Everybody was worried about Peyton Manning throwing the long ball.
The really short one got the Broncos on the board first.
Manning staked the Broncos to a 7-0 lead by working the ball around sharply. The 41-yard bomb to Demaryius Thomas will make all the highlight shows, but the best throw might have traveled about a yard in the air, if that.
The touchdown was set up by a 14-yard pass to Willis McGahee that is best described as crafty. Both Saints linebackers were sucked inside, Manning put the pass into McGahee’s hip pocket in traffic, and the running back did the rest of the work. It was initially ruled a touchdown, but was overturned on review.
The Broncos did the courteous thing, and let McGahee get the score on the next play.