Peyton Manning

New city, new team, same Peyton Manning. That's how the Denver Broncos quarterback looked in Week 4, at least, carving up the Oakland Raiders by completing 30 of 38 passes for 338 yards with three touchdowns. "He's getting more comfortable," Coach John Fox said of Manning after the 37-6 victory. "Let's not forget he didn't play all [last] season, probably more than a year. This is a new team, a new coaching staff, a new city, a new field, a new everything for him. The type of guy he is, he's just going to get better and better.

Peyton Manning is 1-1 after his first two starts with Denver. Guess who had the same record after his initial two outings as the Broncos' full-time quarterback last season? Tim Tebow, of course. You remember him, don't you, Broncos fans? The guy who led your favorite team to one seemingly miraculous victory after another for much of the 2011 season and into the second round of the playoffs before being shipped off to the New York Jets in favor of future Hall of Famer Manning. Obviously Manning has a much better resume than Tebow.

Peyton Manning may wear a different color jersey, but he's still a star. Manning's official start as quarterback of the Denver Broncos tied the viewership record for NBC's "Sunday Night Football," with 27.5 million total viewers tuning in for the Broncos' 31-19 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to Nielsen. That's the same figure (after rounding) as last year's Dallas Cowboys-New York Giants game that decided the NFC East championship. In addition, it was the most watched regular-season NFL game in 16 years -- since a Green Bay Packers-Cowboys matchup in 1996 that drew 31.5 million.

Join us at 11:30 today for a live Google+ Hangout chat with NFL columnist Sam Farmer and Mark Thompson, best known as the Mark part of the "Mark and Brian" radio show. They will be discussing Week 1 of the NFL season. Topics could include: The amazing debut of Washington rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III, who became the first player in NFL history to throw for at least 300 yards and two touchdowns without an interception in his debut game. Peyton Manning's solid debut in leading the Denver Broncos to a victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Peyton Manning came back after a year off Sunday night and put up some big numbers to lead the Denver Broncos past the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night at Mile High Stadium. Big deal. This is what the Broncos gave up the great Tim Tebow for, just another home win over the Steelers? Bor-ing. Tebow did the same thing last season -- and in the playoffs, no less, when no one was expecting it. Everybody knew Manning would come right out after rehabbing from four neck surgeries and pick up right where he left off (except maybe the Indianapolis Colts, who dropped him in favor of the so-called next Peyton, a.k.a.

Peyton Manning is not a gang member (as far as we know). Most, if not all, of the children in a certain Colorado school district probably aren't either. But certain people who like to wear the new Broncos quarterback's jersey number -- No. 18 -- apparently are. So no one attending school in Weld County District 6 is allowed to wear a Manning jersey because of a dress code that went into effect long before the four-time league MVP came to Denver during the off-season. Here's an idea: All those excited about having the future Hall of Famer on their beloved team can just get the jersey of tight end Joel Dreessen instead.

The Denver Broncos have a new quarterback. The Oakland Raiders have a new attitude. Seven teams have new coaches. And, like every NFL season, we have a batch of new questions … Never mind Most Valuable Player, which award is going to have the longest line of candidates this season? Comeback player of the year. All eyes are on Denver's Peyton Manning and his return from multiple neck surgeries, but he's far from the only elite player returning from a devastating injury.

Peyton Manning is known for being one the NFL's foremost technicians, a player who is constantly refining and tinkering with his game. As a result, the new Denver Broncos quarterback is the league's only four-time most valuable player. In a conference call with the media Wednesday, NBC's Tony Dungy, formerly coach of the Manning-led Colts, gave an interesting example of Peyton's dedication to improving and helping the players around him improve. "We drafted Anthony Gonzalez in Indianapolis, and Peyton Manning went twice a week to Columbus and threw with him for an hour-and-a-half while he was still in school," Dungy said of the Ohio State receiver selected with the 32nd pick of the 2007 draft.

All signs are that Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning is ready for full contact. Which he'll get Thursday night during the team's exhibition opener against the Chicago Bears. During a scrimmage Saturday at training camp in Englewood, Colo., the future Hall of Famer, who was off limits to contact, had two quick three-and-out possessions before leading the Broncos' first-team offense to a score against the second-team defense. On the final play of the scrimmage, Manning connected with receiver Eric Decker for a nine-yard touchdown that ignited a loud ovation from the 41,304 fans in attendance.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — When he was quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts, Peyton Manning was surrounded by standout receivers — sure-handed players such as Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark and Pierre Garcon. But how much of that was Manning turning those players into stars with his pinpoint targeting? "I think it was a combination," said John Elway, Denver's executive vice president of football operations. "They got so good because of the years that they had together and the feel that they had in certain situations.