I love how people think Manning magically filled a dozen or so big holes. Hopefully, Porter is a big upgrade over Goodman (not that that's saying much,) but otherwise we're pretty much the same team that was 4-12 two years ago and started 1-4 last year. People can sneer at Tebow as much as they like, but the fact remains we went 7-4 with him at the helm, 8-5 if we count the playoffs. I don't see Manning doing much better, since he can't duck out of a tackle and run for 20 yards every time Franklin whiffs a block, Clady decides he doesn't want another holding penalty, or a defender runs over Beadles/Walton.
The AFC West should be better (with the possible exception of SD,) and we have a first place schedule. I don't expect more than wins against the weak AFCN/NFCS team and breaking even (with luck) in the Division. Obviously, that's subject to change if we strike draft gold three or four times, but otherwise I'm settled in hoping we find a solid young replacement for Manning when he retires in two years (even though no young QB in his right mind would get near Denver now; we only want proven HoFers,) because that's the earliest I expect a title contender.
I know Manning is (or was) an exceptional QB who put up 14 win seasons in Indy, but I also know Ryan Lilja's in KC, Jeff Saturday's in Baltimore, and Reggie Wayne's still in Indy. Clark's still available, and four years younger than Manning; maybe if we sign him, then lure Edgerrin James and Marvin Harrison out of retirement, we can go from the youngest to oldest team in the league. Then we're only a time machine and Tony Dungy defense away from winning 1 Super Bowl in ten years. Most of the time we'd have to settle for one and done, and only get that win because we faced Denvers awful pass def—oh... crap....
I hate to be a Debbie Downer, but a reality check is clearly needed and will probably come no later than Halloween. Quarterbacks are not panaceas, and great ones don't turn losers into champs; I thought I left that idea back in junior high, but Elway should know better. With our line, I'll count this season a win if Manning finishes every game, but we had to make McGahee an "every down back" because we HAVE no one else (though I still like Johnson) and if Thomas recovered from dropsy, he infected Decker first. We still have no pass coverage deep or over the middle, and lost our only effective defender against runs up the gut.
We got lots o' problems Peyton Manning can't solve, some of which jeopardize his ability to move under his own power, let alone win games. We have a long way to go, and dropping $20 million/year on a guy who'll be retired before we can assemble any support for him was a step in the wrong direction, however good it felt at the time.