Breaking Down Differences Between Peyton Manning's Colts, Broncos Offense

Peyton Manning's return to the saddle didn't miss a beat for the Denver Broncos in Week 1.

Going 19-of-26 for 253 yards and two touchdowns against the Pittsburgh Steelers is no joke, and he also didn't turn the ball over.

Deja vu, anyone?

Yes, because Manning's performance was literally a mirrored effort of his time with the Indianapolis Colts. Sure, there are certainly slight differences between Manning in Indy and the Mile High City.

Nonetheless, the offenses are quite similar.

So in order to find those minuscule details of a Manning orchestrated offense, let's break down a "before 2011" and "after 2011" Peyton.

Note: All screenshots are courtesy of NFL Game Rewind.

Peyton Manning in Indianapolis

One thing we constantly saw from Manning in Circle City was taking shots downfield. After all, from 2001-2008, he had Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne teamed up. In addition, Dallas Clark was his tight end from 2003-2010.

Therefore, the Colts provided Manning with targets quite capable of consistently stretching a defense during his tenure. Against the New York Jets in the 2009 AFC Championship, Manning's laser marksmanship was the key factor in Indy's 30-17 victory.

Down 17-6 during the two-minute drill before halftime, Manning dropped one in Austin Collie's lap for a big gain that ultimately got Indy the momentum back.

Here, we see Gang Green lined up in man coverage across the board with Cover 2 over the top.

As Manning makes his first read, Clark proves reliable in picking up the blitz. He looks off the safety until just before Collie makes his break toward the seam. Then the throw, which is slightly more angled to the middle and enough to prevent the safety from any chance of breaking up the pass.

Collie makes the clutch snag between two defenders and Indy winds up in scoring position.

The space in which Manning has to make this throw opens just enough before the safety rolls back over. Had the safety not been looked off, then this pass gets broken up, and Indy's odds of scoring before halftime are significantly reduced.

Granted, we will see some of this in Denver.

Still, the Broncos present receivers that are better after the catch. In other words: Quicker developing plays to keep a defense off guard and faster between each snap (regardless of whether it's no huddle or not).

Peyton Manning in Denver

His return to the field was a historic performance in pro football lore.

After a decent preseason, Manning's re-acclimation into the NFL was uncertain, because it's not like the Steelers were just going to fall over. However, that's basically what happened as Manning utilized his new set of targets to a T, and Pittsburgh got shredded.

On Demaryius Thomas' 71-yard score, it was Manning's manipulation that set it up. For one, Pittsburgh left itself vulnerable in coming out with a 3-3-5 over and not playing press coverage.

Well, courtesy of the play-action the blitzing defender gets bated—as do the inside 'backers—and the defensive backs playing off are vulnerable to a quick pass.

Once Thomas makes the catch, there's great space between him and the defenders and blockers.

As you can see the Steelers defenders are:

1. Outmatched,

2. So far off the ball that a positive gain is inevitable, and

3. Giving Thomas multiple lanes, because they were so far off the ball initially.

Had the Steelers been in press coverage, a quick screen couldn't develop and a sack could occur. Instead, Thomas uses his blockers (choosing the middle lane) and ultimately outruns the Pittsburgh defense like he did last January.

One thing to keep in mind was the backfield presence of Willis McGahee.

After having played with the Baltimore Ravens and then being part of Denver's postseason win over Pittsburgh in 2011, Manning utilized that effectively.

Yes, he used play-action to a great extent with the Colts. Still, in regards to the Steelers, Manning never had a back of McGahee's stature for a play-action fakes and receivers that aren't just of the possession type.

Throughout the 2012 season, we can anticipate the Broncos going with more quick-hitting plays, whether run or pass. Manning's ability to read pre-snap is the one key factor that has made him successful in Indy and now in Denver.

The personnel difference just creates a different game plan, albeit more similar than at first glance.

Denver is supremely efficient at gaining yards after the catch, and as you can also see, the offensive linemen are impressive at making blocks downfield.

In short, Manning can just keep adjusting pre-snap to find the defense's weakness.

And once the snap comes, simply let his playmakers take over.

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