Broncos, Manning Make Debut in Preseason Opener against the Bears

The only thing that is important in preseason football is the injury list. You just hope your team avoids. That is the only thing that matters about the preseason in the NFL. Your team has to somehow avoid the big injuries. Last night, the Broncos traveled to Chicago to take on the Bears in their preseason opener. Denver won 31-3, but the real story was the debut of Peyton Manning as a Denver Bronco. Manning only played one series, and he was 4-7 for 44 yards and an interception. Here are my quick thoughts on the game.

1) Obviously, Manning is the story of the night, and he made some really nice throws on his first drive. I am not too concerned about the interception or his overall play in the game. The fact that he played in a game for the first time in over a year is the most important aspect of last night's game for #18. Just getting reps this preseason is the key for Peyton. There is no need to fret over his stats or his numbers.

2) I was really impressed by Brock Osweiler. He looks huge out there, and he really threw the ball well. It will be very interesting to see if the Broncos will push him to take the backup job away from Caleb Hanie.

3) It was hard to gauge the first team defense's performance because Bears QB Jay Cutler didn't play in the game. Also, Chicago first team offense looked so bad, and they fumbled on the first drive, so it was difficult to get a read on the Broncos improvements on defense. I'll take a turnover for one series though.

4) The final running back spot will be up for grabs, but I liked what I saw out of Lance Ball last night. It just seems to always gain positive yards and move the pile. It will be an interesting battle between Ball, Jeremiah Johnson, and Knowshon Moreno.

5) If you are looking at fantasy players on the Broncos besides Peyton Manning and Willis McGahee, then you should look no further than Eric Decker. Decker caught two passes for 29 yards last night, and both catches resulted in first downs. You get the feeling that Decker is going to be Manning's main target all year long.

6) The Broncos host the Seattle Seahawks next Saturday night at Mile High in week two of the preseason.