Broncos @ Bengals Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012 1 p.m. ET

After parting ways with the Indianapolis Colts and ultimately signing with the Denver Broncos soon after, there was a lot of uncertainty surrounding the future of Peyton Manning in the NFL.

There’s no questioning Manning’s legacy with four MVP awards and a Super Bowl title, but no one knew for sure if he’d be able to bounce back after surgery and return to form as one of the elite quarterbacks in the league. Despite the uncertainty, the Broncos were willing to take the gamble by trading away Tim Tebow and signing the perennial Pro Bowler to lucrative contract.

With the first seven games in the books for Denver, the verdict is in on Manning as many people believe he may be the best quarterback in the NFL this season. The Broncos are currently sitting atop the AFC West division with a record of 4-3 and appear to be in a good position to contend in the AFC Conference moving forward.

Even though the Broncos have played well over the course of the first half of the season, there have definitely been bumps in the road with Manning struggling at times and the team almost always coming from behind.

In Week 9, Manning’s Broncos will face off yet another formidable opponent in the up-and-coming Cincinnati Bengals led by second-year tandem of Andy Dalton and A.J. Green.

Although the Broncos have been solid in the Mile High City this season, they will have to pull off this win on the road to stay the course.

As of right now, Denver is the favorite coming into Week 9 with a -4 point spread. Even though the Bengals are capable of pulling off the slight upset at home, Manning and company have seemed to hit their stride.

Take the Broncos at -4.

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