said. "That stuff's not going to work."

Such has been the story of the first month of the season for the Eagles – who rack up yards by the bunches (463 more of them Sunday, only 15 fewer than the Broncos) but haven't scored nearly enough points. Still, Michael Vick, LeSean

McCoy and DeSean Jackson were good enough to keep the Eagles in games against the San Diego Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs.

But not against Manning and the Broncos.

By late in the second quarter, the Eagles seemed so gun shy of handing the ball to Manning that Kelly deliberately instructed his team to take a delay of game and try to pooch punt rather than attempt a 54-yard field goal.

The move paid off, only because a personal foul penalty on Denver running back Knowshon Moreno pushed the Broncos out of field goal range just before halftime, allowing the Eagles to remain within one score, at 21-13, after two quarters.

The Eagles have now lost three consecutive games, all to AFC West teams. This blowout was a painful reminder of 2012 and raised questions about just how much has changed for the Eagles.

"It's a tough ass league," Kelly said. "If you're going to feel sorry for yourself … then you haven't made any progress."

Broncos rip Eagles as Peyton Manning adds to record book By Lindsay H. Jones USA TODAY Sports September 29, 2013

DENVER — As much as this is a one-game-at-a-time, any-given-Sunday kind of game — as coaches and players on all 32 NFL teams are quick to tell us — the Denver Broncos' fourth consecutive blowout win has provided more than enough of a sample size to ask the legitimate question.

Who on earth is going to stop Peyton Manning?

"Four teams have tried to stop them, and they haven't yet," said Philadelphia coach Chip Kelly after his team's 52-20 loss Sunday.

Kelly can appreciate good offense, but for the Eagles' first-year coach, it was no time for admiration. As Kelly stood on the visitors' sideline, he watched as his helpless defense allowed Manning to lead the Broncos on three 80-yard touchdown drives in the third quarter, each culminating with a Manning touchdown toss. The Eagles couldn't answer any of those scores. And by the end of the quarter, the Broncos had turned a 21-13 halftime lead into a rout.

"I wasn't sitting there saying, 'Hey, that was a really cool play by Peyton.' He frustrates you," Kelly said.

But perhaps the most impressive feat about those drives was that not once as the Broncos covered those 240 yards and scored those 21 points did they need to convert a third down. On those drives, Manning completed passes to six different Broncos (receivers Demaryius Thomas, Wes Welker and Eric Decker, running backs Knowshon Moreno and Ronnie Hillman and tight end Julius Thomas) – a problem no defensive coordinator has yet to solve.

Monte Kiffin of the Dallas Cowboys gets the next shot in Week 5 at AT&T Stadium. But quarterback Tony Romo and coach Jason Garrett would be wise to learn from the failures of Kelly's vaunted offense. If Manning leads the Broncos to a touchdown, you better score one, too.

Philadelphia responded to two early Broncos' touchdowns (a pass from Manning to Welker, and a 105-yard kickoff return by Trindon Holliday) with field goals, and in the third quarter, as Manning and the Broncos really got hot, Michael Vick and the Eagles picked up only one first down in two possessions.

"You can't trade three (points) for seven with Peyton," Kelly said. "It doesn't work."

For the first time in the Broncos' four-game winning streak, Manning finally showed he might be enjoying this.

In his eight and a half minute postgame press conference, Manning twice said he enjoyed the win against the Eagles (there was no such admission after beating the Baltimore Ravens, New York Giants or Oakland Raiders) while he name-checked his older brother Cooper (who inspired his love of NFL trivia), 1960s-era NFL quarterback Milt Plum (whom Manning tied Sunday for the most touchdowns without an interception to start a season) and the Broncos' Arabian horse mascot, Thunder, who sprints the length of the field after each score.

Manning was given a heads up by team staff he might be asked about Plum, but he wasn't tipped off that the Broncos' 52 points were the most ever scored by the team in a single game.

"May have to give ol' Thunder an IV after that one," Manning said.

Yes, the 37-year-old is still slinging the one-liners as easily as he's tossing touchdowns and breaking records. Among the historic marks he reached Sunday was passing Kurt Warner's (1999) and Don Meredith's (1966) record of 14 touchdowns through four games. Manning tied and surpassed that record, which now stands at 16.

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He is also in the midst of a streak of 201 consecutive regular season passing attempts without an interception, dating back to a Dec. 23 game against Cleveland last season – the longest stretch of his career.

"I enjoyed that. That was a good team we played," Manning said. "We were motivated to be on top of our game offensively, to score points, touchdowns not field goals. I thought we did that today. We certainly enjoyed that."

The Eagles meanwhile return to Philadelphia facing questions about how much progress has been made from the team that was in disarray in 2012. The blowout loss on Sunday was a painful reminder of the season that led to Andy Reid's dismissal, Kelly's arrival and a complete overhaul of the offense.

That change has led to a lot of yards — 450 more of them in Denver, but not nearly enough points in three consecutive losses to teams from the AFC West.

"This is a tough-ass league," Kelly said, adding he will have a better answer after gauging the demeanor of his players this week. "If we come out and we're hanging our heads feeling sorry for ourselves, then I'll say we didn't have any progress or growth. … They come back to work on Tuesday, then I'll be excited about this group and we move forward."

NFL Sunday’s 10 most attention-getting performances By Chris Strauss USA TODAY Sports September 29, 2013

At least Kate and Rooney Mara have incredibly successful Hollywood careers to rejoice in today.

The actresses (House of Cards, 127 Hours) (The Social Network, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) are both hardcore Giants and Steelers fans due to the fact that their father (Giants) and mother (Steelers) are both direct descendants of the families that own those franchises.

With both historically successful franchises off to rare 0-4 starts, it has to be challenging enough to be a devoted supporter of one of those teams, let alone both, right now. Fans of Tampa Bay and Jacksonville, you have our sympathy as well.

Fortunately for fans of 12 other NFL teams (and countless fantasy ones), the news wasn’t all bad during Week 4’s Sunday afternoon action. Here are the best and worst performances from all of the daytime games.

The Good: Reggie Bush The first-place Detroit Lions? They earned a share of the NFC North lead as the running back returned from a knee injury by rushing for 139 yards and a touchdown against one of the NFC’s top defenses in the Bears.

The Bad: Joe Flacco Perhaps the new father hasn’t been getting enough sleep. The Super Bowl MVP was anything but elite in the Ravens’ 23-20 loss to the Bills, throwing a career-high five interceptions and completing only 50 percent of his passes.

The Good: Kiko Alonso A linebacker has won the defensive rookie of the year award nine out of the last ten seasons and the Buffalo Bills second-rounder is certainly looking to extend that streak. Alonso’s two picks against the Ravens give him four on the season, enough for the current NFL lead.

The Bad: The Jacksonville Jaguars offense It’s not all on you, Blaine Gabbert. The Jaguars quarterback threw three interceptions on catchable balls while his running back Maurice Jones-Drew averaged 1.8 yards per carry. At this point, the guy flying the “Tebow, Why Not?” banner over EverBank Field is actually starting to make sense.

The Good: Brian Hoyer If Friday Night Lights’ Matt Saracen had an NFL equivalent, it would currently be the Browns quarterback, a local native turned undrafted rookie who has crafted quite the underdog story in his first two starts. While Brandon Weeden’s injury isn’t permanent, his removal from Cleveland’s lineup likely is after Hoyer’s impressive performance in the Browns’ 17-6 win over Cincinnati.

The Bad: Kareem Jackson The Texans cornerback was penalized for unnecessary roughness in overtime after body slamming Seattle’s Doug Baldwin following a 7-yard-reception. The infraction gave the Seahawks 15 extra yards and set them up for a game-winning 45-yard field goal, as Seattle recovered from a 20-3 halftime deficit to win 23-20.

The Good: Peyton Manning It seems like we could include the future Hall of Famer in this list every week, but throwing for 327 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions with an 82 percent completion rate in the Broncos’ 52-20 rout of the Eagles especially deserves it. Manning threw three of those scoring passes and only one incompletion in the third quarter and ended up sitting most of the fourth quarter with the game in hand.

The Bad: Geno Smith Another year, another Jets QB, another buttfumble. It wasn’t quite as bad as Mark Sanchez’s turnover off his lineman’s rear end last Thanksgiving, but Geno Smith’s fumble off of his own posterior late in the team’s 38-13 loss to Tennessee highlighted a four-turnover day for the rookie.

The Good: Patrick Peterson The Cardinals cornerback ruined Bucs quarterback Mike Glennon’s NFL debut by intercepting two passes late in the fourth-quarter to rally Arizona to a 13-10 comeback win over Tampa Bay. Peterson’s first pick set up a Carson Palmer touchdown pass with 3:06 left in the game, while the second one allowed the Cardinals to kneel out the clock with 48 seconds left.

The Bad: Hakeem Nicks The Giants receiver complained that he couldn’t “throw it to myself” after the team’s Week 3 38-0 drubbing in Carolina. Eli Manning targeted Nicks nine times during Sunday’s loss to Kansas City, but Nicks produced only three catches for 33 yards and had multiple drops.

Klee: As Broncos roll, again, motivation comes from AFC West By Paul Klee Colorado Springs Gazette September 29, 2013

DENVER - There are things going on with these Broncos that have never been done before. Things we've never seen before.

Special, fantastical things that defy neck surgeries and NFL record books.

But isn't this the question hovering in the dark reaches of your mind: How do we know That Thing that happened last season won't become a thing again this season?

"It's just a different team," Eagles cornerback Cary Williams told me.

After the Broncos took Chip Kelly's Eagles out to the parking lot, 52-20, at Sports Authority Field on Sunday, I wandered into the Eagles nest. Their locker room was a sad, sad place, green with Manning envy and dim with despair.

That's where Williams was. See, he was a cornerback for the Ravens when they stopped the seemingly unstoppable Broncos on a frigid, forgettable night last January. What's the difference in these Broncos?

"They've been together now two years," Williams said. "They showed it."

I have a theory why this season is different, and it has nothing to do with Peyton Manning's 16 touchdowns (against zero interceptions, tying an NFL record) en route to a 4-0 record.

It has nothing to do with Manning throwing 201 passes without an interception (a career best) or the Broncos' 179 points (four shy of the NFL record through four games), or the Eagles fan in Section 316 who felt so bad by the third quarter, he bought a beer for a Broncos fan.

It has everything to do with what's going on in Kansas City. Yes, in Kansas City.

The 2012 Broncos weren't missing much. Maybe a dome and space heaters on Jan. 12.

But teams that win 11 straight games to close a regular season aren't missing much.

Here's one thing they were missing: A challenger within the division, a rival to force them to lift their game to a playoff level - before the playoffs, because, let's be honest, This Thing is all about the playoffs.

The Chiefs are that challenge, the space heater that will keep the Broncos warm through November and into December. Last season, they didn't have one.

And That Thing happened.

"I'd by lying if I said we didn't notice what they're doing," Broncos defensive tackle Terrance Knighton told me. "I'm pretty sure we want to see Kansas City lose. They want us to lose."

Is it a good thing the Chiefs are 4-0 and the Broncos won't have the same number of wins as the rest of the AFC West combined (13), like last year?

"Definitely. Definitely," Knighton said. "We have our own motivation, our own goals. But we keep an eye on them."

"They always had good players. They just couldn't get it done," Rahim Moore said of the Chiefs. "Now they are."

Let's not go too far, folks. Kansas City would be lucky to stay within a touchdown of the Broncos right now. The Broncos have won 15 straight regular-season games by at least seven points, the second-longest streak in NFL history.

For one, the Broncos have almost as many touchdowns (23) as the Chiefs have punts (26). Whoever beats the Broncos - someone will, right? - must be able to match scores.

"There's still things we can work on," said Wes Welker, a perfect addition to this offense, who caught two of Manning's four touchdown passes.

The Eagles have played both, losing by 10 to the Chiefs and by a gazillion to the Broncos. Who's better?

"Kansas City, to me, was more simple than what this was. They're still trying to jell as a unit," Williams told me.

This is the sixth time the Broncos have opened a season with a 4-0 record. Four times, a Super Bowl happened. The fifth time, Josh McDaniels happened.

Considering the Chiefs' schedule and the Broncos, well, everything, it's quite possible this will happen on Nov. 17 in Denver: "When we play them, we both might be undefeated still. That would make it more interesting," Knighton said.

What's going on with these Broncos is far more than interesting.

It is special, fantastical, the kind of scoring numbers you see on video games.

"May have to give ol' Thunder an IV after this one," Manning joked of the horse who runs on the field after the Broncos score.

This is A Thing, and it's a great thing for the Broncos there's another thing going on in the AFC West.

Klee with Three: The Great Vick, forgiven? By Paul Klee Colorado Springs Gazette September 29, 2013

Along with this column on Chip Kelly’s offense, this was published in Sunday’s Gazette but didn’t make it online:

Klee with Three The Great Vick The Most Memorable Performance at a Mile High stadium? Peyton Manning’s seven-touchdown virtuoso ranks high. (So does the 1998 Monsters of Rock tour with Van Halen and Metallica, but that’s another entertainment genre.) Here’s another one that shouldn’t be forgotten: On Oct. 31, 2004, Atlanta quarterback Michael Vick rushed for 115 yards and threw for 252 yards and two touchdowns. The numbers aren’t startling. If you remember it, the performance was. “I was a lot younger then,” Vick said last week in a conference call with Denver media. Personally, I’ve never seen anything like Vick on that day, and I’ve never seen anything like it since. “Is there anybody else like him?” Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey said then. “Come on, now.” Was there anyone like Vick in his prime? No. Hard to imagine there will be another, either.

The Changed(?) Vick In a great state of dog lovers, we are torn over Vick. “What about his thing with dogs?” my mom said. Mom is right, like usual. That’s still a thing. As transcendent as he was on the football field, Vick’s role with the “Bad Newz Kennels” dog-fighting ring still strikes an ugly chord. Six years ago, Vick was sentenced to 23 months in prison for his involvement in a heinous criminal act. As the owner of a 7-year-old Labrador/Pit Bull/fishing guide mix, this is a tough one. I believe there are few sins worse than cruelty to dogs like my Maya. Perhaps the most important factor is what Vick has done since his imprisonment: developing a prominent role in the fight for animal rights and as a messenger for the Humane Society. Perhaps he’s turned a second chance into a positive. I can’t say for sure. But it’s sure better than the alternative, what was going on before.

Kayvon Webster: Up and comer I’m no NFL scout. But it didn’t take Mel Kiper’s hair, or his eye, to spot a winner in Kayvon Webster. The first conversation with the Broncos rookie was like talking to a veteran. The 22-year-old out of South Florida is as confident as a 10-year NFL vet. “I just know if I do my thing, play the way I can play, I’ll be fine,” Webster told me. In an exceedingly ordinary draft class, Webster was the best draft pick selected by the Broncos in 2013. He doesn’t tackle ballcarriers; he lays a thump on them. “When I can see a play develop, it gives me time to get ready (for a big hit),” Webster said. The challenge now is to find a spot for Webster in a deep secondary.

Cornerbacks Bailey and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie are the highest-paid players on the defense, and Chris Harris established his credentials last season. “He’s a rookie,” Bailey said of Webster. “But he doesn’t carry himself like a rookie.” Agreed, Champ. This one will be around for a while.

Ramsey: Knowshon Moreno, Broncos' determined survivor, shows his tough side vs. Eagles By David Ramsey Colorado Springs Gazette September 29, 2013

DENVER - Knowshon Moreno was once despised and rejected by Broncos fans, who comprise approximately 98 percent of Colorado's population. He was doomed for a forever connection with Josh McDaniels, who ranks among our state's all-time most unpopular invaders.

But Moreno refused to be defined by his once-timid running style or his ripped ACL or his demotion to the practice squad. He kept laboring, kept believing, kept lifting weights and emerged as a vastly improved running back.

The Broncos pulverized the Eagles, 52-20, on a virtually perfect Sunday afternoon. A journey to the Super Bowl remains probable, largely because of Peyton Manning's right arm.

But there's more to this offense than that right arm. Moreno gained 78 yards on 12 carries, a 6.5-yard average, and revealed a rugged attitude. He's elusive and speedy, but he arrived in Colorado with those gifts.

He's now a tough guy, determined to plow to rugged inside yards and willing to challenge linebackers.

Late in the second quarter, the Broncos were driving, most likely on their way to a score, when Manning found Demaryius Thomas for 7 yards and a first down.

Moreno arrived at the pile an instant late and shoved Philadelphia's DeMeco Ryans to the turf. Ryans, 6-foot-1, 250-pounds, did not flop. He tumbled partially because he fell over a teammate but mostly because of Moreno's strength.

Officials were not impressed and penalized Moreno 15 yards for unnecessary roughness.

I was impressed. This was the moment I fully realized the player once known as "No-show Moreno" is no more. Moreno's statement might have cost the Broncos three points, but who cares? Did you really want to see Denver drop 55 on the Eagles?

The man who shoved Ryans arrived in Colorado in 2009 after a magnificent high school and college career. Moreno led Middletown High to 36 straight wins and

three straight New Jersey state titles while gaining 6,268 yards and scoring 128 touchdowns. Yes, 128 touchdowns. In two seasons at Georgia he gained 2,033 yards and scored 32 touchdowns.

McDaniels, The Boy Blunder, was impressed enough to select Moreno with the 12th pick of the first round.

Moreno's good times ended Nov.?15, 2011 when he suffered a torn ACL against the Chiefs. Until then, Moreno had been a promising, if not overwhelming, prospect. He appeared to have lost a step last season, earning exile to the practice squad for eight weeks after he lost a fumble, long a nagging problem.

Champ Bailey kept a close watch on Moreno during those days. The two became quick friends when Moreno arrived in Denver. Moreno had worn No. 24 through high school and college and kept asking Champ if he could wear the number for the Broncos.

Champ, the best No.?24 in Broncos history, always answered quickly and simply.

"No."

Champ wondered how Moreno would react to his demotion. Moreno declined to mope, declined to complain. He refused to surrender to this new-found adversity.

"You get a guy like him coming in with high hopes," Bailey said. "He's first-round pick and then things happen, coaching change, yadda, yadda."

Bailey paused.

"But one thing about him is he stayed grounded and kept working and you see it working out now."

Yes, you can see it.

The Broncos endured their struggles. The Eagles collected 219 offensive yards in the first 19 minutes and trailed only 14-13 early in the second quarter.

Moreno revealed to the Eagles, and the rest of the NFL, that the Broncos are more than a pass-happy offense. He gained 34 yards on Denver's scoring drive, including a grinding, refuse-to-go-down 4-yard journey to a touchdown. The Eagles never again threatened.

As Moreno stood in the end zone, surrounded by teammates, applauded by the same fans who once doubted him, it was easy to admire this running back who conquered injury and skepticism and fumbling. When Moreno places his eyes on a goal, he refuses to give up.

Just ask Champ.

"He keeps asking me for my number," Bailey said.

By the numbers: Peyton Manning treads on historic ground By Josh Katzowitz CBSSports.com September 29, 2013

Only once before in their entire team history had the Broncos scored 50 points in a game. Denver got its pro football franchise in 1960, so that's 53 years where the Broncos only once got past that 49-point barrier (and actually, they've scored 49 points three different times).

The only other time occurred on Oct. 6, 1963 when a Broncos team led by quarterback John McCormick's three touchdown passes and Geno Mingo's five field goals blasted the Chargers 50-34

Well, five decades after that performance against the eventual 1963 AFL title-winning San Diego team, Peyton Manning helped push Denver over the hump again, dominating Philadelphia 52-20 (psst, unlike Sid Gillman's Chargers team from 50 years ago, Chip Kelly's Eagles squad will NOT be winning the league title anytime soon).

But the half-century mark wasn't the only special moment about Sunday's game.

No, quarterback Peyton Manning put up some special numbers of his own.

• Manning's 16 touchdown passes broke the record of 14 through the first four games of the season that had been co-held by Sammy Baugh, Don Meredith and Kurt Warner. Via ESPN Stats Info.

• Manning has tied the NFL record for most touchdowns to start a season without throwing an interception. The only other quarterback to do that, via ESPN Stats Info, was Milt Plum with the 1960 Browns. Plum, it should be noted, needed 10 games to reach that mark.

• Manning, as you know, has 16 passing touchdowns. No other team has more than 15 total touchdowns this season.

And one other Broncos highlight"

• Denver has scored 179 points so far this season. That's the second-most in NFL history, behind the Cowboys' 183-point total in 1966.

So, what does all of this tell us? Well, it was a damn good move for the Broncos to pay a ton of money to Manning even when nobody could be sure before the 2012

season whether Manning and his fused neck ever would be the same as before. Somehow, he's even better now.

On to the rest of the league:

BY THE NUMBERS 1: The number of rookies in NFL history who have started a game and beat the defending Super Bowl champions in the month of September. Buffalo's EJ Manuel from Sunday against the Ravens is the only one. Via NFL History.

3: The number of consecutive games Texans quarterback Matt Schaub has thrown an interception that was returned for a touchdown. That might have led to this good old fashioned jersey burning. Via Lance Zierlein.

7: The number of points the Giants have scored in their last eight quarters.

8: The number of times Colts receiver Reggie Wayne has notched a 100-yard receiving day vs. the Jaguars. It's the most of any active player against one team.

10: The number of years it's been since the Cardinals fought back from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter and managed to win in regulation. The last time, via NFL Communications, was Dec. 28, 2003 vs. the Vikings. As my colleague John Breech noted, that loss was probably Josh Freeman's fault also.

12: the number of rushing touchdowns scored by Vikings running back Adrian Peterson that have been 60 yards or more. That is the most since 1940. To give you some perspective, Jim Brown is second on the list with nine. Via ESPN Stats Info.

30: The number of points the Bears allowed in the first half to the Lions on Sunday. It's the 13th time since 1958 that Chicago has allowed at least that many points in the first 30 minutes of play. Via the Chicago Tribune.

33: The number of years it's been since a team that lost at least 14 games in the previous season has won its first four games of the next season. This time, it's the Chiefs, who went 2-14 in 2012 and now are 4-0 after beating the Giants on Sunday. In 1979, the Lions stumbled to a 2-14 finish and then won their first four games in 1980 (they finished that season 9-7 and missed the postseason). The Lions and the Chiefs are the only teams in NFL history to accomplish this bitter-to-sweet turnaround.

40: The number of games since the Patriots have played a regular-season contest in a dome. That outside streak ends Sunday night when they face the Falcons at the Georgia Dome. Via ESPN Boston.

83.3: The completion percentage for Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers vs. the Cowboys, the most ever for a quarterback who throws for at least 400 yards in a game. Rivers finished 35 of 42 for 401 yards, three touchdowns and an interception.

85: The negative point differential for the Giants (their opponents have scored 146 pionts, while the Giants have managed just 61). It's their worst point differential through the first four games of the season in team history. Not surprisingly, the team is 0-4 -- for the first time since 1987. Via ESPN Stats Info.

100: For the first time in NFL history, a quarterback has 100 more wins than losses. And that quarterback is Tom Brady, who is 139-39 as a starter entering Week 4.

100: The number of consecutive games played by Browns left tackle Joe Thomas, including Sunday's win against the Bengals. Entering Sunday's game, he had played in all of the team's 6,054 offensive snaps since he joined in 2007.

120.5: The number of career sacks for Vikings defensive end Jared Allen. With his 2.5-sack day Sunday, Allen passed Derrick Thomas for the most career sacks accumulated in an NFL players' first 10 years of his carrer. Currently, Allen is 16th on the all-time sacks list, and he's 79.5 behind Bruce Smith, the all-time leader.

181: The number of consecutive passes thrown by Bears quarterback Jay Cutler against the Lions before he finally was intercepted late in the first quarter Sunday. Overall, he threw three picks on the day.

205: The number of minutes into the 2013 season it took before the Chiefs finally turned the ball over (a botched snap by center Rodney Hudson).

240: The number of minutes the Titans have played this season without a turnover. Tennessee joins the 1995 Rams as the only two teams in league history to go through the first four games of a season without committing a turnover.

9,147,059: The amount of money, in American dollars, that Raiders quarterback Matt Flynn has earned since he left the Packers. In that time, Flynn hadn't started a game until Sunday vs. the Redskins. Meanwhile, Russell Wilson, the man who beat out Flynn for the Seahawks starting job last season, has earned just $1.102 million. Via Darren Rovell.

Manning throws four more TDs, Broncos crush Eagles CBSSports.com wire reports September 29, 2013 DENVER -- Peyton Manning made quick work of the Philadelphia Eagles in a game that was billed as fast-break football at its finest.

The Denver Broncos scored more points than they ever had in their 54-year history on Sunday, blowing out the Eagles 52-20 behind Manning's four touchdown throws and two special teams scores.

With two TD passes each to Demaryius Thomas and Wes Welker, Manning completed all but a-half dozen of his 34 throws for 327 yards. He didn't even step on the field in the fourth quarter and cooled his cleats on the sideline for a 12-minute stretch in the first half, too.

Ho hum.

Just another day in the life of Manning, whose 16 TD passes are the most in the first month of a season, besting the previous mark of 14 set by Don Meredith in 1966 and tied by Kurt Warner in 1999. Manning also joined Milt Plum in 1960 as the only quarterbacks to throw that many touchdown passes without an interception.

In a game billed as a warp-speed matchup between teams that like to snap the ball quickly, Manning got off to a rather slow start but drove the Broncos (4-0) on a trio of long touchdown drives in the third quarter to make this one another laugher.

The Eagles also (1-3) surrendered two TDs on special teams in losing for the third straight time, all to AFC West opponents: Trindon Holliday's 105-yard kickoff return and Steven Johnson's blocked punt, which he scooped up himself and returned for a 17-yard score.

Matt Prater's 53-yard field goal capped Denver's 15th straight regular season win, which bested the franchise mark of 14 set in 1997-98 and also broke the previous franchise scoring record of 50 points set against San Diego on Oct. 6, 1963.

Only the 1966 Dallas Cowboys, with 183 points, scored more than the Broncos' 179 in their first four games.

Holliday, the former NCAA track champion who has run sub-10-second 100-meter dashes, tied his own franchise record with a 105-yard touchdown return on a kickoff in the first half. It was his sixth TD return in 21 career games.

It oddly worked in Philadelphia's favor, keeping Manning on the sideline for more than 12 minutes on the game clock, and Michael Vick capitalized on a tiring Denver defense to keep it close -- for a while.

The Broncos led 21-13 at halftime.

After throwing a 6-yard scoring pass to Welker, Manning stood impatiently on the sideline for the final 10:19 of the first quarter and the first 42 seconds of the second quarter, and when he did get the ball back, his 40-yard pass went off a wide-open Eric Decker's fingertips.

Then, Welker slipped on a third-down screen and Manning was back on the sideline watching Chris Polk's 4-yard touchdown run cut it to 14-13.

The Broncos decided to give their defense a rest and ran the ball seven times on their next drive, which ended with Knowshon Moreno bullying his way into the end zone from 4 yards out. Moreno's frustration foul killed another promising drive in the final minute of the first half.

Holliday's TD return was the sixth of his short 21-game career, counting playoffs. His rate of one TD per every 3.5 games played is the best since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.

It was sandwiched around chip-shot field goals by Alex Henery after stalled Philly drives.

Philadelphia came into the game with just one three-out-and in 38 drives and promptly produced its second, after which Manning drove the Broncos 74 yards in nine plays for the touchdown.

Vick finished 14 of 27 for 248 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions and ran eight times for 41 yards.

Broncos OC Adam Gase emerging as hot young coaching candidate Jason La Canfora CBSSports.com September 29, 2013 With Peyton Manning on a record-setting pace and the Broncos offense flourishing, young coordinator Adam Gase has a rising profile, and his time in that role might not extend beyond 2015. His resume is impressive and, though just 34, some GMs believe he will get overtures for head coaching interviews in 2014 should the Broncos continue this tear, though 2015 may prove to be his sweetspot to land a job.

Gase earned the respect of Manning last season as his quarterbacks coach, after a bit of what some team sources described a feeling-out process. By the time former Broncos coordinator Mike McCoy left to become head coach in San Diego, Manning strongly endorsed Gase for a promotion, and that came together quickly. This season Denver's offense is on an even better pace, and Gase may be on a rise similar to what young coordinator Josh McDaniels experienced working with Tom Brady in New England.

Gase's coaching roots go back to Alabama coach Nick Saban -- deeply respected in NFL circles -- and he's spent time on the scouting side, developing talent-evaluation skills, and has also worked with coaches like Mike Martz, and Steve Mariucci. Gase was a key part of McCoy's staff when the Broncos managed to reinvent their offense on the fly and went to the playoffs with Tim Tebow in 2011, and, as receivers coach, he helped cull career years out of guys like Brandon Lloyd.

With so many coaches fired in recent years, there hasn't been time for a new crop of young “It” coordinators to develop in terms of coaches getting head coaching interview requests for the first time, but Gase seems on his way to joining that list as long as Manning is throwing the ball in Denver.

Broncos DC Jack Del Rio, Rams' Jeff Fisher could be targeted by USC By Josh Katzowitz CBSSports.com September 29, 2013

With the decision by USC administrators to fire coach Lane Kiffin early Sunday morning, talk almost immediately began about who could replace that position on a permanent basis.

And it seems as though USC could look to the NFL (again).

That person could be a USC alum, possibly Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, or Rams coach Jeff Fisher, according to CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora.

"It would be shocking if Fisher even entertained the thought, given where the Rams stand and the responsibilities he took on there (he is a Southern Cal guy, but the Rams themselves could end up playing in LA at some point). Del Rio, former Jags head coach, will be a very hot name for many openings if his defense keeps this up, and the school could approach him after the season. It's a job that has held allure for him in the past." -- La Canfora

This would continue a trend from USC to hire its head coaches with NFL experience. The last four coaches – Kiffin, Pete Carroll, Paul Hackett and John Robinson (the second time) -- all had NFL coaching experience before arriving at USC.

Del Rio hasn't coached in the college ranks. But he had some success as the Jaguars head coach from 2003-11, making the playoffs twice and putting together five non-losing seasons.

However, he's made himself into a head coaching candidate again, because of the success he's had with the Broncos defense the past two seasons -- particularly this year when his team has been without Elvis Dumervil, Von Miller and Champ Bailey.

Lane Kiffin, La Canfora reports, could resurface as a consultant for an NFL team, and possibly a position coach on someone's staff in 2014, but he has a lot of money coming to him from USC, and some close to him don't think he will be in a hurry to leave the LA area.

Report: D-coordinator Del Rio will stay with Broncos through 2013 By Will Brinson CBSSports.com September 29, 2013

When Lane Kiffin got dragged off the bus and given the boot by USC AD Pat Haden, the natural reaction was to find as many USC alums as possible and connect them with the Trojans head coach opening. One such coach? Jack Del Rio.

But the Broncos defensive coordinator won't be going anywhere for the remainder of the season, according to multiple reports out of Denver (notably Vic Lombardi of CBS4 in Denver as well as The Denver Post).

Lombardi also notes -- accurately -- that Del Rio could still end up going elsewhere once the season ends.

Vic Lombardi @VicLombardi Not to say he may not pursue something after the season. But he is here for the haul. Confirmed. 9:49 AM - 29 Sep 2013

Del Rio is a USC alum so it makes all the sense in the world for him to head to Southern Cal and try to save his school from the depths to which it has plunged.

The former Jaguars head coach likely won't get many more shots at coaching the Trojans. Perhaps he wants to become an NFL head coach again but perhaps this opportunity will be too good to pass up.

Denver Broncos set single-game franchise record for points in blowout of the Eagles By Frank Schwaab Shutdown Corner/Yahoo! Sports September 29, 2013

In 1963, the Denver Broncos' fourth season, they scored 50 points against San Diego. It took the Broncos 50 more years before they scored 50 in a game again.

The Broncos aren't just destroying teams so far this season, they're setting records as they do it.

Denver scored 52 points (team record) and Peyton Manning now has 16 touchdowns (NFL record through four games) after the Broncos routed the Eagles 52-20.

Manning completed 28-of-34 passes for 327 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions, and was pulled from the game with more than 10 minutes remaining. Manning is still on pace for 64 touchdowns this season, and hasn't thrown an interception yet.

The Broncos have scored 49, 41, 37 and 52 points in their four games this season. Manning has been remarkably sharp and is well on his way to another NFL MVP award. The Eagles' defense had no chance. Surprisingly, Philadelphia's uptempo offense was shut down too. Denver's defense, which still hasn't played a game with linebacker Von Miller or cornerback Champ Bailey this season, held Michael Vick to 248 yards on 14 completions and running back LeSean McCoy to just 73 yards on the ground.

Manning and the Broncos are rolling this season. The way they are playing, that franchise record of 52 points in a game might not last another 50 days, let alone 50 years.

Peyton Manning gets the ‘Godfather’ treatment in Eagles’ hype video By Jay Busbee Shutdown Corner/Yahoo! Sports September 29, 2013

So, this is ... interesting. The Philadelphia Eagles have whipped up this pregame hype video for Sunday's much-anticipated throwdown against the Denver Broncos. And when you're talking about Peyton Manning, there's plenty of material ripe for goofery. Throw in a dash of the Tooth Fairy and a messy "Godfather" reference, and you've got this little charmer.

The Broncos are 10-point favorites, so Philadelphia's going to need all the help it can get. And, hey, if that means long snapper John Dorenbos slathering Manning's bed in Eagle-green paint, well, so be it. Then again, careful making Peyton mad, Philadelphia. He's got a passing offense you can't refuse.

Several NFL names could be in play for USC job after Lane Kiffin firing By Doug Farrar SI.com September 29, 2013

It’s no surprise that USC athletic director Pat Haden fired head coach Lane Kiffin after the team’s 62-41 loss to Arizona State on Saturday. The Trojans had been unimpressive all season, and Kiffin had lost the support of many around him for a multitude of reasons in his fourth season there. The question now is who replaces Kiffin, and there may be a number of NFL names in play. Assistant head coach Ed Orgeron will take the position of interim head coach, but unless Orgeron somehow magically runs the table, Haden will be looking elsewhere.

Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report indicates that current Denver Broncos defensive coordinator and former Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio could be the most compelling candidate. Freeman is one of the better-sourced people in the business, and he believes this could be a match under the right circumstances. Del Rio played linebacker for USC before an NFL career that spanned from 1985 through ’96.

“I’ve spoken to Del Rio repeatedly about USC,” Freeman wrote on Sunday. “There isn’t a more proud alum. But he’s been linked to USC before and has resisted going back. My guess: Del Rio holds off USC for the moment — he may even say he’s not interested — but seriously considers the position while his agent quietly gets a feel for what Del Rio’s head coaching prospects are in the NFL.”

Del Rio has done a great job with Denver’s defense, and Denver’s offense is among the most impressive we’ve seen in a very long time. For Del Rio to leave a team clearly on a Super Bowl path (at least at this point), Haden and his people would have to seriously sweeten the pot. Mike Klis of the Denver Post reports that Del Rio will not leave the Broncos during his current contract, but his contract does expire after the 2013 season.

St. Louis Rams head coach Jeff Fisher is also a serious candidate, according to Scott Wolf of the Los Angeles Daily News.

Fisher played for the Trojans from 1977 through ’80, and he’s in the second year of his tenure with the Rams. As the wolves were circling around Kiffin in early September, Fisher was asked by the media about leaving the Rams for his alma mater, and he called the notion “absurd.” That wouldn’t stop Haden from reaching out, but Fisher is another potential coach who’s currently in a more favorable situation — the Rams don’t exactly look great right now, but Fisher has an impressive amount of autonomy and control in his current position, he’s a key part

of the league’s Competition Committee, and he’s universally respected throughout the NFL.

Another name to consider is current San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman. The USC offense has been traditionally built on a strong balance between the run and pass, and few in football better understand how to strike that balance in diverse ways than Roman. From his days with Jim Harbaugh at Stanford to now, Roman has justifiably gained traction as a big name because of his ability to successfully scheme to his personnel.

On July 1, Dave Miller of the National Football Post wrote that “There is a job waiting for San Francisco 49ers assistant Greg Roman should he decide to return to the college game. The New Jersey native is very well-respected nationally, not just on the West Coast.”

One thing any new USC head coach will have to deal with is the sanctions handed to the program by the NCAA based on impermissible benefits during the Pete Carroll era. Those sanctions included scholarship limitations from 2010 through ’13, and any new coach will obviously have to deal with the aftereffects of that disadvantage.

Haden and USC vice president for athletic compliance Dave Roberts recently met with the NCAA to ask for their sanctions to be reviewed in the wake of the decision to reduce Penn State’s sanctions following the Jerry Sandusky scandal.

“There is no comparison between USC and Penn State,” the NCAA said in a Friday statement. “USC’s appeal was denied, and there is no further consideration being given.”

So, any current NFL coach would have to be able to look past that drama to leave his current position. It’s clear that Haden is operating with a handicap in that regard, despite the program’s storied history.

Jack Del Rio among top candidate to replace Lane Kiffin at USC By Gil Brandt NFL.com September 29, 2013

Los Angeles is a different place than most college stops. Lane Kiffin understands that now, and the next USC head coach will have to as well.

In other words, athletic director Pat Haden will have to hire a coach who has a squeaky clean image and can appeal to the L.A. populace and USC alums alike. And the new coach will have to be able to recruit a little, too.

There aren't many jobs better than this one, and Haden, being a former Trojan player himself, knows it. Consider:

» The Trojans have won 73 percent of their games since 1888 (I'm including the 14 victories that were vacated because of the Reggie Bush scandal).

» USC has had more players drafted into the NFL than any other school with 480, including 77 first-round picks, which also ranks first. The Trojans had 53 players on NFL training camp rosters this past summer, including eight rookies. Last season, there were 44 USC players on active NFL rosters.

» USC has more players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame than any other school with 11.

» The Trojans have had seven victories over No. 1-ranked teams; only Notre Dame has more with eight. They've played in 48 bowl games; only Alabama has more with 57.

Haden should have his pick of almost any coach out there. Here are the top candidates to replace Kiffin as I see them:

1. Jack Del Rio, Denver Broncos defensive coordinator: Del Rio, 50, has been a head coach in the NFL and is a former USC player. Perhaps more importantly, he doesn't have any enemies or skeletons in his closet. His firing from Jacksonville might be a difficult sell to alums, but I actually think he overachieved with the Jaguars, who were 68-71 and made two playoff appearances under his watch. Jack's wife, Linda, would be an asset because of her ability to make people feel at ease. She would be great in the living rooms of recruits talking with mothers. Mack Brown's wife is a tremendous asset in this regard at Texas. Del Rio would bring needed stability to the USC program. He's done a tremendous job at Denver. Historically, USC has not been a high-paying job (although lately the price has risen). Del Rio isn't making head-coaching money right now and as a native

Californian and former USC player, I think he'd take the Southern Cal discount, and I also think USC would be willing to wait for Del Rio, who said Sunday he's staying with the Broncos through the 2013 season.

2. Steve Sarkisian, University of Washington head coach: Sarkisian, 39, took over a program at Washington that didn't win a game in 2008 (0-12). Counting Saturday's win against Arizona, the Huskies are 30-25 under Sarkisian, including 4-0 this season and ranked 15th in the latest Associated Press poll. Last year, Washington won four games as an underdog, a remarkable feat at any school. He coached at USC from 2001-08 (with a one-year stint as quarterbacks coach with the Oakland Raiders in 2004). Al Davis offered Sarkisian the Raiders' head coaching job before Kiffin, but Sarkisian turned it down. He developed Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart as quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator at USC. He's from Torrance Calif., about 20 miles south of downtown L.A.

3. Chip Kelly, Philadelphia Eagles head coach: It would not shock me to see Kelly, 49, leave Philadelphia after one season, especially if the Eagles have a down year. Kelly knows better than most the kind of job this is and can be. He has never been in pro football before this season, and to tell you the truth, I'm not sure he's made for it. He reminds me of Steve Spurrier and Bob Stoops; they were destined to be college coaches. Kelly is similar. Being around him a little, I know he's a rah-rah, enthusiastic guy. Guys like that don't cut it for very long in the NFL. What he did at Oregon, transforming an OK program when he got there to what it is today, is nothing short of remarkable. This one could potentially get messy because of the sanctions leveled against Oregon. Kelly received an 18-month show-cause penalty, which would make his re-entry into college football problematic, but not impossible.

4. Kevin Sumlin: Texas A&M head coach: Sumlin, 49, has a dynamic personality and is a born leader. He has a great deal of experience with head-coaching jobs at two different universities (he was the head coach at Houston from 2008-11) and was an assistant at five other schools. He's a disciplinarian, exactly the kind USC needs because of the environment and distractions around Los Angeles. I like the fact that he has a defensive background (played linebacker at Purdue) and became an offensive coach. He's dealt with Johnny Manziel quite well, giving the quarterback some rope, but also assigning someone to make sure Manziel can't get outside the rope. It's an issue most would have trouble managing, but Sumlin has navigated it well. He has a lot of respect from his peers around college football, including Saban, who tried to hire him once.

5. Kliff Kingsbury, Texas Tech head coach: The 33-year-old Kinsbury is more than just a Ryan Gosling doppelganger; he's one of the best young coaches that I can remember coming into college football. He relates to players and has a great system. He's also a very good recruiter. He worked very hard with Manziel last year when he was Sumlin's offensive coordinator, turning him into a Heisman winner. He also deserves credit for developing Case Keenum at the University of Houston. Kingsbury is the second-youngest head coach in college football, but has proven his worth in a short time. I think if USC would interview him, he would force them to offer him the job.

Can any team beat the Denver Broncos? By Chris Wesseling NFL.com September 29, 2013

Following Sunday's 52-20 drubbing of the Philadelphia Eagles, the conversation should shift from the high-flying Denver Broncos chasing the 2007 New England Patriots' scoring record to matching that team's 16-0 regular season.

Picking apart an overmatched Eagles secondary, Peyton Manning broke Brett Favre's NFL record with his 24th game of at least four touchdown passes. He also broke Kurt Warner's record for most touchdown passes through four games, while matching Browns quarterback Milt Plum's 1960 start with 16 touchdowns versus zero interceptions.

After topping the 50-point marker for the first time in franchise history, the Broncos are now on pace for 716 points -- which would shatter the Patriots' 589 in 2007. Manning's on-pace numbers are even more absurd at 468 of 624 (75.0 percent) for 5,880 yards and a 64:0 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

For all of those bloated numbers, what has to keep defensive coaches up at night is that Manning's offense has yet to play a complete game. They left a few plays on the field again Sunday, including a would-be long touchdown just out of the reach of a wide open Eric Decker.

This team has not been seriously tested in 15 consecutive regular-season games. With All-Pro pass rusher Von Miller and likely future Hall of Famer Champ Bailey due back soon, it could be January before any team puts a scare into the Broncos.

1. The Broncos go against backfield orthodoxy, utilizing a pedestrian but reliable veteran (Knowshon Moreno) as their "get the lead" running back before turning to a riskier playmaker (Ronnie Hillman) as the "keep the lead" back. Once Hillman and Montee Ball start earning the coaching staff's trust, this offense will be even harder to defend.

2. For the second consecutive week, an inconsistent Michael Vick was able to move the Eagles' offense only to fall short in the red zone. The defense and special teams still were a bigger issue than Vick's offense. Nick Foles came on for a quick garbage-time score, but Vick is in no danger of losing his job.

3. Manning drew the Eagles' defense offside three times with his "Omaha!" shout. That won't show up in the box score, but it helped the Broncos extend drives.

4. Philadelphia's linebackers and safeties are a major liability in coverage. That has been the case since the season opener.

5. To put the Eagles' 166 rushing yards and a touchdown (on 35 carries) in perspective, Denver's run defense was holding opponents below 2.0 yards per carry and 50 yard per game through three weeks.

6. Wes Welker is up to six touchdowns on the season. Tom Brady will start Sunday night's game with just five touchdown passes.

What we learned: 40 takeaways from Week 4 By Gregg Rosenthal, Dan Hanzus, Marc Sessler, Kevin Patra and Chris Wesseling NFL.com September 30, 2013

Tom Brady was dead last among NFL starting quarterbacks in yards per attempt entering Week 4, having just completed one of the least effective three-game stretches of a Hall of Fame career.

Brady stemmed that tide Sunday night, leading the New England Patriots to a 30-23 victory over the Atlanta Falcons that had to leave the rest of the AFC's teams shaking their heads at a lost opportunity in September.

Despite a greenhorn wide receiver corps, an inconsistent running game and an ineffective Vince Wilfork, the Patriots are one of just four NFL teams to win their first four games.

The other teams in the division can bemoan New England's fortuitous early-season schedule, but Brady's injury-depleted squad is in control of the AFC East at the quarter-season mark.

Even with Rob Gronkowski and Danny Amendola on the mend, it's natural to infer that the battle-tested Patriots remain the biggest threat to the juggernaut-level Denver Broncos in this conference. Here's what else we learned during Sunday's 13 games:

Detroit Lions 40, Chicago Bears 32

1. Reggie Bush has been the most important piece of the Lions' offense thus far in 2013. Without him, Detroit's offense is a Ford Fiesta. With him they are a Mustang.

2. We were overdue for a classic Jay Cutler game. After looking superb through three weeks, Cutler had the wheels fall off. He threw three interceptions and was erratic most of the day. He looked like 2012 Cutler, constantly waiting to get hit. The Lions' defensive line clearly was in his head. The body-language police will have a field day with Cutler this week.

3. The Lions' defensive front taught the young right side of the Bears' offensive line its first lesson of the season. Ndamukong Suh finally got the stats (two sacks and a forced fumble) to go with his great play through the quarter mark of the season.

Buffalo Bills 23, Baltimore Ravens 20

1. Joe Flacco can't throw to Ed Dickson because the tight end already has six drops this season. He couldn't throw to Brandon Stokley because the slot receiver was inactive. As a result, Tandon Doss and Dallas Clark combined for 18 targets. Clark was on his couch when the preseason started. Doss couldn't last through final cuts. The Ravens desperately need Marlon Brown and Deonte Thompson to gain Flacco's full trust.

2. The Ravens' lack of playmakers shouldn't overshadow the early season ineptitude of the offensive line. The tackles have struggled to open running lanes while the interior has been a sieve against the pass rush.

3. The Bills' rookie class put on a show. Kiko Alonso became the first linebacker in franchise history with interceptions in three consecutive games. Wide receiver Robert Woods, a second-round pick, totaled 93 yards and a touchdown on five touches. He had a second score that was overturned on replay. EJ Manuel completed just 10 passes, but led the Bills on scoring drives when they absolutely had to respond.

Kansas City Chiefs 31, New York Giants 7

1. Keeping pace with Reggie Bush as unlikely tailback MVP candidates behind Peyton Manning, Charles effectively salted the game away with an unstoppable clock-killing, fourth-quarter drive for the third consecutive game. Andy Reid's latest chess piece is the team's leading rusher and receiver through Week 4, on pace for 1,156 yards on 280 carries to go with 92 receptions for 852 yards and 16 total touchdowns.

2. The Giants have scored seven points in their last eight quarters while starting 0-4 for the first time since the 1987 "scab" season. Eli Manning's 77 turnovers since 2010 are the most in the NFL over that span. The offensive line can't block, and Victor Cruz is the only reliable weapon in the passing game. Just like last season, Hakeem Nicks simply isn't winning one-on-one matchups.

3. Tom Coughlin continues to cut off his nose to spite his face in the Giants' backfield. David Wilson is running tentatively with no opportunity to get in a groove in a committee attack. The current version of Brandon Jacobs is one of the slowest NFL running backs we've ever seen. The Giants will discover what they have in Wilson at some point this season. In the meantime, the season has slipped away.

Denver Broncos 52, Philadelphia Eagles 20

1. Peyton Manning broke Brett Favre's NFL record with his 24th game of at least four touchdown passes. He also broke Kurt Warner's record for most touchdown passes through four games while matching Browns quarterback Milt Plum's 1960 start with 16 touchdowns versus zero interceptions. After topping the 50-point

marker for the first time in franchise history, the Broncos now are on pace for 716 points -- which would shatter the Patriots' 589 in 2007. Manning's on-pace numbers are even more absurd at 468-of-624 (75.0 percent) for 5,880 yards and a 64:0 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

2. For the second consecutive week, an inconsistent Michael Vick was able to move the offense up and down the field only to fall short in the red zone. The defense and special teams were still a bigger issue than Vick's offense. Nick Foles came on for a quick garbage-time score, but Vick is in no danger of losing his job.

3. Wes Welker is up to six touchdowns on the season. Tom Brady started Sunday night's game with just five touchdown passes.

Indianapolis Colts 37, Jacksonville Jaguars 3

1. Blaine Gabbert continues to show nothing. He averaged just over five yards per attempt and threw three interceptions, one of which was brought back for a game-turning touchdown in the second quarter. We already knew Gabbert wasn't the answer. Each game only reinforces that notion.

2. Trent Richardson scored a touchdown from in close for a second consecutive week for the Colts, but he brought his yards-per-carry issues with him from Cleveland. He finished with 60 yards on 20 carries.

3. Maurice Jones-Drew will be playing elsewhere next season. His production is bound to crater given the Jags' plight, meaning there's a good chance his new team will get the veteran running back at a bargain rate.

Arizona Cardinals 13, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 10

1. Mike Glennon showed promise. There were errors and a few ugly reads, but the rookie quarterback's best quality was evident: He isn't afraid to get rid of the ball. Glennon rolled away from the rush, checked down to second and third options and capably built a 10-0 halftime lead before throwing it away with two interceptions in the final four minutes.

2. For three quarters, Darrelle Revis won his battle with Larry Fitzgerald, who went into halftime without a catch. Revis didn't key on Fitzgerald exclusively -- sometimes pushing him into zone coverage -- but their matchup should be a Game Rewind sensation this week. Revis had a pick on a pass intended for Fitzgerald, but the All-Pro wideout roared back with six second-half catches and the game's key touchdown reception.

3. Nice win by the Cardinals, but their offensive line is a problem. The Bucs were held to one sack but controlled the line of scrimmage. Carson Palmer is a dead man walking until offensive tackle Levi Brown and friends get this fixed.

Cleveland Browns 17, Cincinnati Bengals 6

1. Aided by a stifling defense, quarterback Brian Hoyer guided Cleveland to a second consecutive victory since replacing Brandon Weeden in the starting lineup. He wasn't perfect, but Hoyer -- again -- was decisive throwing the ball and led the Browns on a long fourth-quarter scoring march that salted away the win.

2. If you listen to the "Around The League Podcast," you know our gang of scribes has its issues with Andy Dalton. Sunday was a perfect example of why. The Bengals quarterback passed for a whopping 69 yards in the first half and failed to take advantage of good field position. Dalton doesn't lift the play of the guys around him. We can't help but wonder what this talented team could do with a gunslinger at the helm.

3. This was a statement game for Cleveland's young defense. Joe Haden locked down A.J. Green in man coverage, and the Browns badgered Dalton with a disguised pass rush that unleashed rookie Barkevious Mingo and saw cornerback Chris Owens strip-sack the Bengals passer to open the third quarter. This is a well-coached unit that doesn't give up big plays.

San Diego Chargers 30, Dallas Cowboys 21

1. Philip Rivers for MVP? Yes, it's still early, but Rivers is playing as good as any quarterback not named Peyton Manning. Rivers threw for 401 yards and three touchdowns, completing 83 percent of his passes. Rivers is back, and it's made the Chargers an AFC player.

1. Shame on the Cowboys, who had a chance to establish themselves as a legit NFC contender and instead let another game slip away. Dallas had a 21-10 lead in the second quarter, but surrendered the game's final 20 points. You won't read any Monte Kiffin fluff pieces this week.

2. Antonio Gates is alive and well. The veteran tight end was a beast, finishing with 10 catches for 140 yards and a touchdown. Rivers' resurgence has done wonders for Gates, who looks healthy and is producing like his mid-2000s heyday.

Tennessee Titans 38, New York Jets 13

1. Jake Locker was on the way to the best game of his career when he went down with a potentially serious right hip injury in the third quarter. If he misses extended time, the Titans will lose their opportunity to properly evaluate what they have in the 2011 first-round pick. Locker was hospitalized with the injury.

2. Any good will Geno Smith built up over the Jets' first three weeks was undone over four heinous quarters in Nashville. Smith looked rattled, finishing with four turnovers that led to 28 Titans points. Smith didn't give his team a chance, and the Jets are right to be nervous about the quarterback situation -- again.

3. The Titans' decision to deactivate wide receiver Kenny Britt didn't set back their offense at all. You have to wonder if Judgment Day is coming on that front this week.

Seattle Seahawks 23, Houston Texans 20

1. The Texans played 40 perfect minutes, and then 32 awful minutes into overtime to blow a 20-3 lead. That's the story of their season. They are an imbalanced team with a great defense and a mediocre offense. Matt Schaub played great for most of this game but threw a back-breaking interception. He's made too many mental mistakes.

2. Seattle's pass protection issues are something to watch in the coming weeks. Russell Wilson could barely get a pass off most of the game. This comeback was about Seattle's defense and Wilson's ability to scramble. With nothing happening through the air, Wilson ran for 77 yards down the stretch, including an enormous fourth-down scramble near the goal line.

3. Texans running back Ben Tate was benched after a costly fumble in the third quarter. Houston missed his juice late in the game.

Minnesota Vikings 34, Pittsburgh Steelers 27

1. A frenetic Steelers comeback fell 6 yards short when Ben Roethlisberger lost a fumble in the red zone with under 20 seconds left. It was a fitting ending. Minnesota's pass rush rag-dolled Pittsburgh's pathetic pass protection all day. Mike Adams was schooled by Jared Allen. The Steelers seem to have no solution for their offensive line.

2. Look for the Vikings to stick with Matt Cassel as their starting quarterback. He wasn't as good as his numbers indicated in this game (25 throws for 248 yards and two touchdowns), but you can't argue with the results. Cassel was aggressive trying to throw the ball down the field.

3. Greg Jennings looked like himself for the first time all year on a 70-yard touchdown. Perhaps the veteran wideout still has some juice after all. Pittsburgh's tackling and pass coverage was miserable all day. It's not all about the offensive line.

Washington Redskins 24, Oakland Raiders 14

1. It's amazing how much the Raiders missed Terrelle Pryor. With running back Darren McFadden (hamstring) and Marcel Reece (knee) hurt early in the game, Oakland needed to throw. Flynn got poor protection overall and couldn't create plays out of the pocket on his own. He threw a crippling interception returned for a touchdown. The Raiders' offensive line requires a quarterback like Pryor who can make his own magic.

2. The Redskins lost running back Alfred Morris to a rib injury in the fourth quarter. Roy Helu did a solid job closing the game out. After the game, coach Mike Shanahan announced that Morris didn't break any ribs.

3. The key to Robert Griffin's game was his decision-making. He ran for just 10 yards, but he connected a lot of nice third-down throws and avoided big mistakes. He's thrown the ball well the last two weeks.

New England Patriots 30, Atlanta Falcons 23

1. Bill Belichick is known for taking away what an offense does best. He used Aqib Talib and safety help to put the clamps on Julio Jones until the final minutes, daring the Falcons to beat them with Tony Gonzalez, a less-than-100 percent Roddy White and the ground attack. It worked. Even with Jones padding his stats late in the game, the Patriots have held opposing No. 1 receivers to an average of just 58 yards through four games. The combination of Talib and safety Devin McCourty has been Pro Bowl-caliber.

2. All of that extra attention on Jones freed up Gonzalez for a career-high 149 yards to go with a pair of touchdowns on a dozen receptions. If Gonzalez needed a few games to get into football shape after missing training camp, it looks like he's finally made it back to 2012 form.

3. Of the Patriots' undrafted training camp sensations, Kenbrell Thompkins looks like a keeper while Zach Sudfeld appears to be a dud. Thompkins dropped a couple of passes, but also showed playmaking ability in catching six passes for 127 yards and a touchdown. Sudfeld has yet to record a reception this season and muffed an onside kick Sunday night.

Blitz Peyton Manning? Good luck with that By Sam Farmer LA Times September 28, 2013 Getting an edge on Peyton Manning in three easy steps:

1. Draw up a comprehensive list of blitzes and pressure packages.

2. Put those on a card and laminate it.

3. Feed that play sheet into the shredder.

If there are blitzes that work against the Denver Broncos quarterback, they haven't surfaced this season, even with All-Pro left tackle Ryan Clady out for the season. No NFL quarterback has been more effective against the blitz, with Manning completing 63.6% of his passes in those situations (14 of 22) with four touchdowns and a passer rating of 140.5.

Surprisingly, Oakland's lightly experienced Terrelle Pryor is second on that list with a 133.5 rating when blitzed, followed by Atlanta's Matt Ryan, 130.1; Seattle's Russell Wilson, 127.8; and San Diego's Philip Rivers, 123.2.

The bottom of the list is predictable, populated with lower-tier quarterbacks such as Cleveland's Brandon Weeden, 58.2; Jacksonville's Chad Henne, 55.7, and Blaine Gabbert, 45.1; and Minnesota's Christian Ponder, 6.3, achieved by completing 29.6% of his passes when blitzed (eight of 27) with no touchdowns and three interceptions.

Washington's Robert Griffin III was outstanding against blitzes as a rookie, notching a league-high passer rating of 143.5. This season, with his mobility hampered by a surgically repaired knee, he looks like an entirely different player and has a rating of 67.8.

Manning is so thorough in his preparation, he will not only study the tendencies of a defense, but also he will learn everything he can about a coordinator and that coach's background, influences and mentors … anything that will give him an advantage when he brings the Broncos to the line of scrimmage.

"Certainly when teams blitz, you want to take your shots down the field, depending on what the coverage is," Manning said. "Other times, you want to try to help your linemen out and get the ball out of your hands. If we can catch a short pass and break a tackle, that's certainly a productive play."

Former NFL quarterback Rich Gannon, once voted the league's most valuable player, was exceptional against blitzes. He compares the maturation of quarterbacks in those situations to the classes a typical college student might take.

Identifying a blitz and safely throwing the ball away? You get an A in Blitz 101.

Spotting a blitz before the snap, making the proper protection adjustments, and picking up eight yards on a three-step slant? You've aced Blitz 202.

But what about Professor Manning?

"He's at the Ph.D. level," said Gannon, now a CBS analyst. "He anticipates ahead of time based on his film study and preparation during the week. He's able to preview information in the huddle ahead of time. 'Hey, guys, I'm anticipating pressure. Heads up for this.' Then he can get up to the line of scrimmage and recognize the front, the down and distance, the coverage, where the pressure's coming from, and change the protection.

"Now here's where he's different than most guys: Not only does he change the protection, but he makes you pay for doing so. He'll get into the right protection, take the hit off and allow himself time to set his feet and make an excellent throw, but then he'll put the concept with it that has a chance to rip your heart out, has a chance to be a touchdown."

Closers

One reason Miami is undefeated this season is the Dolphins have slammed the door on teams, something they didn't do in 2012. They have allowed just three points in the fourth quarter of games, after giving up 101 points in fourth quarters last season.

The Dolphins are 3-0 despite being outgained in each of their games. According to Elias Sports Bureau, the only other team in the last 15 years to win its first three games despite being outgained in each was last season's Arizona Cardinals. That should give Miami pause, considering those Cardinals started 4-0 before losing 11 of 12.

Can't block it out

Eli Manning was sacked seven times in Carolina last Sunday, with five of those coming in the opening quarter. It could be even uglier for the Giants in Kansas City on Sunday, facing a second-ranked Chiefs defense that leads the league with 15 sacks. New York's line is painfully young and likely will be missing a couple more starters because of injuries, guard Chris Snee and center David Baas.

Big target

New Orleans' Jimmy Graham has 313 yards receiving in the past two games, the most by a tight end in a two-game span in a single season since Denver's Shannon Sharpe had a record-tying 413 in 1996. Should Graham collect 101 yards or more against the Dolphins on Monday night, he would set the record for receiving yards by a tight end over a three-game span.

College reunion

When Seattle plays at Houston, it will be the first time star Texans linebacker Brian Cushing will face his former coach at USC, the Seahawks' Pete Carroll.

According to the Houston Chronicle, Cushing said Carroll "was a very influential person at a critical stage in my career and in my life, a guy that's helped me tremendously grow up as a person and a football player."

Carroll, too, was effusive about Cushing, calling him "one of the best players we ever recruited."

"As a young guy, he was just a real classic Jersey kid, feisty, tough and confident the moment he stepped on our campus," the coach said.

Perfect P & Easy E

The Mannings are at the opposite ends of the emotional spectrum, with Peyton's Broncos at 3-0 and Eli's Giants at 0-3. The brothers have very different personalities, too, something that was obvious in the excellent documentary "The Book of Manning," which aired on ESPN this week.

Watching it reminded me of something the ultra-Type-A Peyton told me 10 years ago, when Eli was still at Mississippi.

"I could tell you every quarterback in the SEC for the last 20 years," he said. "We had to teach Eli the 12 teams in the SEC before he went to Ole Miss."

Denver Broncos' Jack Del Rio Among Front-Runners for USC Trojans Job By Mike Freeman Bleacher Report September 29, 2013

Denver Broncos assistant coach Jack Del Rio is among the front-runners for the USC Trojans coaching job, several NFL sources have told Bleacher Report.

It's not clear if Del Rio would consider the position, or what USC considers its other options after firing coach Lane Kiffin. What is clear, according to NFL team officials, is that USC considers Del Rio among the top, if not the top, prospects for the position. The school wants him badly.

This doesn't mean Del Rio wants the job.

Del Rio, 50, was the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2003 to 2011 and is a USC alumnus. As the Broncos defensive coordinator since 2012, he's helped to transform Denver's defense into an aggressive, complete unit that has allowed a league-best 43.3 rushing yards per game in 2013.

He's been able to do this without Von Miller (suspended) or Elvis Dumervil, who left for the Ravens in the offseason.

The problem for USC is that, despite being fired in Jacksonville, it's quite possible Del Rio will have opportunities to become a head coach in the NFL again. Many in football view what happened in Jacksonville as more management's fault than Del Rio's.

There was, and remains, a dearth of talent on the Jaguars roster.

At USC, Del Rio played both baseball (catcher) and football (linebacker). He was the MVP of the 1985 Rose Bowl. I've spoken to Del Rio many times about USC. There isn't a prouder alum. But he's been linked to USC before and has resisted going back.

My guess: Del Rio holds off on USC for the moment—he may even say he's not interested—but seriously considers the position while his agent quietly gets a feel for what Del Rio's head coaching prospects are in the NFL.

Summit High School hosts former Denver Bronco for homecoming week Summit Daily News September 29, 2013

This week students at Summit High School will be treated to a special kick off to homecoming during an assembly featuring former Denver Bronco Reggie Rivers.

Rivers, a graduate of Texas State University with a degree in journalism, signed with the Broncos in 1991 as an undrafted free agent. He played six years in Denver as a running back.

During his NFL tenure, Rivers wrote a weekly football column for the Rocky Mountain News. He remained in Denver after his retirement from the game, earning a master’s in global studies from the University of Denver, and currently works for a variety of local newspaper, radio and television outlets.

In addition to his journalistic contributions, Rivers has written five books, including “The Colony: A Political Tale,” an allegory about foreign policy told from the perspective of two ant colonies. In 2009, “The Colony” received top prize for general fiction in the Premier Book Awards and third place for general fiction from the Colorado Independent Publishers Association.

When not writing or hosting radio and television programs, Rivers travels the country serving as an auctioneer for charitable fundraisers, a master of ceremonies for all kinds of events and as a motivational speaker. Rivers has been touted for his public speaking engagements, which are chalk full of insightful stories about life in the NFL that “allow him to connect to the audience and deliver a message of hope and optimism that makes people want to jump out of their chairs and go tackle the obstacles that have been standing in their way.”

Rivers is slated to appear at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Summit County High School as part of homecoming week. The Tigers square off against the Moffat County High School Bulldogs at 6 p.m. Friday at Summit High School.

Manning Mortgage Calculator: How long would it take for Peyton to pay off your house? By Jeremy Hubbard KDVR.com September 29, 2013

DENVER — Peyton Manning is one of the highest paid players in the NFL, with a salary approaching $20 million dollars this season. Imagine the bills you could pay, if you had that kind of money.

Well, imagine no longer – because a real estate blogger has done just that. He’s figured out a way to calculate just how many great Peyton plays it would take to pay off your house. He calls it the Manning Mortgage Calculator.

“It was kind of a really difficult idea to come up with. But we eventually got to the point of looking at his salary, and looking at his statistics, to figure out how many passes and touchdown throws it would take to pay off your mortgage,” said Travis Sowrie, the writer for the Movoto.com real estate blog, who came up with the calculator.

He crunched the numbers – taking Peyton’s passing and touchdown statistics for the last three seasons he started, and divided them by his $19.2 million dollar salary.

It’s staggering. If you break down Peyton’s paycheck, he makes $559,277 per touchdown. He makes $46,376 for every pass completed. Heck, he even makes $31,423 for every pass he throws, whether he completes it or not.

“I just shook my head i was like oh my gosh… It’s amazing what they make,” said Sowrie after he did the math,

Using those numbers, Sowrie developed the calculator for fun, so you could see how long it would take Peyton to pay off your house.

Let’s say you have a $125,000 mortgage. Peyton could pay that off with just three pass completions, 4 passing attempts, 31 yards passing, or one touchdown.

Say your house cost $450,000? Peyton could still pay that off, with just one touchdown.

This fun idea is one way for Sowrie, a Colts fan, to take his mind off the heartbreak Peyton caused him when the legendary quarterback left to become a Denver Bronco.

“Basically I feel like I grew up with him, I was at his very first game, I watched him throw his very first touchdown. He’s the best quarterback ever, and so he’s always going to have a special place in my heart,” Sowrie said.

To figure out how long it would take for Peyton to pay off your house, click on the link to the Manning Mortgage Calculator here: http://www.movoto.com/blog/novelty-real-estate/pay-off-your-mortgage-with-peyton-manning/

Del Rio could land at USC By Mike Florio ProFootballTalk.com September 29, 2013

The Broncos have dealt with plenty of distractions this year on the defensive side of the ball. Another one could be coming.

Gil Brandt of NFL Network and SiriusXM NFL Radio, a 30-year executive with the Cowboys, has reiterated his belief that Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio will be the next coach at USC.

When Pete Carroll made the jump to Seattle in early 2010, Del Rio’s name emerged as a possible replacement. After being coy initially, the former USC standout eventually stayed with the Jaguars.

If he’s interested this time (and if he gets the job), the question becomes when he’d leave Denver. Former Patriots offensive coordinator Charlie Weis split time between Foxborough and South Bend nine years ago, finishing the job of a Super Bowl run before fully exiting for Notre Dame.

If the Broncos make a Super Bowl run, that’s too long for USC to wait for Del Rio. At a minimum, he’ll have to put one foot in each boat. At worst, a defense that has gotten by without Elvis Dumervil, Von Miller, and Champ Bailey may have to also get by, eventually, without Del Rio.

It may not matter. Unless Peyton Manning becomes the next coach at USC, the Broncos don’t seem to be poised to stumble.

At least until January, where they stumbled last season. And where, in all fairness, Peyton has stumbled often.

Denver could be record-setting favorite against Jacksonville By Mike Wilkening ProFootballTalk.com September 29, 2013

In two weeks, 4-0 Denver hosts winless Jacksonville.

From an oddsmaking perspective, it could be the biggest pro football mismatch of all-time.

According to R.J. Bell of Pregame.com, Jay Kornegay, the vice president of race and sports book operations at the Las Vegas Hotel and Casino, makes a Denver a 28-point favorite against Jacksonville.

In a press release Sunday night, Bell also said he talked to multiple oddsmakers about an early Jacksonville-Denver line for Week Six and the “consensus” was Denver would be a 28-point favorite at home.

This would be a mammoth point spread for a pro football game — the biggest ever, Bell said.

A 28-point spread would even exceed the gigantic number set for Philadelphia-New England in 2007. New England, which was on its way to a perfect regular season, was favored by 25, per records kept by Marc Lawrence’s Stat and Log Book. Also, Pittsburgh was a 24-point favorite against Tampa Bay in 1976, according to Las Vegas Sports Consultants, Inc.

The caveat here is we are still two weeks from Jacksonville’s meeting with Denver. An improved effort from Jacksonville at St. Louis in Week Five — or a poor effort by Denver at Dallas next Sunday — and perhaps the number never reaches 28.

However, it is clear that if both teams stay on their respective paths, this will be a huge point spread. Denver has outscored opponents 179-91 in four games. Jacksonville, by contrast, has been outscored by a 129-31 margin.

Broncos win their fourth straight blowout By Michael David Smith ProFootballTalk.com September 29, 2013

Some day, some team will play a competitive game against the Broncos. But it hasn’t happened yet, and it certainly didn’t happen today in Denver, with the Eagles in town.

Peyton Manning was a ridiculous 28-for-34 for 327 yards, with four touchdowns and no interceptions, and he didn’t even play in the fourth quarter, as the Broncos cruised to an easy win.

The way the Broncos are playing right now, it’s almost unfair. The offense is virtually unstoppable. The defense hits hard, makes life miserable for opposing quarterbacks and isn’t even at full strength yet without the injured Champ Bailey and the suspended Von Miller. And the special teams has Trindon Holliday, who in addition to being the NFL’s shortest player may be the NFL’s fastest player. Holliday scored his second return touchdown of the season when he ran a kickoff back 105 yards in the second quarter.

The Eagles didn’t look good at all, and they looked especially bad once the Broncos made some defensive adjustments to keep up with Chip Kelly’s fast-paced offense. At 1-3 the Eagles obviously have a lot of work to do, but the reality is that every team looks bad against the Broncos, who have blown out all four of their opponents this season.

There’s still a lot of football to be played, but for the first month of the season we can safely say this: The best quarterback in the NFL and the best team in the NFL are located in Denver.

London fans embrace NFL, London media doesn’t By Mike Florio ProFootballTalk.com September 29, 2013

The NFL sent a pair of 0-3 teams to London this week, but it didn’t seem to matter.

As explained by SportsBusiness Daily, a Saturday block party in London drew more than 500,000 fans. Via Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Steelers players and owners Dan Rooney and Art Rooney II were “overwhelmed” by the turnout on Regent Street, which was closed for the event.

Via SBD, however, the London media has yet to demonstrate the same zeal. The Sunday Times didn’t mention the game on the cover of its sports section, and the website of major publications like the Telegraph, the Daily Mail, and the Guardian had no NFL stories on their home pages.

According to PFT’s mole on the scene, the overall reception has been mixed. Several cab drivers didn’t even know the game was happening, and the pubs continue to focus predominantly on the other kind of football.

“We have a long way to go to catch their hearts” was the message we got from someone attending the game.

The NFL seems to be willing to wait, and to do what it takes to spread the virus of American football to other countries.

Best Yet to Come for Broncos O? By Andrew Mason DenverBroncos.com September 29, 2013

DENVER -- The numbers continued to fall like golden leaves from the aspens, and the result in Sunday's 52-20 rout over the Eagles was at least as dazzling as the fall colors in the high country.

The Broncos set a franchise single-game record for points, eclipsing a record that would have turned 50 years old next week. They've scored more through four games than anyone in 47 years, and haven't won a game by less than 16 points. They've spent nearly half of their four games up by at least two scores, and they haven't trailed in 155 minutes, 47 seconds of play dating back to Week 2.

Peyton Manning is off to the best four-game start for any quarterback in the sport's history. Three receivers are on pace for 1,000 yards; two are on a 100-catch pace. A pass rush without Von Miller has more than twice as many sacks as its opponents and features two defensive ends on a 14-sack pace. Trindon Holliday continues to amass kickoff and punt return touchdowns at a staggering rate: one every 10.7 returns since he joined the Broncos.

At one point, Sunday's game resembled Canadian football, as the Broncos went three consecutive drives without even being forced into third down. Sixteen of the Broncos' last 26 drives led by Manning that didn't involve kneeldowns have resulted in points.

"You sit back and watch it and you're in awe," said Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

Just reciting those superlatives leaves one as breathless as the Eagles were Sunday as they tried to execute their high-tempo offense without the benefit of practicing at over 5,280 feet; working the offseason and training camp at 36 feet above sea lavel simply wasn't going to cut it.

The difference between the Broncos and Eagles was as vast as the elevation discrepancy between their home cities, yet it doesn't seem as though the Broncos are peaking. Not with the offensive line still adjusting to a pair of starters who had never been NFL regular-season first-teamers at their position before this month, and not with a defense that played a fourth consecutive game without its only two returning Pro Bowlers in Miller and Champ Bailey.

The defense has been put in position to succeed by an offense that has bolted to leads, but it has done enough -- particularly against the run -- to hold up its end of the bargain. Sunday was the only time that the Broncos have successfully been run upon, but they continued their run of holding elite running backs to below their norms, limiting LeSean McCoy to 4.6 yards per carry -- 1.8 below his average

heading into the game. And the primary cause of the defense's ability to withstand the personnel hit it absorbed might rest in the offense and the experience of facing it daily in the summer; by comparison, the games have been a relief.

"A lot easier," said safety Rahim Moore. "But a lot of that is the competitive nature that we've had. We've scrapped and fought and challenged each other, so when game time comes, it's like we've been there before."

Some performances are going to be more superlative than others, and it's not reasonable to expect 50 points every week or even every four weeks -- considering it took the Broncos one week shy of 50 years for them to reach that milestone again.

But the last four weeks have established that a seemingly unreachable collection of goals are attainable; just look at how Manning is the first quarterback with 16 touchdown passes in a season's four games -- while also becoming just the third with at least 1,430 yards and the second with a completion percentage at or above 75 percent (with at least 100 attempts).

"You're not going to put up 50 every week. But we're definitely striving for it," said Bailey.

As long as the Broncos can avoid being complacency, they can return to the level they reached Sunday -- and perhaps multiple times. The key is finding areas that need improvement, and emphasizing them.

On defense, it's about finishing stronger; multiple players expressed frustration at giving up a fourth-quarter touchdown for the third time in four weeks. On offense, it's avoiding the hiccups that send it temporarily backwards, and as was the case following a Knowshon Moreno penalty late in the first half, ultimately derailing what looked like a certain scoring drive.

"Yeah, we've got a lot of things to work on," said wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. "We talk about not getting any negative plays. We want to go out and keep the ball going forward -- first down, second down, first down. When we can do that, it might be a perfect game."

That the Broncos don't yet consider any of their performances "perfect" could be a frightening proposition for the teams that will cross their path in the next 13 weeks.

"I think the sky's the limit for this team," said defensive tackle Mitch Unrein. "As long as we stay injury-free and keep our nose to the grindstone and keep working hard, I feel like we get better every single week, and that's what we want to do."

Three Keys: Broncos vs. Eagles By Andrew Mason DenverBroncos.com September 29, 2013

DENVER -- The Eagles and Broncos are what they are: teams blessed with high-powered, rapid-fire offenses that, if given the opportunity, could regularly run 80 or more plays apiece in a 60-minute game. But there are two factors that play in the Broncos' favor as they try and enforce their own pace on Sunday's game.

First is the Broncos' ability to change tempo; like a crafty pitcher, they can be as effective with the off-speed stuff as the heater. Each game to date has seen the Broncos add a few formation wrinkles to their offense, with the first possession of the second half last Sunday showing that the Broncos can use a three-tight end package in an empty-backfield formation and effectively move the football. They've shown the ability to work at different speeds; the Eagles haven't flourished in this scenario, as demonstrated when they tried to grind down the clock against Washington in Week 1 and nearly lost a 33-7 third-quarter lead.

Second is the altitude. The Broncos have trained for up-tempo work at 5,280 feet and are well-accustomed to it -- both offensively and defensively.

"The altitude is a different beast," said linebacker Wesley Woodyard. "They're going to get a test of it. It's something that we get the advantage of playing in it and practicing in it every day. Going up against a no-huddle offense every day versus our offense. We're ready for it. It's our first challenge on showing people and we're ready for it.”

1. SAME AS ALWAYS: TAKE WHAT'S THERE.

It's always a key, and the central tenet of a Peyton Manning-led offense, so you know from 15-plus years in the league that he will look for the gap in the defense -- however small -- and exploit it.

His primary challenge Sunday will be to sustain the Broncos' success this season in the red zone; Philadelphia has allowed just half of the possible 91 points on red-zone possessions against it, primarily through the one-on-one coverage of their cornerbacks. But they haven't had to contend with a team that has an array of quality, trustworthy targets like the Broncos.

2. KEEP SMALL PLAYS FROM BECOMING SOLID GAINS, AND KEEP SOLID GAINS FROM BECOMING BIG ONES.

Philadelphia's offense thrives off its ability to extend plays after the catch and after contact. LeSean McCoy and Michael Vick can make tacklers miss; McCoy is among the league's top 10 in yardage after contact according to ProFootballFocus.com, just

like he was last year. Wide receiver DeSean Jackson is among the league's yardage-after-catch leaders, and his shiftiness forces defenders to play him conservatively, or else risk getting burnt.

"Athletic ability takes over," said Woodyard. "Those guys pop a play here, Vick throws a ball down the field to DeSean and it's a touchdown, or McCoy breaks two tackles and guys aren't pursuing the right way and it's a touchdown. So we can't give up those big plays and we've just got to corral them."

3. CREATE MISMATCHES.

It will be fascinating to watch the Broncos' personnel groupings to see how they try to exploit the Eagles' coverage. Will it be an extra tight end if the Eagles go into dime packages? If Joel Dreessen can return after missing nearly two months following knee surgery, he could be someone the Broncos use; if the Eagles stick with their base alignment, then Wes Welker could strike underneath, as he often does.

As usual, the Broncos have the chance to ask too many questions for a defense to answer. They've done this three times already; they hope to keep that streak -- and their own 14-game regular-season winning streak -- alive Sunday.

Three Keys Unlocked: Broncos vs. Eagles By Andrew Mason DenverBroncos.com September 29, 2013

DENVER -- When your biggest worry in a game is scoring too fast, then you've got the NFL's answer to "#firstworldproblems."

In looking back at the Broncos' 52-20 destruction of the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, the Broncos fell into trouble just twice -- and both instances were self-inflicted. One was when Knowshon Moreno was flagged for a 15-yard late-hit penalty, knocking the Broncos out of field-goal range. The other was when Trindon Holliday's 105-yard first-quarter kickoff return for a touchdown forced the defense back onto the field -- just moments after the offense had sprinted to its first score in three minutes, 52 seconds.

"It's kind of a love-hate thing. You love that (the offense) is putting points on the board, but as a defense, they score so fast, you're like, 'Take some of that time off the clock,'" said cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. "But it's fun to watch."

And eventually. At one point, the offense didn't run a play for 10 minutes, one second of game time. Meanwhile, the defense was on the field for 26 plays, and after bending to hold the Eagles to a pair of field goals, it finally broke to allow a touchdown after the rusty offense went three-and-out following its extended sabbatical.

But eventually, the game normalized. The offense followed Philadelphia's touchdown drive with one of its own, chewing up 6:01 of the second quarter. The defense got its strength back and didn't allow the Eagles another point until the fourth quarter, by which point the outcome was assured.

Nothing is guaranteed beyond 4-0, but for this moment, the Broncos' problems are few -- and they're the sort of issues that would make teams like the Giants, Jaguars, Buccaneers and Steelers flush with envy.

"We couldn't do too much celebrating with them because we knew we had to get right back on the field."

1. SAME AS ALWAYS: TAKE WHAT'S THERE.

The Broncos racked up 472 yards on offense, and no receiver or runner accounted for more than the 91 yards from scrimmage compiled by Knowshon Moreno on 12 rushes and a single reception. Just one completion covered more than 20 yards in the air from the line of scrimmage, and that came when Peyton Manning saw the coverage he wanted and hit Eric Decker on a post route late in the second quarter.

For the most part, the Broncos offense gratefully took what was available, dicing up the Eagles as they did the Ravens, Giants and Raiders -- by spreading the football around so much that it was impossible to know where Manning would turn next.

"If you can have more skilled players, have more guys that are a threat, it’s harder to play defense against them," Decker said. "Our mentality offensively is to make sure that they don’t know where the ball is going. Every guy gets open; every guy gets opportunities.

2. KEEP SMALL PLAYS FROM BECOMING SOLID GAINS, AND KEEP SOLID GAINS FROM BECOMING BIG ONES.

The only time the Broncos failed at this was in the second quarter, when the defense became fatigued after being on the field for all but 62 seconds of a 14-minute, three-second span. The fatigued defense was caught out of position on a screen pass to Bryce Brown, allowing him to dash 35 yards through the defense to set up a touchdown.

Other than that, the Broncos limited yardage after the catch and after contact better than anyone has done against the Eagles -- until the fourth quarter. By then, the game was out of reach; when it was competitive, the Eagles had just one play of 25 yards or more. The Eagles' offense still lacks the timing and accuracy necessary to dice a foe up with short to intermediate routes, so without the big play, it was neutralized.

3. CREATE MISMATCHES.

This was apparent from the first play of the game, when the Broncos opened in a three-wide receiver set and was covered by Trent Cole, an outside linebacker who was recently converted from his previous role as a 4-3 defensive end. Cole is 270 pounds; he's athletic for his size, but that's not going to help him keep pace with Welker, and a 33-yard pickup resulted.

Whether it was a linebacker on Welker or left tackle Chris Clark blocking safety Earl Wolff to spring Demaryius Thomas for a touchdown, the Broncos created numerous mismatches and left the Philadelphia defense lost.

Manning Continues Scorching Pace By Gray Caldwell DenverBroncos.com September 29, 2013

DENVER -- Another game, another handful of records broken by quarterback Peyton Manning.

"You sit back and you watch it and you're in awe," cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie said.

Manning, who had already set a new record for touchdown passes thrown through three games to start a season, now owns that record through four games.

His second touchdown pass Sunday afternoon tied two players for the record, last achieved by Kurt Warner in 1999.

On his next drive, he set a new record with 15 through four games. And on his next drive, for good measure, he made the record 16 with his fourth touchdown pass of the game.

"He makes it look easy, but it's definitely damn hard," defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson said.

Manning completed 28 of his 34 passes Sunday, throwing for 327 yards and four touchdowns. The resulting 146.0 quarterback rating marked a career high for Manning with a minimum of 30 attempts. It's his highest rating in any game since the 2008 season.

Last week, former teammate Jeff Saturday said on ESPN's NFL Live that he thinks Manning is playing the best football of his career.

To that point, the quarterback's current streak of 201 consecutive passes without an interception is the longest such streak of his career, and the second-longest in Broncos history. That run combined with his 16 touchdowns ties him for the most touchdowns to start a season without a pick with quarterback Milt Plum, who accomplished it in 1960.

“Ya’ll were at the game, too," wide receiver Wes Welker said when asked about Manning's performance. "I mean, 11 incompletions in two games – that kind of says it. He’s an exceptional player and prepares like nobody and else and he’s kind of the catalyst of getting everything going."

Manning, who also passed quarterback Brett Favre for the most four-touchdown games in NFL history -- he now has 24 -- wasn't interested in all the talk of the

records he's setting. He was more concerned with the fact that the team is 4-0 in advance of a road matchup with the Dallas Cowboys in Week 5.

“The recaps don’t mean a whole lot," he said. "It was a good win because it was this game and we’ll learn from it and we have a tough test next week."

That's the attitude the rest of the locker room is taking as well. It doesn't get any better than 4-0 after four games. But even with all the records being set, the players and coaches understand that the regular season is only a quarter of the way finished.

"We're on a mission," defensive end Derek Wolfe said. "We're going to try to get to the big game. But it's week-by-week, day-by-day, practice-by-practice, snap-by-snap."

And with Manning at the helm of the offense, the team knows it has a chance to accomplish its goals.

"How that guy prepares throughout the week and how he has the offensive units preparing with him the same way, it's only going to get better," Vickerson said. "I don't see it dropping off."

Broncos-Record 52 Points Ground Eagles By Gray Caldwell DenverBroncos.com September 29, 2013

DENVER -- Sunday's game was, in a word, a rout.

So much so that with 22 seconds left in the third quarter at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, quarterback Peyton Manning's job was done.

At that point, Denver led the Philadelphia Eagles 42-13. By the end of the afternoon, the Broncos had a 52-20 victory to move them to 4-0 for the seventh time in franchise history.

"Obviously it's a team sport, but Peyton and our offense did a great job of answering the bell," said defensive end Derek Wolfe, who notched a sack in the win. "Fifty-two points, that's impressive."

The offense, to Wolfe's point, scored early and often. In fact, all but two of the Broncos' drives ended with points -- excluding a final series that closed with a kneeldown to end the game.

It started with Denver's first drive of the game, which came after the defense forced a three-and-out. The nine-play, 74-yard series was capped by Manning's first of two touchdown passes to Wes Welker.

The Eagles threatened on the ensuing drive, but the defense turned a first-and-10 from the Denver 23-yard line into a 35-yard Alex Henery field goal.

From there, it was Trindon Holliday's turn to get in on the action.

He tied his franchise record with a 105-yard kickoff return, his eighth special-teams score including the postseason since he joined the Broncos.

"I didn't have any doubt," Holliday said. "Once I broke the first wave and I saw David Bruton out there, a special-teams captain blocking for me, and I saw the kicker, I knew, 'I'm not going to get tackled by the kicker.'"

Once again, the Eagles drove deep into Denver territory on the ensuing drive, but a first-and-10 from the Denver 13 ultimately resulted in another Henery field goal.

"They're explosive, they're high-powered, they're fast, so we just had to hang in there and get those stops in the red zone and make them kick field goals," Wolfe said. "That kind of stuff adds up in the end."

Holliday's quick return in between long Eagles drives, however, meant the offense went more than 11 minutes of game time in between possessions.

The result was the group's only three-and-out of the afternoon.

"It’s something we have to be prepared to work on," Manning said. "They had some long drives – our defense did a good job holding them to field goals and of course Holliday’s return was great, but it does keep us off the field and for whatever reason we weren’t as sharp on that series after that lull when we needed to be”

Philadelphia capitalized on their field position and grabbed a touchdown on the next drive to pull within one point -- 14-13.

But it was all Broncos from that point on, to the tune of 38 unanswered points.

"Every week, we (preach) about who’s going to make that play," said wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, who caught the other two of Manning's four touchdown passes in the game. "We had a lot of plays made today.”

In the process, Manning set a new NFL record with 16 touchdowns through the first four games of a season. The fact that he hasn't thrown an interception tied Milt Plum (1960) for the most passing touchdowns to start a season without throwing an interception. It's part of a streak of 201 consecutive passes without a pick -- a career best for Manning and the second-longest streak in team history. He also passed Brett Favre for the most four-touchdown games in NFL history -- he now has 24.

“I enjoyed that," Manning said of the offense's performance. "That was a good team that we played. We felt really motivated to score points against these guys. You saw their offense. They are capable of scoring points. Our defense did a heck of a job answering their challenge. We were motivated to be on top of our game offensively – to score points – touchdowns, not field goals. I thought we did that today. We certainly enjoyed that.”

Eight different Broncos caught a pass in the effort, and the 52 points were a Broncos franchise record. In the midst of the stretch was a third quarter that saw the team outscore Philadelphia 21-0 with 18 first downs and 214 yards without a third-down attempt.

"May have to give old Thunder an IV after this one," Manning joked of the club's horse mascot that gallops on the field after every score.

Denver's final touchdown of the game once again came on special teams, thanks to linebacker Steven Johnson's blocked punt. He recovered the football and ran it back 17 yards for the score.

"I was just unblocked and I was like, ‘Whoa,’" Johnson recalled after the game. "So I went straight to the punter, didn’t necessarily know what I was going to do and how I was going to block it. I just stuck an arm out and it happened – and then scoop and score. That’s something we work on every day throughout our turnover circuit in practice.”

That put the score at 49-13 in favor of the Broncos, and Brock Osweiler handled quarterback duties the rest of the way. Nick Foles stepped in under center for the Eagles, as well.

Foles did hit wide receiver Jeff Maehl for a touchdown with 4:40 left in the game to give Philadelphia 20 points on the afternoon.

"Again, we’ve got to shut the door on teams in the fourth quarter," linebacker Shuan Phillips said, echoing the opinion of multiple defensive players in the locker room after the game.

Even after a 52-point outburst in a dominating win, all three sides of the ball said they can do more.

It's an attitude Head Coach John Fox welcomes as the team prepares to head back on the road in Week 5 to take on the Dallas Cowboys.

"I’m one of those guys who would rather understate, overproduce," Fox said. "We are not anywhere near done with our body of work. We are one quarter into it. I’m pleased with where we are. Truth be told, you can’t be better than 4-0 after four games. We’ll just try to continue to prepare and do the things necessary to get ready for each week, including Dallas this week.”

Historic Third Quarter Fuels Broncos’ Win By Stuart Zaas DenverBroncos.com September 29, 2013

DENVER – Whatever adjustments Head Coach John Fox and his coaching staff have made in the Broncos locker room at halftime this season seem to be working.

Denver is outscoring opponents 59-14 in the third quarter and 76-38 in the second half this season with those 76 points tops in the league by a wide margin.

The Broncos’ 26.8 second-half points per game this year are more than 25 teams entered Week 4 averaging for an entire game.

“I thought we made good adjustments at halftime and I thought our guys responded with those adjustments in the second half,” Fox said after Sunday’s 52-20 win against Philadelphia.

The Broncos didn’t waste any opportunities in the third quarter, with all three of the team’s drives ending with touchdowns.

Denver gained 214 yards on offense and picked up 18 first downs without even having to attempt a single third down in the quarter.

“Guys are doing a good job,” quarterback Peyton Manning said. “We’re playing fast, we’re

getting a lot of plays in, very few third downs today, which means we’re doing a good job on first and second down. Receivers are doing a good job with the ball after the catch, getting first downs, getting touchdowns. That puts a lot of pressure on the defense.”

Manning had a nearly perfect quarter throwing the ball, as he completed 15-of-16 passes for 158 yards and three touchdowns for a passer rating of 147.4.

Two of those touchdown passes went to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, who caught five passes for 56 yards in the third quarter.

“I really don’t know what it is. We come out in the second half, score fast and we put up points,” Thomas said. “I don’t know what it is. A spark or something. I have no idea.”

Manning’s success through the air helped open lanes in the run game and the team’s ability to move the ball on the ground kept the Eagles defense off balance.

Running backs Knowshon Moreno and Ronnie Hillman combined for nine carries for 56 yards as the Broncos moved the ball with ease during their nearly 12 minutes of possession in the quarter.

“The running game was really solid in the second half,” Manning said. “You can go from first-and-10 to second-and-3. That makes for pretty good offensive execution and allows you do to do different things in the passing game and the running game.”

Nobody besides the coaches and players know what is said during halftime, but whatever it is has led to the Broncos being able to put the game out of reach in the second half.

“I think you make a few adjustments, I think we find our second wind – and that’s something we train for, to be able to play 60 minutes and to be able to finish in the second half,” wide receiver Eric Decker said. “That’s what we do best. We have a lot of confidence coming into the locker room that we’re going to score, we’re going to shut them down defensively and we’re going to put this game away. We’ve been doing that and we just have to keep with that edge.”

Peyton’s Take: Broncos vs. Eagles By Stuart Zaas DenverBroncos.com September 29, 2013

DENVER – The torrid start to the season continued for Peyton Manning.

The 16th-year quarterback continued his assault on the record books with his performance in Denver’s 52-20 win against Philadelphia in Week 4.

Manning finished 28-of-34 with 327 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions for a passer rating of 146.0.

“Guys are doing a good job in the passing game – protection has been solid,” Manning said. “Guys are doing a good job. We’re playing fast, we’re getting a lot of plays in. very few third downs today, which means we’re doing a good job on first and second down. Receivers are doing a good job with the ball after the catch, getting first downs, getting touchdowns. That puts a lot of pressure on the defense.”

Manning finished with a QB rating of 146.0, which marked the highest of his career in games with at least 30 pass attempts and is his highest in any game since 2008.

Manning now has 16 touchdown passes and zero interceptions this year, tying Milt Plum’s record set in 1960 for most scoring passes without an interception to start a season.

Two of his scoring passes today went to Wes Welker, who has now caught a scoring strike from Manning in all four games this season.

“Well, he is extremely difficult to cover,” Manning said of Welker. “I think (Offensive

Coordinator) Adam (Gase) is doing a great job of using him in different ways. We get screens to him, we get quick screens to him – you saw we put him in the backfield today – that’s something we haven’t shown before. It’s a credit to him that he has that type of versatility. You can do different things with him. He does a good job getting north as well – getting that ball in his hands and getting upfield.”

As is typical, Manning spread the ball around, with eight different players catching passes in the win. Demaryius Thomas hauled in nine receptions, including a pair of touchdowns, and Eric Decker led all players with 88 yards.

After just missing Decker on a long bomb on the first play of the game, the two connected on a 52-yard pass just after the two-minute warning in the first half.

“It was just an inch long on the overthrow and it was a really good route and one you’d like to have back and put a little more air in it,” Manning said of the incompletion. “It’s a credit to him that he is good on all those intermediate routes, but he can get down the field. We hit that post route later on the same defender and a deep throw. It’s a credit to Eric. He can stretch the field vertically.”

That long completion seemed to have the Broncos set up to score before halftime, but a 15-yard penalty followed by a sack held the Broncos off the board to end the half.

“We were disappointed that last drive of the first half not getting points,” Manning said. “We were in field goal or even touchdown range and to have no points there was disappointing. But our second half execution was good once again.”

That was one of just two Broncos possessions that didn’t end in points.

The other followed Trindon Holliday’s 105-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. While that play helped the Broncos on the scoreboard, Manning admitted that it disrupted the rhythm of the offense a bit.

“Well, I think I did have a little bit of an effect on us. We probably had our worst series, a three-and-out after that series,” Manning said. “It’s something we have to be prepared to work on. They had some long drives – our defense did a good job holding them to field goals and Holliday’s return was great, but it does keep us off the field and for whatever reason we weren’t as sharp on that series after that lull when we needed to be.”

Manning and the offense was plenty sharp coming out of the locker room to start the second half.

The quarterback had a near perfect third quarter as the Broncos pulled away with the rout.

In the third quarter alone, Manning turned in numbers that most quarterbacks be happy with from an entire game.

He went 15-of-16 for 158 yards with three touchdowns and a rating of 147.4, while the offense picked up 18 first downs and racked up 214 net yards. Manning and company didn’t even need to attempt a third down in the quarter.

“That’s good execution on first and second down,” Manning said of the third-quarter

outburst. “We didn’t have penalties, we didn’t have mistakes that were putting us in first-and-long, second-and-longs. We had some of those in the first half. You don’t have to be in third down if you are doing your job on first and second down. Certainly that can put a lot of pressure on a defense – keep them from getting to their third-down package and substitute. That was good today.”

After Denver outscored Philadelphia 21-0 in the third quarter to push the team’s lead to 42-13, Manning’s day was done.

He got to watch his backup, Brock Osweiler take the field for the final two Denver drives of the game.

But, just because Manning was done for the day doesn’t mean he didn’t stay focused on the game.

“I’m happy that Brock got to get in there and get some playing time and made some plays,” Manning said. “I’m still tuned into the situation. We talk about finishing and playing 60-minute games. You never know – that situation in the fourth quarter is going to be critical. It’s still something to learn from.”

Now the Broncos will look to take those lessons learned in Sunday’s Week 4 win on the road to Dallas, where they play another NFC East opponent.

“We have a tough road game next week against Dallas,” Manning said.

“This was a good win. It’s always good to play well at home. We have a good, tough test next week and we’re going to try to do our jobs.”

Special Effort By Special Teams By Brandon Moree DenverBroncos.com September 29, 2013

DENVER – For the second time in the 2013 campaign, kick returner Trindon Holliday reached the end zone on a special teams play. But in the Broncos’ 52-20 win against the Eagles on Sunday, Holliday wasn’t the only player to score a touchdown for the special teams unit.

In the fourth quarter, linebacker Steven Johnson slid past Eagles long snapper Jon Dorenbos and got a hand up in time to block Donnie Jones’ punt. Johnson chased down the ball and scooped it up on the 17-yard-line and ran it into the endzone for his first career touchdown.

“It was like a light,” Johnson said. “Usually, I’m blocked. I’m accounted for. I was just unblocked and I was like, ‘Whoa.’ So I went straight to the punter. I didn’t necessarily know what I was going to do and how I was going to block it. I just stuck an arm out and it happened – and then scoop and score.”

That was the last touchdown the Broncos scored on their way to a franchise-record 52 points as it put Denver out in front 49-13. It was the second blocked punt of the season for the Broncos joining safety David Bruton’s Week 1 effort.

Holliday’s 105-yard kickoff return came when the score line was much closer.

In the first quarter after an Eagles field goal made the score 7-3, Holliday tied his own record for the longest kickoff return in Broncos history.

The return score marked his sixth touchdown as a Bronco – including a pair in the 2012 playoffs – putting him alone in second place for special-teams scores in team history.

Holliday said after the game that once he gets one-on-one with the kicker, he feels like he can take it to the house. So after cutting inside of a block by Bruton – the kicker was all Holliday saw in front of him.

"He had the angle, but he didn't make a certain move,” Holliday said of the kicker. “So I just kept it straight."

The play gave the Broncos a 14-3 lead and made the defense, which had just held the Eagles to a field goal, put their helmets back on and head back on the field.

"I think that might be the only time I've ever been really excited and then like, 'Oh, wait, we've got to go back out?'” defensive end Derek Wolfe said. “That's the only

time that's ever happened to me. Their offense is high-powered and they move fast. But I thought we did a really good job of handling it."

Both Holliday and Johnson mentioned that making plays on special teams is something they work on every day in practice.

Those efforts paid off on Sunday as they Broncos proved that they have playmakers in each phase of the game.

“That’s the great thing,” wide receiver Demaryius Thomas said. “We always talk about it every week in practice. Somebody go out and make a play. We had a lot of guys make plays today. Like Steven (Johnson), he had a blocked punt and he scooped it up and scored a touchdown.

“Every week, we (preach) about who’s going to make that play. We had a lot of plays made today.”

Bailey Updates Status By Brandon Moree DenverBroncos.com September 29, 2013

DENVER – The Broncos’ most seasoned defensive player, cornerback Champ Bailey, was inactive again for the Sunday’s matchup with the Eagles. He’s yet to play in a game this season and has yet to complete a practice with full participation due to a foot injury that he suffered in the preseason.

He said Sunday after the game that when he’s ready, he’ll be out there.

“Well, every day I give myself a chance to play,” Bailey said. “When it comes to game day, the last couple of weeks, that's when I decide that it's probably not the right time. It's all about if I'm ready to go. I didn't feel like I was ready to go, so I'm not going to try to force something to happen that's not there.”

The Broncos have been solid defensively in his absence and have racked up six interceptions on the season. Denver’s secondary allowed the Eagles to connect on just 17-of-31 attempts Sunday.

While the Broncos have now improved to 4-0, the wins don’t take Bailey’s focus off of what he needs to do.

“Well, winning makes everything easier, as far as dealing with stuff,” Bailey said. “But, still, I've got to really focus on what's good for my body. But, yeah, through the process, I'm glad we're winning.”

From his view on the sideline, Bailey has seen quarterback Peyton Manning orchestrate the best start to a season by any quarterback in NFL history. That effort has taken the some of the pressure off the defense that Bailey is working towards rejoining.

“He's efficient, man,” Bailey said. “He's good. Hopefully he gets better. I don't know how, but hopefully he gets better. This guy is a prime example of what it takes to be a great quarterback in this league. I know a lot of quarterbacks wish they could do it like that.”

Defense Wears Down Eagles’ Attack By Mike Morris DenverBroncos.com September 29, 2013

DENVER -- When a swarm of Broncos defenders chased Michael Vick to the sidelines on third down of the game’s opening series, they forced the Eagles’ high-octane offense into just its second three-and-out of the season.

They also set the tone for a tenacious defensive effort that withstood Philadelphia’s potent attack and ultimately wore their opposition thin – slowing down the rapid-pace Eagles in the Broncos’ 52-20 win.

And – as they have in each of the Broncos’ four victories this season – players from all over the defense pitched in on Sunday in subduing the Eagles.

“Again, football is a team sport. It’s not one guy that’s going to beat you – it has to be 11 guys playing at the same time,” linebacker Shaun Phillips said. “That’s why football is the greatest sport in the world, because it takes 11 guys to be on the same page at the same time.”

While the Eagles offense got its shots in early in the game, rolling up 450 total yards – including 271 yards in the first half – the defense stiffened when it mattered most, holding the Eagles to a pair of field goals at the conclusion of two lengthy drives.

Vick guided the Eagles on a 11-play, 65-yard drive midway through the first quarter, but the Broncos defense turned Vick away in the red zone and Philadelphia had to settle for a 35-yard Alex Henery field goal.

And while Trindon Holliday’s return for a touchdown on the ensuing kickoff extended the Broncos’ lead to 14-3, it also forced a tired Broncos defense immediately back onto the field.

With their backs against the wall, the defense endured another stiff challenge – and came through in a big way.

While Vick navigated the Eagles on another 15-play, 73-yard drive, the Broncos again tightened in the red zone. Safety Duke Ihenacho tackled Eagles wide receiver Riley Cooper at the 7-yard line, shy of a first down on third-and-14, forcing another short Henery field goal and ensuring that Philadelphia’s offense walked away again.

“They're explosive, they're high-powered, they're fast, so we just had to hang in there and get those stops in the red zone and make them kick field goals,” defensive end Derek Wolfe said. “That kind of stuff adds up in the end.”

And although the Eagles would strike once more on the ensuing possession – this time finding the end zone to cut the lead to 14-13 with 11:06 remaining in the first half – it was the final time Philadelphia’s offense would spark until long after the game’s outcome was no longer in doubt.

The Broncos bottled up Vick and the Eagles for the remainder of the first half, then cranked up the pressure in slowing Philadelphia’s fast-tempo to a halt in the third quarter.

“Coach (Defensive Coordinator) Jack (Del Rio) put the gameplan in, we just stuck with it, cleaned up some stuff on some formations and that was that,” defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson said. “Other than that, I don't even know what the offense did. I don't think they did anything at all. It was just adjustments for us, because we had to get off the field.”

The defense turned up the pressure on Vick, sacking the elusive quarterback three times and holding him to just 41 rushing yards.

And their unrelenting effort – even after absorbing some early blows – ultimately exhausted the Eagles offense.

“Yeah, they were getting tired, too,” Phillips said. “It’s tough in this altitude, especially with a high-flying offense like theirs. They go up and down the field. They may get an explosive play, but again, they’ve got to come back and play that very next play, as well.”

Part of their success derived from keeping the Eagles’ stars in check – as Vick was neutralized in the second half, running back LeSean McCoy finished with a modest 73 rushing yards, and explosive wide receiver DeSean Jackson was held to just two catches for 34 yards, with no catches in the second half.

“It was one that I was looking forward to,” Rodgers-Cromartie said regarding his matchup with Jackson, his former teammate in Philadelphia. “Just going against him a lot last year, knowing that any time he gets the ball in his hands he can do some explosive things.”

Rodgers-Cromartie was quick to point out that the tenacity of his defensive line helped with coverage.

“But for the most part our d-linemen got after it today,” he added.

That credit was reciprocated by his defensive linemen.

“Yeah, we were able to apply a little pressure,” Phillips said. “Again, when we get to apply pressure, it’s because those guys do a good job in the secondary. That’s what it’s about. That’s why football – again – it’s a team sport.”

Ultimately, it was a gritty defensive effort across the board that worked together in suppressing a vaunted offensive attack – one that members of the Broncos defense had heard about all week long.

"Well, I mean, they're an explosive offense, so I can see where people — I could understand that,” Wolfe said. “Obviously our defense isn't getting a lot of respect, but that's good. That's fine. That gives us something to get us through the week every week."

But are they satisfied with this showing?

“Well, in my mind, we have let up a little bit,” Phillips said. “We’ve given up way too many fourth quarter points. In order to be a great defense, you’ve got to shut the door all the time. Are we playing good? Yes. But can we play better? Yes. We’ve got so much more room for improvement.”