Broncos Preseason: 10 players to watch vs. Texans

August 14, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) before playing against the Seattle Seahawks in a preseason NFL football game at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

It’s week 2 of the NFL preseason, pitting the Denver Broncos against the Houston Texans yet again for an exhibition matchup. This will be Peyton Manning’s debut, but probably the season debut for a variety of star players on the Broncos.

This will also mark Gary Kubiak’s return to Houston as a member of the Denver Broncos, and will be in intriguing preseason matchup for a number of reasons. Not the least of which is what kind of impact we see from reigning defensive MVP J.J. Watt, who is going to be a terror for the Broncos’ offensive line.

There are a lot of players I’ll be keeping my eye on in this game, but here are 10 in particular you should be watching and why.

1. Peyton Manning, QB

This is Peyton Manning’s season debut, and the Broncos have to be excited to get him some actual game action for the first time in Gary Kubiak’s reign.

Manning is 39, but perhaps in the best shape of his playing career physically. He’s also in an offense that is going to call for him to move around and hand the ball off more than he probably ever has before. Not to mention, he’s going to be handing the ball off quite a lot.

With all that said, this is still Manning’s team, and he’s going to set the tone on a weekly basis offensively.  It’ll take some adjustments and getting used to, but this offense should be very good for Manning and we’re all ecstatic to see him get his first game action.

Next: Demaryius Thomas