DENVER – Eight months after a season-ending loss to the Ravens at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, the Broncos opened their 2013 campaign with a 49-27 win over the defending Super Bowl champs.
Peyton Manning matched an NFL record with seven touchdown passes in the season-opening victory that was played in front of 76,977 fans – the third most ever to take in a Broncos game in Denver.
After plenty of offseason discussion over how Manning would spread the ball around his talented pass catchers, he answered those questions by throwing touchdowns to nearly all of them.
Tight end Julius Thomas caught the first two scores of his career and wide receiver Wes Welker caught his first two as a Bronco. Demaryius Thomas added a pair and Andre Caldwell hauled in one of his own.
Manning finished 27-of-42 for 462 yards with the seven touchdowns bringing his quarterback rating to 141.1. The seven touchdowns represented a career high, and he became the first player in NFL history to throw seven touchdowns with zero interceptions in a game. His 462 yards were the second-most in his career.
The DenverBroncos.com crew is currently in the locker room gather player reaction. Check back for more coverage.
