The game was billed as the third installment of the Manning Bowl. Peyton vs. Eli. Well, the hype for the game didn't match the actual contest. It was a close game for the most part, but in a NY minute, the Broncos pulled away and defeated the Giants convincingly 41-23 Sunday at Metlife Stadium. Peyton clearly outplayed Eli, and the game wasn't the shootout that most expected. Give credit to the Broncos once again for a dominating second half on both sides of the ball. The Broncos now stand at 2-0 and have scored 49 and 41 points respectively in their first two games of 2013. Hopefully, the Broncos will make one more trip to the Meadowlands in February for the Super Bowl. Before we get that far, here are my quick thoughts and observations on this week's game......
1) Peyton Manning started hot, and he was pretty much the same way the entire game. Manning finished 30-43 for 307 yards, 2 touchdowns and no interceptions. He was on point most of the game-with the second quarter being the exception. The second half was classic Peyton Manning, and he systematically picked apart a weak Giants defense. He clearly outplayed his brother from start to finish.
2) Every week it will be a different receiver who stands out in the passing game. This week, Eric Decker got back on track. Decker caught 9 passes for 87 yards. It was good to see that Decker had a big day considering he was awful in Week 1.
3) How about that Broncos running attack with Knowshon Moreno? If you are a Giants fan, you can't be happy seeing your defense get gashed by Moreno? Moreno had 93 yards on 19 carries and two touchdowns. Moreno scored on runs of 20 and 25 yards, and both runs were basically the same play. He really ran the ball well in the second half, and it is always huge if the Broncos can get that kind of production from their running game.
4) For the second straight week, the Broncos defense played really well in the second half. In the entire game, Denver held the Giants to 1-11 on third down conversions. The one thing that really stood out to me was how well the Broncos tackled. Their defensive line dominated up front in the second half, and the Broncos were able to tackle really well, and they avoided giving up really big plays. It will be interesting to see how much better this defense will play when they get Champ Bailey and Von Miller back.
5) The key play in this game was the Demaryius Thomas fumble sequence. At 17-16, the Broncos started at their own 20 with 3:08 left in the 3rd quarter. Manning hit Thomas over the middle for 16 yards, and he immediately fumbled. It looked like two Giants had a chance to get the recovery, but the ball out of their hands and into the hands of Knowshon Moreno. It was a huge break, and the Broncos converted the break into a Moreno touchdown and a 24-16 lead. That play really broke the back of the Giants. The other big play was the interception by Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie in the end zone right before the half.
6) The officials absolutely killed the Broncos all night long with pass interference penalties. It got to the point where everytime there was a pass broken up, I immediately started to look for the refs to throw a flag for P.I. It was pathetic, and the Giants had one of their touchdown drives set up completely on penalties called on the Broncos secondary.
7) Trindon Holliday did his thing once again. His 81-yard punt return for a touchdown was the official backbreaker to give the Broncos a 38-16 lead with 10:13 left in the game. It is amazing because everytime Holliday gets the ball on a return it is must watch television. He is so dynamic. I can't understand why the Texans let him go in the middle of last season.
8) The real bad news for the Broncos in this game is that they lost Ryan Clady to a foot injury. The report on Clady is that it is a serious foot injury and the Broncos are considering multiple options. Those options include season-ending Injured Reserve or maybe IR with a designation for return at some point this season. It is a huge loss to lose Clady for anytime, and it definitely weakens the offense without him. Hopefully, he will be able to return at some point this year. The worst part of the injury is that it occurred in garbage time of a blowout victory.
9) Denver had 10 points in the first half, and they finished with 41. In Week 1, they had 14 points at the half, and they finished with 49. The second half has been key to this season's fast 2-0 start for the Broncos. Denver hopes to continue their winning ways with a key AFC West game at home against the Raiders in Week 3 on Monday Night Football.
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