2012 schedule released by NFL

Published 5:00 am Wednesday, April 18, 2012

NEW YORK — The nation won’t have to wait long to see Peyton Manning in a Broncos uniform.

Manning’s first game as Broncos quarterback will come in prime time as Denver hosts Pittsburgh on the opening Sunday of the NFL season. The four-time MVP was released by Indianapolis after missing the 2011 season following neck surgery. After conducting a four-city lottery for his services, Manning landed in Denver, which hasn’t won a Super Bowl since his new boss, John Elway, was behind center.

“We’re excited about that. Anytime you have a guy behind the center named Peyton Manning, you’re going to get a lot of attention,” Elway said.

Steelers at Broncos is one of four prime-time games in the league’s kickoff week, Sept. 5-10. The schedule, released Tuesday, has the Super Bowl champion Giants hosting the Cowboys in the first Wednesday NFL game since 1948; the league moved the game to avoid a conflict with President Barack Obama’s Thursday night speech at the Democratic National Convention.

For a complete list of NFL games in 2012, see Scoreboard, D2.

— The Associated Press

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