Ron Chenoy-US PRESSWIRE
After a 1-2 start, Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning was facing plenty of criticism for his performances–especially in Week 2 against the Atlanta Falcons when he threw three interceptions in the first quarter. With a key matchup against their AFC West rivals, Manning knew it was important to come up big on Sunday against the Oakland Raiders–which he did.
Denver couldn’t have asked for a better performance from their star quarterback as Manning completed 30 of 38 passes for 338 yards to go along with three touchdowns and no interceptions. What’s even more impressive for Manning–the offensive line prevented him from being sacked even once the entire game.
Manning looked like his old self against the Raiders on Sunday and silenced all critics wondering whether or not the Broncos made a mistake by signing the future Hall of Fame quarterback during the offseason considering the risk and amount of money they were spending on him. After missing the entire 2011 season while recovering from multiple neck surgeries, nobody knew if Manning would even be able to step foot on a football field again considering the severity of the injury.
Manning may have looked a bit rusty in Week 2 and 3, but Sunday’s performance against the Raiders proved that he still has what it takes to play in the NFL. If Manning can perform like he did against Oakland on a weekly basis, Denver will have a legitimate shot at winning the AFC West title in 2012.
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