Sunday Night Football Week 1: TV, Live Stream Info for Colts vs. Broncos

Peyton Manning enters the 2014 season looking to lead the Denver Broncos past one of the most lopsided Super Bowl defeats in NFL history, and it starts with him facing his former team on a huge stage.

The Broncos host the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday Night Football for one of the Week 1 marquee matchups that will peg two of the biggest favorites to represent the AFC in the University of Phoenix Stadium come February 2015. 

It might be the first of 16 games for both teams, but the implications are without question. Andrew Luck can set the tone for an MVP-caliber season in his third year with the win, while Manning will look to notch his first-ever victory against the Colts after falling in Indianapolis in 2013. 

Let's break it all down.

Date: Sunday, September 7, 2014

Time: 8:30 p.m. ET

Location: Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

TV: NBC

Live Stream: NBC Sports Live Extra 

As is always the case with Manning involved, things start on the offensive side of the ball for the Broncos in this one.

At this time a year ago, the five-time MVP tossed seven touchdowns in his season opener on Sunday Night Football against a Ravens defense that eliminated Manning from the playoffs just months before. "The Sheriff" didn't cool off one bit after that, shattering the regular-season touchdowns record in the process.

LM Otero/Associated Press

He still has Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas making big plays for him on the outside, but some new faces are ready to emerge. Emmanuel Sanders came over from Pittsburgh in the offseason and should fill Wes Welker's role in the short term, while second-year back Montee Ball is taking the reins in the backfield with Knowshon Moreno gone.

Albert Breer of NFL Network sees Sanders' versatility as a big boost:

Manning simply has to dial back the clock to realize he'll have his hands full on Sunday, however. He did throw for 386 yards and three scores in a loss to the Colts last year, but he fell in an early hole thanks to inefficiency early on. 

Indianapolis' defensive unit finished in the top half of the league in passing yards and touchdowns, and it will want to start like it did against Manning last year to generate some early momentum.

It's on the other side of the ball that this game is more likely to be won—or lost, rather.

Luck had his way with the Broncos secondary the last time these two teams met. He torched Denver for 26 first-half points, going 21-of-38 in the passing game for 228 yards and three touchdowns. Most importantly, no picks.

Tom Uhlman/Associated Press

Reggie Wayne is back and healthy, and the arrival of Hakeem Nicks should be more than enough to replace departed receiver Darius Heyward-Bey. T.Y. Hilton is also available to use his speed as a mismatch in the slot.

But whenever Luck and Manning face off, the storyline inevitably shifts to the battle between the Colts' former leader and his successor—much to Luck's chagrin.

"I've never really viewed it as facing Peyton," Luck told The Denver Post's Adrian Dater. "We're never on the field at the same time. I don't think you ever really 'face' the other quarterback. You face the defense, you face the team. That's what's great about football; it's such a team sport. You rely on everybody else. I know it's cliche, but I've never really gotten caught up in who the other opposing quarterback is."

Whether he likes it or not, Luck will always be compared to Manning simply because of the team and the role he inherited as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 draft. But the good thing for him is as long as Manning is in the league, the NFL is almost guaranteed to peg the two teams together on a national stage every year. 

Luck will have the chance to improve to 2-0 against Manning but won't be able to take advantage against an improved Broncos defense that will be out to prove the Super Bowl was a fluke. Denver will set the tone on defense early, and Manning will take advantage.

It will be close until the end, but expect the Broncos to open up the year unbeaten while giving Luck's Colts an early defeat.

Prediction: Broncos 38, Colts 27