It's been 213 days since we had meaningful football and the 2016 season begins just as the 2016 season ended: With the facing the . Because what ratchets up September drama like a rematch? Truthfully, the league doesn't need to manufacture the theatrical; this is a sport where demand consistently outstrips supply, especially after four weeks of mind-numbing preseason facsimile football. So welcome back, , we mi sed you.The last time we met ... Back in February, was the Broncos' quarterback, hoping the duct tape held together for one final game before he called it a career. Meanwhile, was 60 minutes away from cementing his place as a Super Bowl winner -- and staking a claim as the rightful heir to Manning's legacy as the face of the league. 2016 NFL Preview Things didn't go as planned for either quarterback; Manning finished 13 of 23 for 141 yards, with no touchdowns and an interception. He was also sacked five times and lost a fumble. Newton was 18 of 41 for 265 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT, two lost fumbles and on the busine s end of six sacks. One final stat that encapsulated both players' mediocrity: Manning had a pa ser rating of 56.6; Newton's Ray Allen Jersey was 55.4. The biggest difference: The Broncos' defense was dominant, and that conversation begins and ends with , who was unblockable during the postseason -- and particularly in the Super Bowl. He parlayed that domination into Super Bowl MVP honors and a . A sampling:VON MILLER CANNOT BE STOPPEDHe strips Cam Newton again & gives incredible field position! NFL (@NFL) And gue s what? Broncos Khris Middleton Jersey defensive coordinator Wade Phillips says Miller is better now than he was 12 months ago. "He seems to be more comfortable in everything," Phillips told reporters on Monday. "He's really focused. I'm really pleased where he is right now. That seemed to be where he was at the end of last year. ... Maybe it's just the comfort in the defense, but I think he wanted to prove to everybody that maybe he's the best player. Maybe he's the defensive player of the year. He was the MVP in the Super Bowl, but I think his next goal is to be the defensive player of the year." Yikes. During free agency, the Broncos' D lost to the and to the . One concern this offseason was whether this unit could replicate their 2015 succe s again in 2016, and this time without a future Hall of Fame quarterback (even one on the downside of a stellar career). It's unwise to put too much stock into preseason performances, but coach Gary Kubiak must have taken some pleasure in watching the first-team defense smother opponents in August, mostly because he knows Phillips' guys will likely have to do the heavy lifting again now that 2015 seventh-round pick has been named the Broncos' starting quarterback. The man has no name Siemian started 14 career games at Northwestern before suffering a torn ACL in November, 2014. The knee injury played a part in him lasting until the seventh round of the 2015 draft. In fact, Siemian was so uncertain of his NFL future that he before the Broncos called his name with the 250th pick. As a rookie, Siemian saw the field just once, against the in Week 15, when he rushed one time for -1 yards. The rest of the season was spent standing on the sidelines watching Manning and . But that time was invaluable, not only because Siemian got to watch Manning at work, but also because he was able to learn Kubiak's offense, which put him ahead of veteran , acquired in the offseason (and since released), and , the team's 2016 first-round pick. Matthew Dellavedova Jersey Trevor Siemian said Peyton's preparation Monday-Saturday is what sticks out the most from what he's learned from watching Manning James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) "The thing about replacing Peyton -- nobody is going to replace Peyton," Siemian shortly after Kubiak named him the starter. "Those shoes are a little too big to fill. For me, I'm not reading too much into anything and trying to be the best teammate and leader I can be." If this sounds slightly familiar, it should. Back in 2006, months after veteran Jake Plummer led the Broncos to the AFC Championship Game, the team drafted . Plummer started the '06 season, but he knew it was only a matter of time before he would be replaced by Cutler. Siemian, who doesn't have Plummer's experience, is in a similar situation with Cameron Reynolds Jersey Lynch. Plummer actually talked to Siemian about his experiences, and what the young quarterback's expectations should be in the coming weeks and months. "I told him, 'Fans aren't going to want to see Trevor Siemian," Plummer told the 's Nicky Jhabvala last month. "They want to see Paxton Lynch, the guy they screamed and yelled about when they picked him in the first round. I think Trevor's highly capable of playing -- he's got the skill set and the talent -- but he's just in a spot where he could do well and still not be the guy, with a first-round QB behind him. It's a tough spot to be in, but I told him don't worry about that. 'Go do your job, go do your thing and people will ultimately respect you even more for that.'"10 minutes you won't get back and I fire up the podcast machine for the season opener: Fun factBroncos will be 1st defending Super Bowl champ to start QB w/0 career pa s att in a season opener (via ) ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) Keep an eye on these guys -- The Panthers right tackle allowed two Miller strip-sacks in the Super Bowl, which led to 15 points for the Broncos. Not surprisingly, Remmers was criticized, though coach Ron Rivera explained at the start of training camp that Remmers wasn't solely responsible for Miller wreaking havoc in Carolina's backfield. "A lot of that criticism was unwarranted," Rivera . "People didn't understand what we were trying to do in terms of our protection. But he's done a nice job and he's handled it very well, as a profe sional." The Panthers thought enough of Remmers to use a second-round tender on him this offseason, which guarantees he'll make $2.55 million in 2016. -- Everyone knows about Panthers linebackers and , but Ealy was the second-best player on the field at Super Bowl 50. And if the Panthers had Marvin Williams Jersey found a way to win, Ealy probably would have earned MVP honors. Instead, he's a footnote, though still an impre sive one; he sacked Manning three times and intercepted him once, and generated the Panthers' two turnovers. -- The 2014 first-round pick mi sed the last season with an ACL injury, but after a surprising rookie season, the expectation is that he'll return to the form that made him one of Newton's favorite targets. Along with veteran tight end and second-year wideout , Newton will have plenty of big downfield targets. Add Jr. and Philly Brown, and one of the team's biggest perceived weakne ses a year ago is now a strength. and -- The Broncos have their own big-play receivers, and unlike the Super Bowl, the Panthers won't have to slow them down. Norman is now in Washington an