Two things were abundantly clear about the two offenses Sunday night–the Steelers take their time, and the Broncos are fast. The ringer? Both score.

This game seemed a lot like a seesaw to me. One team would score, then the next and so on. For a while I was not sure that my Broncos were going to come out on top. Then my Donkeys showed me why I should never doubt them.

Photo by: marcus_jb1973

Overall, I was really impressed with Peyton. He was accurate, quick to read the coverage and made good connections the entire game. A pretty amazing performance considering he hasn’t started a regular season game since the 2010-2011 season.

Peyton also joined the elite group of quarterbacks with 400 touchdown passes. Congrats, Mr. Manning. Believe me when I say that Denver is happy to have you.

I know that every game recap this week is going to say something about the replacement officials. Yes, they missed some calls and yes, their calls were questionable at times. However, my biggest annoyance was the timing. It seemed that their calls were a full 10 seconds after the penalty. That’s frustrating as a player because it can completely throw off your rhythm. As a spectator it’s annoying because it seems to disrupt the whole flow of the game. Officials, please end your standoff. That’s all I’m going to say about that.

Related: Denver Broncos: Keep Calm and Play On

Other game highlights include:

• Denver defense – Overall, I think this was a very impressive performance. They were swift and accurate. However, they still have a lot to work on. The biggest? Third-down conversions. Too many times the Broncos defense had great stops only for the Steelers to have an amazing conversion on third down. In order to have an elite defense, that has to change. On another note, Von Miller is a sack machine.
• Demaryius Thomas – Okay, seriously, how much do the Steelers (and their fans) hate this guy? In case I have to remind you of what happened last season–Tim Tebow and Demaryius Thomas connected for an 80-yard play that resulted in the shortest post-season OT ever, and the end of the Steelers season. This time? A very similar situation that resulted in a TD and Manning’s landmark 400^th touchdown. Keep doing what you do, DT. It’s working.
• Missed opportunities – This is definitely more of a lowlight than a highlight. The Broncos could have sealed it with about 3:00 minutes left in the game. Within ten yards, you need to convert.
• Tracy Porter – I might be in love with this guy. He is a Hoosier (like yours truly), but more importantly he is a game changer. He is well known for picking off Favre and Peyton Manning in the playoffs a few years ago leading to the Saints Super Bowl. His game changer this time? A huge pick for a touchdown and essentially securing the win for the Broncos. Just Porter doing what he does best–intercepting and scoring.

Well, Broncos fans, it sure looks like it’s going to be a great season.

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Written by Maddy

Maddy is a Colorado girl at heart. She loves the mountains, the blue and orange sunsets, and of course, the Denver Broncos. Her first Broncos game was the 1999 AFC Championship game and at the young age of 10, she knew that she was embarking on a pretty serious relationship with the Broncos. One that’s still going strong. You could say she is a “professional” sports fan because she is a recent graduate with a Master’s in Sport Administration. She attended Indiana University for her undergrad and majored in Sports Broadcasting. Sports have always had a special place her heart and she is thrilled to share her love and knowledge of the Broncos this season!

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