He may not be the Peyton Manning of old, but the Lions are not taking for granted any success in defending the certain first-ballot Hall of Fame quarterback who has made the NFL record book his personal daily planner and diary.
The Lions are in no position with an 0-2 record to take any opponent lightly. That’s particularly true of Sunday night’s prime-time TV game against Manning and the Denver Broncos at Ford Field.
The Broncos have the NFL’s second-ranked defense, and if Manning’s skills aren’t what they used to be, his reputation still puts him among the league’s elite quarterbacks for how he can find ways to win games.