DETROIT – No one knows how long he'll last, how much more football Peyton Manning can get out of the neck that's been surgically repaired, or the fingers he no longer has feeling in or the arm that's often cited as some form of noodle (generally, it's described as "wet").
The NFL is never kind, but 39 years old can be particularly cruel. Maybe this is it, one last push for the playoffs, for a second Super Bowl title. Maybe it just collapses as the season's wear and tear arrives. There's so much defensive talent surrounding him in Denver, anything seems possible – even as New England looks as menacing than ever.