Don't Be Fooled, Undefeated Broncos Winning in Spite of Peyton Manning

Let's say you crawled into a hole at the end of the 2014 football season, only to crawl out Sunday and see the Denver Broncos are 4-0. It's safe, then, to assume that means Peyton Manning is back to his old ways. Right?

Well, not quite.

As uncommon an occurrence as it's been during his legendary career, Manning's team is winning in spite of him. His struggles in the passing game exposed themselves again Sunday, in a tight 23-20 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

And if the first 25 percent of this season is any indication, fans of the Broncos better get used to it.

For the fourth straight time in as many appearances, the Denver defense paved the way to victory with Manning sputtering. He went 17-of-27 with 213 yards and threw twice as many interceptions as touchdowns, again looking like a shell of his former self.

Of course, throwing interceptions isn't always on the quarterback. But of the five that he's thrown now this season, including the two from Sunday, they've all been on him.

His first against the Vikings came in especially worrisome fashion. Manning looked down his intended receiver, Andre Caldwell, short on the left side. That allowed linebacker Anthony Barr to jump in front of it, as Bleacher Report's Matt Miller observed:

Even Barr was surprised at the throw, as Chris Tomasson of St. Paul Pioneer Press noted:

That turnover gave Minnesota a direct path back into the game, as Barr returned the pick 32 yards and set up a Mike Wallace touchdown catch two plays later. A first half that the Broncos defense thoroughly dominated only resulted in a 13-10 halftime lead. 

Somewhat early in the game, that lapse could be overcome. Manning's next gaffe, however, put the Broncos' undefeated record on the brink of biting the dust.

Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Directly after an Adrian Peterson 48-yard touchdown that cut the Vikes' deficit to 20-17, Manning got the ball back. After a 15-yard strike to Demaryius Thomas to open the drive, he looked Thomas' way again.

He shouldn't have. Safety Harrison Smith reached up and snagged the poorly aimed throw to give Minnesota the ball back near midfield. What's more, ESPN's Josina Anderson wasn't even surprised:

A couple of picks alone isn't too dreary of an outing for Manning, who's thrown 239 of them now in his illustrious career. But in this position—in the fourth quarter with a three-point lead—it was nonetheless not Manning-like.

Thankfully on Sunday, his defense had his back.

On a short field, the defense stiffened up and held the Vikings to a game-tying field goal. When Manning and the Broncos offense delivered a go-ahead field goal with two minutes left, the onus was on Von Miller and Co. again.

They delivered, relentlessly attacking Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and forcing a game-clinching turnover, as the NFL showed:

Perhaps it wasn't a complete dud performance like we saw in Week 1 against Baltimore, but Manning and the Broncos offense wasn't what won Sunday's game. Instead, the defense clinched another victory for Denver, as Danny Kanell of ESPN noted:

Winning this way is becoming a theme for the Broncos, as Tom Pelissero of USA Today observed:

For all of the Broncos' defensive formidability, run-game woes have made the spotlight on Manning even brighter, as C.J. Anderson and the rushing crew have failed to shoulder any bit of the load. If there's one bright spot for Denver's offense, it's that the rushing attack bounced back Sunday.

Denver needed to establish the run against Minnesota's blitzing defense, and it did just that. Ronnie Hillman took his 11 carries for 103 yards, scoring on a 72-yard touchdown that served as the Broncos' only splash play of the first half.

Along with 43 more yards from Anderson, the Broncos running game provided on Sunday, as ESPN Stats & Info noted:

Having to win games in every fashion other than leaning on Manning is not a familiar feeling in Denver. But the more you think about it, the more this could be a blessing in disguise for the Broncos' chances of postseason success.

Manning lit up the NFL in 2013 and got bounced in the postseason. He still put up 39 touchdowns in what was considered a regression season in 2014, and the Broncos were beaten soundly in the divisional round.

Meanwhile, this formula may bode well for them when those situations come about this year, as Jeff Darlington of NFL.com noted:

Either way, each passing game seems to indicate the sobering truth that Manning no longer has the arm or the pin-point accuracy to carry his team like he has throughout virtually his whole career. 

The reality is, Manning hasn't struggled with poor play or turnovers at this rate in a long time. With five interceptions through four games, he reached depths not touched since his 2008 season.

Manning's struggles are either a season-derailing development or simply a sign of how the Broncos will have to win in 2015. It's all up to the players around Manning, and that boisterous defense, to make it the latter.

After all, this is what John Elway and the Denver brass were preparing for when they invested heavily into the defensive side of the ball. It's just now making itself apparent, with Manning's inevitable regression a reality.