Peyton Manning: Week 1 Performance Makes Denver Broncos Super Bowl Contenders

There were plenty of reasons for Denver Broncos fans to smile after their victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, one of which being that newly acquired quarterback Peyton Manning has officially turned them into Super Bowl contenders. 

Manning is the first legitimate quarterback the Broncos have had since they traded away Jay Cutler in 2008, which was also the last year Mike Shanahan was at the helm in Denver.

Now, with a proven quarterback leading the offense on the field instead of Tim Tebow, here are two reasons why Manning makes the Broncos legitimate challengers to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.

Broncos Now Have a Balanced Offensive Attack

It's not an earth-shattering statement to say that the Broncos' passing game will greatly improve with Manning under center in place of Tebow. However, its importance to the success of the Broncos goes without saying.

It's almost impossible to succeed in this league by being one-dimensional on offense. Teams will stack the box against run-happy teams and will bring zone blitzes all game long against teams that can't establish the run.

Last year, the Broncos were the second-worst passing team in the NFL. That would've been tolerable had the Broncos been able to score points, but they only averaged 19.3 points per game last season, which was the eighth-lowest mark in the league.

With Manning orchestrating the offense, teams won't be able to expect the run every down. In fact, it will open up the running game for Willis McGahee and the rest of the Denver running game that was so effective last year.

Balance is the key to success in the NFL, and that's exactly what Manning brings to the Broncos offense.

Defense Will Be on the Field Less Frequently

There was a period of time that the Broncos had one of the top defenses in the NFL. However, that reputation slowly disappeared as the season progressed, and it's partly because they spent so much time on the field last year. In fact, the Broncos had the 12th-lowest time of possession in the NFL at 29:43 minutes per game.

Why was this?

It was because the offense couldn't sustain drives and give the defense the rest that it needed.

Manning excels at extending drives. His pre-snap reads and ability to find the open receivers on third downs and deliver them a catchable ball make him one of the best quarterbacks ever to manufacture lengthy scoring drives down the field.

The Broncos' third-down conversion percentage was only 31 percent last year, which was the third-lowest in the NFL. In Week 1, Peyton and the Broncos went 5-for-9 on third downs, which is a respectable 55 percent.

Manning does so many things to help a football team, and making sure that the Broncos win the time-of-possession battle is something that will benefit the Broncos in the long run, especially on defense.