Week 1: 2013 vs. Baltimore Ravens
The wait for the start of the 2013 season was absolutely brutal.
The Denver Broncos were just shocked in the 2012 postseason by a Hail Mary from Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens, knocking the Broncos off of a legendary winning streak and perhaps intervening on a sure-fire Super Bowl win.
There is no doubt the Denver Broncos were the best team in the NFL in 2012, but they were knocked off in the playoffs by Baltimore, their week one foe to open the 2013 season.
With Wes Welker joining the fray, along with expected breakout player Julius Thomas at tight end, the Broncos were absolutely loaded offensively and they were excited to put their team on display against the team that had knocked them out of the playoffs the year prior.
After a slow start to the game, Peyton Manning found his groove and put together one of the most legendary performances in NFL history, throwing seven touchdown passes in what would be a bit of an omen to start the 2013 season.
Manning would go on that year to throw 55 total touchdown passes, but the seven he threw against Baltimore were extremely satisfying as the Broncos rolled to a 49-27 win despite not scoring at all in the first quarter.