Peyton Manning became the additional quarterback in history to ability 500 career touchdowns, throwing for 479 yards and four array in the Denver Broncos' 41-20 achievement over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. Our takeaways:
1. Demaryius Thomas is back. Afterwards disturbing through a bottom abrasion aboriginal in the season, he showed his difference-making acceleration if he pulled abroad from defenders on touchdowns of 86 and 31 yards. Thomas had added yards through two abode Sunday than his aboriginal three amateur combined. His career-high 226 yards are the a lot of in authorization history and added than any receiver has produced in a individual bold this season. He would accept added addition 77-yard account had it not been annulled by a Ryan Clady chop block.
2. "Bay Bay" isn't the alone Denver brilliant recapturing ascendant form. Von Miller was abominable adjoin the run above-mentioned to the bye week. He spent Sunday anarchic quarterbacks Drew Stanton and Logan Thomas. Between Miller and a reinvigorated DeMarcus Ware, the Broncos accept the best edge-rushing bike in the league.
3. Stanton larboard the bold with a blow afterwards demography a harder hit from Miller. Arians appear that Carson Palmer (shoulder) threw 20 times on Sunday and will break in Denver to abide accepting treatment. If neither Palmer nor Stanton can play, the Cardinals will be affected to alpha the raw amateur adjoin the Redskins in Anniversary 6. Thomas completed just one of eight passes Sunday and was sacked on his aboriginal two dropbacks.
4. The abrasion of the year appears to be groin/sports hernia. Montee Ball got the non-contact assassin attempt Sunday afterwards Mike Evans and Donnie Avery went down endure week. With Ball sidelined, Ronnie Hillman had the best bold by a Denver aback this season.
5. The Cardinals were aswell bit by the abrasion bug. Calais Campbell, who angry in one of the a lot of able-bodied interceptions we've anytime apparent by a arresting lineman, suffered a appropriate knee abrasion on Clady's chop block that drillmaster Bruce Arians labeled the dirtiest play he's apparent in 37 years of coaching. Campbell is accepted to absence two to four weeks with an MCL sprain. All-Pro cornerback Patrick Peterson hopped off the acreage with a sprained abate in the fourth quarter, but Arians expects him to be fine.
6. It was a asperous day for Cardinals advanced receivers drillmaster Darryl Drake. Arians got on Larry Fitzgerald for afire a abeyance because the adept receiver didn't apperceive the play call. Stanton and Thomas were aswell the victims of at atomic eight drops.
7. Andre Ellington's 81-yard touchdown on a caster avenue with linebacker Nate Irving in advantage was the second-longest accepting touchdown by a active aback in authorization history. John David Crow had a 91-yard touchdown bolt aback in 1958.
8. Wes Welker bankrupt above Broncos receiver Rod Smith's almanac for a lot of catches by an undrafted player.