Peyton Manning during an OTA at the Broncos training facility. (Ron Chenoy-US PRESSWIRE)

The next guy to make the NFL Network’s list of Top 100 Players in 2012 is Peyton Manning. Wait. What? Huh? His name is being called already?

Yes, Peyton Manning was ranked No. 50, sandwiched in between Maurkice Pouncey (49) and Brian Urlacher (51).

It didn’t help that Manning missed the entire 2011 season, but we’re talking about a four-time MVP player, and a Super Bowl winner. It seems that many of Manning’s peers aren’t convinced that he can have much success in Denver, at least during his first year.

The top 100 list is based on peer rankings.

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Tim Tebow leads the Broncos to another win, their sixth straight. (Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)

If you need to check into the emergency room for chest pain, you’re not alone. If you need to schedule an appointment with your barber to put a little more color in your hair, step in line. The Broncos make hearts sputter until they flutter, and they put more grey hairs on Coach Fox’s head than a teenage daughter would.

The Broncos once again had the world on standby as they overcame a ten point fourth quarter deficit to beat the Chicago Bears 13-10 in overtime. Every Sunday Broncos fans around the country have a reserved seat at “The Edge.” The edge of their plastic seats, the edge of their bar stool, the edge of their couches, perhaps the edge of history.

If you could bottle the scoreless first half, ambien would go out of business. If you could bottle the last quarter which is typically a kerosene doused Tim Tebow package, you would have the Fourth of July every Sunday in November and December.

“I think we are rewriting the book on ‘keep fighting,’ John Fox said after the game. “Our guys never blink.They remain positive. As bad as it looked today – we didn’t play well – we had some drops, but that guy that dropped a couple passes caught the winning touchdown. That’s kind of the M.O. of this bunch.”

The Broncos didn’t put their first points up on the board until there was 2:08 left in regulation. It came on a Tim Tebow-to-Demaryius Thomas 10-yard touchdown pass. That put the game at 10-7 and that made Tebow’s eyes widen even more. The team could sniff this win out.
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The Bears will be after Tim Tebow on Sunday. (Charlie Neibergall/AP Photo)

The Bears are confident that they can stop whatever option/?? offense the Broncos decide to run on Sunday.

The Bears just lost to Tyler Palko at home. If they lose to Tim Tebow on the road, Lance Briggs will really go off.

Asked Thursday if he’d be embarrassed if the Bears lost to Tebow in Denver: “No, I will be frickin’ pissed.”

The Bears gave good soundbite on Thursday.  A sampling:

Briggs: “[Tebow] is one heck of a football player and we’re going to have to stop that crap.”

Brian Urlacher on Tebow’s athleticism via the Chicago Tribune: “He’s not Michael Vick.”

Briggs: “Cam Newton’s a better athlete, faster.”

Urlacher on preparing for the Broncos: “We have rules for every offense we play. Carolina ran a similar offense.”

Briggs via ESPN Chicago: “[Defending the option] isn’t rocket scientist . . . er . . . rocket science.” – Pro Football Talk 

All of this talk just fuels the fire within Tebow as well, so let the Bears talk. A loss here could send them straight into their hibernation period.

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