Manning and Broncos continue record march
Forget fast-break football. This was steel-cold efficiency.
Peyton Manning made quick work of the Philadelphia Eagles in a warpspeed game between the NFL’s top two offences, 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 after touchdowns.
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 of14 set by Don Meredith in 1966 and tied by Kurt Warner in 1999.
“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 drove the Broncos (4-0) on a trio of long TD drives in the third quarter to make this one another laugher. Those drives covered 80, 80 and 65 yards and not once did Denver face a third down in any of them.
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 105yard kickoff return and Steven Johnson’s blocked punt, which he returned himself for a 17-yard score.
Matt Prater’s 53-yard field goal capped Denver’s 15th straight regular-season win and broke the franchise scoring record of 50 points set against San Diego on Oct. 6, 1963. SEAHAWKS 23, TEXANS 20: Steven Hauschka’s 45-yard field goal in overtime gave Seattle its first-ever 4-0 start. Houston failed to score on two possessions in OT. LIONS 40, BEARS 32: Reggie Bush’s 37-yard TD run helped Detroit score 27 points in the second quarter. Bush accounted for 173 yards of offence. VIKINGS 34, STEELERS 27: Greg Jennings made two touchdown catches and Adrian Peterson ran for two scores in Minnesota’s win at Wembley Stadium. CHARGERS 31, COWBOYS 20: San Diego’s Philip Rivers threw for 401 yards and three touchdowns, including a 56-yarder to Antonio Gates. TITANS 38, JETS 13: Jake Locker threw a career-high three touchdowns before being taken to the hospital with an injured right hip, suffered early in the third quarter when hit first by Muhammad Wilkerson after throwing an incomplete pass, then popped by Quinton Coples. REDSKINS 24, RAIDERS 14: Robert Griffin III threw a go-ahead TD pass late in the third to help Washington overcome an early14-point deficit for its first win of the season. CARDINALS 13, BUCCANEERS 10: Carson Palmer threw a 13-yard TD pass to Larry Fitzgerald, then Jay Feely kicked a 27-yard field goal with 1:29 left for the win. Patrick Peterson had two interceptions, one setting up Arizona’s first TD in six quarters. BROWNS 17, BENGALS 6: Brian Hoyer, the local kid who always dreamed of being Cleveland’s quarterback, threw two TD passes in his first start at home to lead Cleveland. CHIEFS 31, GIANTS 7: Alex Smith threw three TD passes, Dexter McCluster returned a punt 89 yards for another score and unbeaten K.C. kept New York winless at 0-4. COLTS 37, JAGUARS 3: Andrew Luck threw two TD passes, Trent Richardson ran for a score and Indianapolis became the latest team to beat Jacksonville by double digits. PATRIOTS 30, FALCONS 23: Tom Brady threw for 316 yards and two TDs as New England held off a furious Atlanta comeback, improving to 4-0 for the first time since their nearperfect season in 2007.