It was the Peyton Manning Show again in Denver, as the Broncos crushed the Oakland Raiders 37-21 on Monday Night Football.
The Broncos might have to consider this game a loss after failing to score 40 points for the first time all season. While Peyton Manning’s three touchdowns and 374 yards passing didn’t match his seven touchdown performance against the Ravens, at least he can sleep well knowing he’s thrown 12 touchdowns faster than anyone in NFL history .
With the win, the Broncos start the season 3-0 and are easily the team to beat this year. No offense is better. Manning is a surgeon and the ball is his scalpel.
The news is not as good for Oakland. The Raiders fell to 1-2 on the year and possibly lost starting quarterback Terrelle Pryor with a concussion. After Pryor was taken to the locker room late in the fourth quarter, Matt Flynn came in and was thoroughly unimpressive.
Darren McFadden had one of the worst starts of his career, rushing the ball 12 times for just nine yards. Not that it has to be said, but that’s less than a yard a carry. On the upside, he did pass for a touchdown.
Overall, Monday Night Football didn’t tell us anything new about the Broncos or the Raiders. Denver looks good enough to go 16-0, while Oakland could win seven games if Pryor stays healthy and McFaddenn improves his running game.
The big story remains Peyton Manning. After three games, he’s led the Broncos to 126 points. No team has scored that many points in their first three games since 1968. He’s already breaking records this season; who knows how many he’ll break when all is said and done.
Were you surprised the Broncos blew out the Raiders on Monday Night Football?
[image via Wikimedia Commons ]
