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INDMANNING18

Peyton Manning

Retired

Denver Broncos · QB

Peyton Manning recorded 266 indexed regular-season NFL appearances across 18 rostered seasons with Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts.

▶Best highlights

270.5

pass yds/gm

2.5

rush yds/gm

27

playoff games

266

career games

Five defining games

Start here

A researched consensus introduction to Peyton Manning's defining games.

Editorial methodology and sources

Cross-checked the Colts' Hall of Fame record, NFL Network's game ranking, Manning's own retrospective, official championship history, and verified archive box scores. The five balance the rivalry and title breakthrough that reshaped his postseason legacy with his most precise playoff game and the two signature record-setting performances of his Denver peak.

  1. #1. Manning brought Indianapolis back from 18 points down against New England, throwing for 349 yards and scoring twice as the Colts won 38–34 and finally broke through to the Super Bowl. Colts: Manning's favorite career moment · Colts/NFL Network: Peyton Manning's top 10 games
  2. #2. Manning controlled a rain-soaked Super Bowl XLI with 247 passing yards and the game's MVP award, delivering Indianapolis its first championship since the franchise moved from Baltimore. Colts Hall of Fame: Peyton Manning
  3. #3. After three winless playoff trips, Manning completed 22 of 26 passes for 377 yards, five touchdowns, no interceptions, and a perfect passer rating in a 41–10 demolition of Denver. Colts/NFL Network: Peyton Manning's top 10 games
  4. #4. Manning opened his record-setting 2013 season with 462 yards and seven touchdown passes against the defending champions, becoming the first quarterback in 44 years to throw seven in one game. Colts Hall of Fame: Peyton Manning
  5. #5. Manning threw four touchdowns against San Francisco, with the 509th of his career breaking Brett Favre's all-time record and placing the defining counting-stat milestone of his career on a winning night. Colts Hall of Fame: Peyton Manning

Reviewed through 2026-08-11

Conference Championship
2006
NEW ENGLANDPATRIOTS
INDIANAPOLISCOLTS
JAN 21, 2007

New England Patriots vs Indianapolis Colts

Conference Championship · Jan 21, 2007

349 pass yds · 1 pass TD · 1 INT

Super Bowl
XLI
INDIANAPOLISCOLTS
CHICAGOBEARS
FEB 4, 2007

Indianapolis Colts vs Chicago Bears

Super Bowl XLI · Feb 4, 2007

247 pass yds · 1 pass TD · 1 INT

Wild Card
2003
DENVERBRONCOS
INDIANAPOLISCOLTS
JAN 4, 2004

Denver Broncos vs Indianapolis Colts

Wild Card · Jan 4, 2004

377 pass yds · 5 pass TD · 0 INT

Regular Season
2013
BALTIMORERAVENS
DENVERBRONCOS
SEP 5, 2013

Baltimore Ravens vs Denver Broncos

Regular Season · Sep 5, 2013

462 pass yds · 7 pass TD · 0 INT

Regular Season
2014
SAN FRANCISCO49ERS
DENVERBRONCOS
OCT 19, 2014

San Francisco 49ers vs Denver Broncos

Regular Season · Oct 19, 2014

318 pass yds · 4 pass TD · 0 INT

Single-game peaks

Career highs

Position-relevant single-game records from Peyton Manning's indexed NFL box scores.

Career high: 479 passing yards

Regular Season
2014
ARIZONACARDINALS
DENVERBRONCOS
OCT 5, 2014

Arizona Cardinals vs Denver Broncos

Regular Season · Oct 5, 2014

479 pass yds · 4 pass TD · 2 INT

Career high: 7 passing touchdowns

Regular Season
2013
BALTIMORERAVENS
DENVERBRONCOS
SEP 5, 2013

Baltimore Ravens vs Denver Broncos

Regular Season · Sep 5, 2013

462 pass yds · 7 pass TD · 0 INT

Career high: 40 completions

Regular Season
2010
INDIANAPOLISCOLTS
HOUSTONTEXANS
SEP 12, 2010

Indianapolis Colts vs Houston Texans

Regular Season · Sep 12, 2010

433 pass yds · 3 pass TD · 0 INT

Career high: 4 completions of 40+ yards

Regular Season
2004
INDIANAPOLISCOLTS
KANSAS CITYCHIEFS
OCT 31, 2004

Indianapolis Colts vs Kansas City Chiefs

Regular Season · Oct 31, 2004

472 pass yds · 5 pass TD · 1 INT

Career high: 44 rushing yards

Regular Season
2001
INDIANAPOLISCOLTS
BUFFALOBILLS
NOV 4, 2001

Indianapolis Colts vs Buffalo Bills

Regular Season · Nov 4, 2001

199 pass yds · 1 pass TD · 0 INT

Career chapters

Franchise eras

Follow the team eras that shaped Peyton Manning's career, in chronological order.

Earliest → latest

Franchise era

1998–2011

01
INDMANNING18Peyton Manning
INDHARRISON88Marvin Harrison
INDWAYNE87Reggie Wayne

Pre-snap command creates a perennial contender

Indianapolis Colts · The Peyton Manning machine

Manning and a precisely constructed offense won at least twelve games seven straight times and captured Super Bowl XLI after a defining comeback against New England.

Read the era story →

Franchise era

2012–2015

02
DENMANNING18Peyton Manning
DENMILLER58Von Miller
DENTHOMAS88Demaryius Thomas

A record offense gives way to a title defense

Denver Broncos · Peyton's final act

Manning directed the highest-scoring offense in league history before Miller and an elite defense carried Denver to victory in Super Bowl 50.

Read the era story →

Career accomplishments

Super Bowl champion · 2006, 2015Pro Bowl selection · 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014First-team All-Pro · 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013NFL MVP · 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2013NFL Offensive Player of the Year · 2004, 2013NFL passing touchdowns leader · 2000, 2004, 2006, 2013NFL passing yards leader · 2000, 2003, 2013NFL Comeback Player of the Year · 2012Super Bowl MVP · 2006Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year · 200517 NFL seasons266 career games71,940 career passing yards539 career passing touchdowns667 career rushing yards18 career rushing touchdowns1 career receptions-2 career receiving yardsCollege: TennesseeDrafted by: INDDraft pick: 1Jersey: 1827 playoff appearances4 Super Bowl appearancesFirst appearance: Sep 6, 1998Most recent: Feb 7, 2016

Official awards via ESPN · Pro Bowl and All-Pro counts via NFLverse with selection years cross-checked against Wikipedia · league leads verified from indexed regular-season stats

Team history

Official regular-season games via NFL.com ↗. Indexed games are the box scores currently available in Athlore.