Peyton Manning won't hide from the fact the Denver Broncos are coming off a pretty rough few months.
There was the contract mishap with defensive end Elvis Dumervil. Then the two DUIs by high-ranking front-office officials. Then the capper, a possible four-game suspension for star linebacker Von Miller.
"Am I disappointed?" Manning said during a news conference Thursday, according to USA Today. "Well, I'm sure you would like to not have those problems. Most players would tell you that. But that's football, and we know how to handle it."
Manning said the recent spate of bad news will help the Broncos determine "who the rats are."
"This is when you find out who sticks with you when times are tough," the quarterback said. "Who is going to jump ship? It's easy when you're rolling along on an 11-game winning streak, everything is going good. You have some adversity come your way, how do you respond, how do you handle it?"
The Broncos will survive. Manning told NFL Network's Kurt Warner on Thursday that he has made physical strides since last year, adding "there's no question that I feel better." A healthy and effective Manning has the ability to cover a lot of blemishes.
Like with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, any predictions about the Broncos' demise are premature.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.
