ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Peyton Manning took a direct snap from the center and tumbled to the grass turf. Emmanuel Sanders didn't see his quarterback's spill.
"I was blocking," Sanders said afterward.
One more time -- and this will be on the test when the Denver Broncos open against the Baltimore Ravens -- for posterity: Peyton Manning took a snap from under center (not from a shotgun), and the top wideout on the field was blocking (not catching a pass).
Which team is this again?
It's still the Broncos, the color scheme confirmed Wednesday. But get ready for a world of change when it comes to the local football club. On the first day the Broncos organized to play football under a new coaching staff, Gary Kubiak left no doubt his offense will be a grand departure from the high-flying 18th Airborne that smashed passing records but too often stubbed its toe in the playoffs.
When Sanders, the electric wide receiver with a personality to match, arrived in Colorado, he stuck a label on an offense designed by Adam Gase and engineered by Manning. "It's wide receiver heaven," Sanders said then.
And now? Here, let Sanders tell it, one year and one coaching staff later: "You're talking about going from a no-huddle offense to an offense that is predicated on running the football. It's different. It's a totally different setup."
Totally different, in that Manning didn't take a single snap from a shotgun formation on the first day of OTAs. Totally different, in that drafting only Broncos won't win your fantasy football league like it might have in 2012 and 2013. Totally different, in that Manning tripped and fell on the first snap of an 11-on-11 drill.
"I don't remember that," Manning said, playing coy.
Fresh off his final appearance on the David Letterman show, Manning was ready and waiting with a one-liner to explain his misstep: "It's already been erased."
"That's the advantage of being tight with your video guys," Manning said.
The Broncos' first practice of the Kubiak era had the feeling of a blind date. Each side had heard good things, but you always want to see for yourself.
"It's a loud team," Kubiak said of his first impression. "In a good way."
And Manning's impression of the new regime could be a lesson for all the 16-year-old quarterbacks and helicopter parents who already know everything.
"I love being coached," he said. "I get angry when I'm not coached."
The new Broncos won't be an operation that relies on Star Wars numbers to find success.
"It's not going to be one of those offenses where you have two receivers catch over 100 passes and things of that sort," Sanders said.
Then what defines a good year for a wide receiver when he longer plays in wide receiver heaven?
"I think a good year this year is winning the Super Bowl," Sanders said. "It doesn't matter about the stats."
Sanders might have to clue in good buddy Demaryius Thomas on the new M.O. around Dove Valley. While Thomas remains absent thanks to a contract holdout, Sanders and Von Miller used FaceTime to chat up the All-Pro wide receiver from in front of his own locker.
"Von was like, 'I'm wearing your shoes today.' I'm like, 'I'm going to wear your shirt today just so you are out there with us,' " Sanders said.
Change won't come easy. Remember when Manning arrived in Colorado, the Broncos opened with a 2-3 record and doubts began to surface? I expect a similar feeling-out period this time, too. Chances are, the smartest quarterback to ever wear a glove probably can figure out how to make a new offense work.
When Thomas returns to the Broncos, he's going to find an offense that leans on the running game before the passing game. But as Manning showed in a harmless spill to the turf, their next evolution deserves two words: baby steps.
Sports on 05/29/2015