Is this the old Peyton Manning?

When last we saw him, Peyton Manning was an elite NFL quarterback.

When last we saw him, Manning was the linchpin in the well-oiled Indianapolis Colts offensive machine.

But that was before four surgeries to try to correct his infamous neck injury. As the curtain rises on the 2012 season and Manning starts the next chapter of his career with the Denver Broncos, what do we know about a player who could be the NFL's biggest question mark?

I wasn't sure what I would see when I started rolling all of the preseason tape on him. But when I saw him, I was wowed by his performance. As odd as it may sound, and despite all of the obstacles, in terms of pure performance what I saw was a quarterback in his prime.

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Ron Jaworski

NFL analyst / writer

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Ron Jaworski is one of the most popular and knowledgeable analysts covering the NFL today. Since joining ESPN in 1990, the former standout NFL quarterback has covered the league from virtually every angle -- sideline reporter, game-site reporter, host and both studio and game analyst. From 2007-11, Jaworski occupied one of the most coveted positions in sports as a Monday Night Football analyst.