Peyton Manning is returning for his second season with the Denver Broncos and his second season after sitting out a full year due to multiple neck injuries. He is fully healthy and fully confident in Denver and the team as a whole. After getting eliminated by the Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs, the Broncos return with a beefed up receiving core and a stronger arm from Manning.
The Broncos wide receivers are making sure they put in a large amount of time with Manning before the season starts. Many NFL experts were critical of Manning's arm strength in 2012, say he seemed to not be throwing it with the same velocity he had prior to the neck injury. Well, 2013 appears to be a different story as multiple receivers are praising the quarterback for his new zip on the ball.
"I think he's gotten a little stronger, but I can't really say, because it's my first time playing with a quarterback like Peyton. It was fun this past year because I'd never had ball comes at me like that --on time and stuff like that," Demaryius Thomas said.
Receiver Eric Decker notes that Manning looks like his old self in workouts now. He thinks the ball is coming out quicker and that he has a strong zip on the ball than last season. Both Thomas and Decker were first and second respectively in catches made last season. They accounted for 23 of the 37 receiving touchdowns the Broncos had last season.
The two receivers have certainly already put in their fair share of work with Manning this season. They were spotted down at Duke University working out with the quarterback during the Manning brothers passing camp. The work appears to be paying off as Thomas notes that everyone seems to be on the same page this year.
Manning said in the past that he does not know if he will ever be the same quarterback as the one he was in Indianapolis. The neck injuries have certainly taken a toll on him. While his arm strength was questionable last season, he still managed to put up a 105.8 passer rating, second best in the NFL. He completed 68.6 percent of his throws for 4,659 yards and 37 interceptions. Naturally, he was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year and was second in MVP votes behind running back Adrian Peterson.
