Even with his throwing thumb injured after having it bang against an opponent's helmet during the second quarter, Peyton Manning still managed to pass 305 yards, lead a couple of 90-yard touchdowns and has effortlessly outplayed Brees to lead the his Denver Broncos to a shutdown 34-14 win over the New Orleans Saints.

During the game, the 36-year-old quarterback exceeded the 300-yard mark to tie his personal best record while setting a Bronco's franchise record for doing it five consecutive times (4-3). He had a passing rate of 138.9; completing 22 out of 30 throws. He’s now in the running for MVP, too.

To think that this all happened three weeks after the team wasn't playing up to his own standards. The Bronco's offense and defense were absolutely nowhere near matching his high-level of play and the only reason he signed with the team was because of their alleged potential to win.

Three weeks ago, Denver wasn't blocking well and they were fumbling all over the place. They were destroyed on the defensive end and they lacked motivation - their killer instinct. Well, that's now in the past and the Broncos are currently leaving everyone in the dust.

The most challenging part of their itinerary is over and they only have one more opponent with a winning record (Baltimore) to deal with. It is still too early to place them in the front, although they unquestionably played like they were against the league's most infamous teams.