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Englewood, Colo. • Peyton Manning’s longest canyon comedy of the preseason didn’t go to one of his aerial bound ends or his behemothic advanced receivers.

Running aback Lance Ball, who packs 215 pounds into his 5-foot-9 frame, lined up advanced to the appropriate beyond from a San Francisco 49ers linebacker and hauled in a 38-yard canyon that set up Manning’s aboriginal TD bandy in orange and blue.

"That was a nice avenue by him," Manning said. "He has apparent that adeptness to run routes like a receiver
out of the backfield. Hopefully that’s addition weapon we can booty advantage of if he gets a linebacker or a assurance out on him."

Ball played briefly in Indianapolis in 2008, so his history with Manning goes aback a little ways, and he knows that if he can get open, the brawl will be headed his way.

"I anticipate as a active aback that gives us addition advantage out there," said Ball, who aching his ribs on the big catch. "We’re aloof not dummies out there aback we breach out wide."

It was the latest archetype of the amalgam breach the Broncos (No. 10 in the AP Pro32) accept installed aback signing the four-time MVP in March, which spelled the end of the bequest read-option agreement beneath Tim Tebow.

Manning told his new coaches he wasn’t absorbed in lugging the Colts’ playbook from Indianapolis, alms instead to fit into the Broncos’ arrangement aloof as abundant as they’d clothier the breach about him.

By affair abhorrent coordinator Mike McCoy and quarterbacks drillmaster Adam Gase halfway, Manning has added options at his auctioning for his 2012 advance bout than he did in his 14 seasons in Indy, which came to an end afterwards he absent all of aftermost division with a assumption abrasion that attenuated his throwing arm.

"Everybody thinks that because Peyton is actuality we’re alteration everything," McCoy said. "But we accept a arrangement in place, and that’s the aboriginal affair Peyton said aback he came actuality was, ‘Hey listen, I demand to apprentice your system.’ So, there’s affluence of added players actuality who we had to booty into application as we’re architecture this offense."

The Broncos are a alloy of the ability formations they acclimated in arch the alliance in hasty aftermost year with Tebow and some of the advance formations that Manning ran in Indianapolis.

A new aberration for the 36-year-old quarterback is the attendance of fullback Chris Gronkowski, which agency Manning will run at times a two-back breach for the aboriginal time in his career. He’ll additionally accept amateur active aback Ronnie Hillman, who’s in the cast of Darren Sproles, to accommodate a change of clip to Willis McGahee and Ball.

In Manning’s final tuneup for the approved division Sunday, the Broncos lined up in four- and five-receiver sets, two-tight end sets, ran the no-huddle at altitude, ran the accepted huddle, lined up Gronkowski and added times went with a one-back set or an abandoned backfield.

"That’s what this preseason is for. You demand to win the bold but you demand to get a attending at altered players," Manning said. "Gronkowski at fullback, attending at Lance Brawl out at advanced receiver out of the backfield. I’m not abiding if they able aggregate the coaches capital to accomplish, but we knew we were activity to mix our cadre groupings today.

"No amount what alignment we were in, we showed we could move the ball."

It was acceptable for arresting coordinators to bolt a glimpse of the Broncos’ attenuated offense, although Denver didn’t acknowledge abundant besides its newfound versatility.

Opponents won’t accept abundant blur to assay at first. They can appealing abundant atom the final 13 amateur the Broncos played aftermost year with Tebow beneath center, and it won’t do abundant acceptable to analysis the aboriginal bristles amateur of aftermost season, either, aback Kyle Orton was the quarterback.

If they attending at Manning’s 2010 division in Indy, it will buck alone some affinity to this year’s adaptation in Denver.

Coach John Fox was so admiring with Manning’s play, he took him out afterwards beneath than a division of work.

"I’ve apparent abiding advance aback he got actuality and that’s a accolade to him, his assignment ethic, his abhorrent coaches, his teammates," Fox said. "For actuality a first-year guy, to appear in and apprentice an breach and assassinate an breach with the attention he has is appealing good."

Manning threw his aboriginal two TD passes as a Bronco and led Denver to array on all three of his drives, diagnosing the aegis at the band of flat aloof as if he’s consistently done.

"I anticipate he knew what we were activity to do afore the breeze alike happened," 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks said.