Get used to Broncos winning ugly with Peyton Manning

The Broncos' ugly Week 1 win over the Ravens will only raise the voices of those who think Peyton Manning just doesn't have it anymore.

Of course, lost in the chatter will be fact that the Broncos won a tough, physical, defense-dominated game.

It took a last-minute end-zone interception of Joe Flacco to preserve a 19-13 victory. Neither team scored an offensive touchdown, and both made their first red-zone trips in their respective last possessions.

But this version of the Broncos shouldn't be confused with the one that exited the playoffs with a thud in last year's divisional playoffs.

This team is built on being grittier, not prettier. The fact they won with Manning not throwing a TD and throwing a pick six (24-of-40, only 175 yards) against a nasty Baltimore front should be a badge of honor.

Manning no longer has to be the best quarterback in the league for Denver to win. He just needs to be the better quarterback on the field.

That he was, as Flacco struggled more (18-of-32, 117 yards) under the same kind of duress. Both had one interception returned for a touchdown, including one sealing the game for the Broncos.

All the style and fantasy points you expect from Manning? Throw them out the window. He won't be beating the Ravens or any other team again by firing seven TD passes.

Just because he's not making the same big plays, doesn't mean he isn't making the smart ones.

The Broncos still converted a strong 44 percent (8-of-18) on third down. They still possessed the ball for an overwhelming 37 minutes, 17 seconds. That was because of Manning, and not a running game that mustered only 60 yards on 24 carries.

When the Broncos defense is getting a couple of sacks, two huge interceptions and forcing four three-and-outs, Manning has done his job. He didn't force things that weren't there with his arm and leaned on having a money young kicker with a booming leg in Brandon McManus — see those 56- and 57-yarders in the first quarter.

Manning, with a lesser arm and pass protection issues, may not be physically capable to light things up again on the record levels we've seen from him with the Broncos. But there's only one record he's chasing now — the won-and-loss combination that will put his team in another favorable position to get to the Super Bowl.

Trading shootouts for field-goal slugfest? Both Manning and the Broncos would be just fine with that if it leads to the most important results.