Peyton Manning’s four-year rodeo in Mile High City
General
Published on : 8/19/2024
By Ryan Michael
Special to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
(Editor’s note: This article is the latest in an ongoing series looking at quarterbacks’ achievements that have aged well over the past 80 NFL seasons.)
Following multiple neck surgeries that ended his 2011 season before it began, the future of quarterback PEYTON MANNING was uncertain as the 2012 NFL season approached.
Following a 16-2 start that ended with a loss to the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl XLIV and a 10-6 season that ended with a loss to the New York Jets in the final seconds of the 2010 AFC Wild Card Game, the Indianapolis Colts got off to an 0-13 start and an eventual 2-14 finish without Manning at the helm in 2011.
The lowest winning percentage in the league granted Indianapolis the No. 1 overall selection in the 2012 NFL Draft. With quarterback Andrew Luck of Stanford University regarded by many as the finest quarterback prospect since Manning entered the league in 1998, the Colts were faced with a difficult decision.
Keep Manning, bank on his recovery and hope to win a championship during the twilight of his NFL career, or rebuild around a 23-year-old “can’t miss” prospect and hope to be positioned for eventual success over the next decade.
The Colts opted to release Manning and draft Luck, who would go on to lead the team to three consecutive 11-5 seasons.
Manning, meanwhile, invested himself fully into rehabilitation, finding no shortage of interested parties in free agency.
In the end, Manning made the decision to become a member of the Denver Broncos, hoping to follow in the footsteps of then-General Manager JOHN ELWAY and end his career hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
His Week 1 return on “Sunday Night Football” saw Manning lead the Broncos to a dominant 31-19 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. That hot start was cooled down by three losses over the following four weeks. The Broncos record stood at 2-3 as they fell behind 24-0 in their Week 6 “Monday Night Football” matchup with the San Diego Chargers.
Two quarters away from falling to 2-4, Manning and the Broncos mounted a second-half comeback for the ages — scoring 35 unanswered points. The 35-24 win was the beginning of an 11-game winning streak that saw the team end the regular season with a 13-3 record and the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
Manning finished second in MVP voting and was named both a first-team All-Pro selection at quarterback and the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year.
A 38-35 loss in double-overtime to the Baltimore Ravens thwarted Manning’s quest to become the first starting quarterback in NFL history to win a Super Bowl with two franchises.
He returned with a vengeance in 2013, tying an NFL single-game record by throwing seven touchdown passes against the defending Super Bowl champion Ravens in the season opener. It was the first chapter of an all-out assault on the NFL’s record book.
By the end of the season, Manning’s 5,477 passing yards and 55 touchdown passes broke the single-season records held by Drew Brees (5,476 passing yards in 2011) and Tom Brady (50 touchdown passes in 2007).
Manning was named a first-team All-Pro for the seventh time (2003-05, 2008-09, 2012-13) and the NFL’s Most Valuable Player for the fifth time (2003-04, 2008-09, 2013).
A 400-yard passing performance vs. Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game earned the Broncos a birth in Super Bowl XLVIII. A 43-8 loss to the Seattle Seahawks again ended Manning’s quest for a second championship.
The 2014 season began in similar fashion to the previous season.
With 29 touchdown passes through the first nine games of the year, Manning was on pace to produce 51.6 over a 16-game stretch. A leg injury, however, led to a reduction in both production and efficiency.
The Broncos finished the year with a 12-4 record, but by the time they faced the Colts in the Division Round of the playoffs, it was clear that Manning wasn’t fully healthy. The Broncos lost 24-13, and questions began to arise about whether Manning would retire.
After taking time to consider retirement, Manning decided to return for the 2015 season. Although age was affecting his physical abilities compared to past years, his knowledge of the game and his vast experience helped him through some tough trials during what would become his final season in the NFL.
A career-long 17-play drive that consumed 10:56 against the Ravens late in the season-opener helped drain the clock and afford Denver’s defense the opportunity to haul in a game-ending interception to win 19-13. A three-touchdown, zero-interception outing on the road vs. the Kansas City Chiefs helped Denver secure a 31-24 win in Week 2. A 101.7 passer rating performance vs. the Lions helped the Broncos walk away with a 24-12 win in Week 3.
On Nov. 15, 2015, a torn planter fascia sent Manning to the bench on the same day he broke Brett Favre’s all-time record for career passing yards. The stat line: 5-of-20 for 9 yards with zero touchdowns, four interceptions and a 0.0 passer rating in the Broncos’ 29-13 loss to the Chiefs.
Seven weeks later, Manning returned from injury and came off the bench to lead the Broncos to a comeback victory over the Chargers. The 27-20 win earned Denver the No. 1 seed in the AFC and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
A 23-16 win over the Steelers in the Divisional Round set the stage for one final showdown between Manning and Brady in the 2015 AFC Championship Game.
Manning’s two-touchdown, zero-interception performance gave Denver the early lead. The Broncos’ defense sacked Brady four times and picked him off three times (including a failed 2-point conversion late in the fourth quarter) to close out a 20-18 win.
The victory sent Manning to his fourth Super Bowl with a fourth head coach (TONY DUNGY, Jim Caldwell, John Fox and Gary Kubiak). No quarterback in NFL history has matched that feat.
Facing the 17-1 Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50, Manning led the Broncos to a 3-0 lead on the opening drive. The early lead gave Denver an advantage in what went on to become a mostly defensive affair. Late in the fourth quarter, on the final passing attempt of his NFL career, Manning connected with wide receiver Bennie Fowler for a successful 2-point conversion. Final score: 24-10.
The pass provided a fitting way to bookend Manning’s Hall of Fame career.
His first passing attempt in the NFL resulted in a 48-yard touchdown pass to Marvin Harrison vs. the Seahawks in the 1998 preseason. More than 10,000 attempts later, the last pass that left his hand again hit pay dirt.
Manning’s four-year rodeo in Denver included a 50-15 record as a starter, three Pro Bowl selections, one NFL Comeback Player of the Year award, the NFL single-season records for passing yards and touchdown passes, two first-team All-Pro selections, one league MVP award, two AFC Championships and a win in Super Bowl 50.
Mile High accomplishments.
Ryan Michael is a sportswriter, a statistician for KOA’s “Broncos Country Tonight” and a contributor to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. You can follow him on X (@theryanmichael) and on “Broncos Country Tonight”.
This article is the latest in an ongoing series highlighting noteworthy quarterback play over the past 80 seasons. Information from Pro-Football-Reference.com’s database helped make the research possible.
Special to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
(Editor’s note: This article is the latest in an ongoing series looking at quarterbacks’ achievements that have aged well over the past 80 NFL seasons.)
Following multiple neck surgeries that ended his 2011 season before it began, the future of quarterback PEYTON MANNING was uncertain as the 2012 NFL season approached.
Following a 16-2 start that ended with a loss to the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl XLIV and a 10-6 season that ended with a loss to the New York Jets in the final seconds of the 2010 AFC Wild Card Game, the Indianapolis Colts got off to an 0-13 start and an eventual 2-14 finish without Manning at the helm in 2011.
The lowest winning percentage in the league granted Indianapolis the No. 1 overall selection in the 2012 NFL Draft. With quarterback Andrew Luck of Stanford University regarded by many as the finest quarterback prospect since Manning entered the league in 1998, the Colts were faced with a difficult decision.
Keep Manning, bank on his recovery and hope to win a championship during the twilight of his NFL career, or rebuild around a 23-year-old “can’t miss” prospect and hope to be positioned for eventual success over the next decade.
The Colts opted to release Manning and draft Luck, who would go on to lead the team to three consecutive 11-5 seasons.
Manning, meanwhile, invested himself fully into rehabilitation, finding no shortage of interested parties in free agency.
In the end, Manning made the decision to become a member of the Denver Broncos, hoping to follow in the footsteps of then-General Manager JOHN ELWAY and end his career hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
His Week 1 return on “Sunday Night Football” saw Manning lead the Broncos to a dominant 31-19 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. That hot start was cooled down by three losses over the following four weeks. The Broncos record stood at 2-3 as they fell behind 24-0 in their Week 6 “Monday Night Football” matchup with the San Diego Chargers.
Two quarters away from falling to 2-4, Manning and the Broncos mounted a second-half comeback for the ages — scoring 35 unanswered points. The 35-24 win was the beginning of an 11-game winning streak that saw the team end the regular season with a 13-3 record and the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
Manning finished second in MVP voting and was named both a first-team All-Pro selection at quarterback and the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year.
A 38-35 loss in double-overtime to the Baltimore Ravens thwarted Manning’s quest to become the first starting quarterback in NFL history to win a Super Bowl with two franchises.
He returned with a vengeance in 2013, tying an NFL single-game record by throwing seven touchdown passes against the defending Super Bowl champion Ravens in the season opener. It was the first chapter of an all-out assault on the NFL’s record book.
By the end of the season, Manning’s 5,477 passing yards and 55 touchdown passes broke the single-season records held by Drew Brees (5,476 passing yards in 2011) and Tom Brady (50 touchdown passes in 2007).
Manning was named a first-team All-Pro for the seventh time (2003-05, 2008-09, 2012-13) and the NFL’s Most Valuable Player for the fifth time (2003-04, 2008-09, 2013).
A 400-yard passing performance vs. Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game earned the Broncos a birth in Super Bowl XLVIII. A 43-8 loss to the Seattle Seahawks again ended Manning’s quest for a second championship.
Continued success
The 2014 season began in similar fashion to the previous season.
With 29 touchdown passes through the first nine games of the year, Manning was on pace to produce 51.6 over a 16-game stretch. A leg injury, however, led to a reduction in both production and efficiency.
The Broncos finished the year with a 12-4 record, but by the time they faced the Colts in the Division Round of the playoffs, it was clear that Manning wasn’t fully healthy. The Broncos lost 24-13, and questions began to arise about whether Manning would retire.
After taking time to consider retirement, Manning decided to return for the 2015 season. Although age was affecting his physical abilities compared to past years, his knowledge of the game and his vast experience helped him through some tough trials during what would become his final season in the NFL.
A career-long 17-play drive that consumed 10:56 against the Ravens late in the season-opener helped drain the clock and afford Denver’s defense the opportunity to haul in a game-ending interception to win 19-13. A three-touchdown, zero-interception outing on the road vs. the Kansas City Chiefs helped Denver secure a 31-24 win in Week 2. A 101.7 passer rating performance vs. the Lions helped the Broncos walk away with a 24-12 win in Week 3.
On Nov. 15, 2015, a torn planter fascia sent Manning to the bench on the same day he broke Brett Favre’s all-time record for career passing yards. The stat line: 5-of-20 for 9 yards with zero touchdowns, four interceptions and a 0.0 passer rating in the Broncos’ 29-13 loss to the Chiefs.
Seven weeks later, Manning returned from injury and came off the bench to lead the Broncos to a comeback victory over the Chargers. The 27-20 win earned Denver the No. 1 seed in the AFC and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
A 23-16 win over the Steelers in the Divisional Round set the stage for one final showdown between Manning and Brady in the 2015 AFC Championship Game.
Manning’s two-touchdown, zero-interception performance gave Denver the early lead. The Broncos’ defense sacked Brady four times and picked him off three times (including a failed 2-point conversion late in the fourth quarter) to close out a 20-18 win.
The victory sent Manning to his fourth Super Bowl with a fourth head coach (TONY DUNGY, Jim Caldwell, John Fox and Gary Kubiak). No quarterback in NFL history has matched that feat.
A fitting conclusion
Facing the 17-1 Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50, Manning led the Broncos to a 3-0 lead on the opening drive. The early lead gave Denver an advantage in what went on to become a mostly defensive affair. Late in the fourth quarter, on the final passing attempt of his NFL career, Manning connected with wide receiver Bennie Fowler for a successful 2-point conversion. Final score: 24-10.
The pass provided a fitting way to bookend Manning’s Hall of Fame career.
His first passing attempt in the NFL resulted in a 48-yard touchdown pass to Marvin Harrison vs. the Seahawks in the 1998 preseason. More than 10,000 attempts later, the last pass that left his hand again hit pay dirt.
Manning’s four-year rodeo in Denver included a 50-15 record as a starter, three Pro Bowl selections, one NFL Comeback Player of the Year award, the NFL single-season records for passing yards and touchdown passes, two first-team All-Pro selections, one league MVP award, two AFC Championships and a win in Super Bowl 50.
Mile High accomplishments.
Ryan Michael is a sportswriter, a statistician for KOA’s “Broncos Country Tonight” and a contributor to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. You can follow him on X (@theryanmichael) and on “Broncos Country Tonight”.
This article is the latest in an ongoing series highlighting noteworthy quarterback play over the past 80 seasons. Information from Pro-Football-Reference.com’s database helped make the research possible.
More of this series
- Analysis: Charlie Conerly’s giant accomplishments hold up as eras pass
- Y.A. Tittle’s journey from San Francisco to New York
- Analysis: An appreciation of Sammy Baugh’s historic 1943 season
- Legendary seasons for Sid Luckman, Peyton Manning separated by 70 years
- Looking back at TB12’s historic 2011 season 12 years later
- Russell Wilson’s decade of dominance in Seattle remains elite
- Roger Staubach’s 1971: The greatest season you’ve never heard about
- Silver anniversary: Randall Cunningham’s solid gold season with Vikings
- 50 years since Unitas’ last pass: Some things you might not know about No. 19
- Race to the top: Brady’s battle with Brees for the NFL’s most hallowed record
- Analysis: Did Andrew Luck exceed hype or fall short?
- Silver anniversary of John’s Elway’s sterling final game
- As cold as ice: Perception of Matt Ryan’s legacy after ‘28-3’
- Cam Newton leads high-flying 2015 Carolina Panthers
- Peyton Manning’s four-year rodeo in Mile High City
- Dan Marino eclipsed long-standing TD record 40 years ago
Previous Article
Gold Jacket Spotlight: Terrell Davis fueled career-changing tackle with sideline hot dog
An unsuccessful flight plan, hot dogs and a spectacular tackle that impacted Terrell Davis’ Pro Football Hall of Fame career all are included in this week’s Gold Jacket Spotlight.
Next Article
Class of 2024 enshrinees to receive Pro Football Hall of Fame Ring of Excellence
The Pro Football Hall of Fame and Kay Jewelers, the Official Provider of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Ring of Excellence, will honor the Class of 2024 with ceremonies in their home stadiums throughout the 2024 NFL season.