DENVER - Peyton Manning laughed when his receivers played hot potato with his record-setting memento last weekend. He wont be nearly as jolly Thursday night if the San Diego Chargers play keep-away from the Denver Broncos high-powered offence as they did last year. The Broncos were held under 65 snaps just twice last season — both times by San Diego. The Chargers controlled the clock for more than 38 minutes in both games, including a 27-20 stunner at Denver on a Thursday night in December. That was Mannings only divisional loss since heading West in 2012 and the Broncos only loss at home. Last year they caught us sleeping, cornerback Chris Harris Jr. said. This year, we know they can come in and beat us. So, were preparing well, were preparing hard and I think well be a lot better. The Broncos (5-1) have beefed up their defence and that should make it harder for the Chargers (5-2) to keep Manning & Co. on the sideline again. It was tough last year, insisted Chargers coach Mike McCoy, who was Mannings co-ordinator in 2012 and saw firsthand how the five-time MVP maximizes his chances. Manning earned his 27th career AFC Offensive Player of the Week award for his four-TD masterpiece against San Francisco in which he supplanted Brett Favre as the NFLs career touchdowns leader. Manning is on pace for 51 TDs and 4,928 yards — just under his record-setting 2013 season in which he threw for 55 TDs and 5,477 yards. Where hes better is in passer rating (118.2 to 115.1) and touchdown proficiency (8.7 per cent of his throws to 8.3 per cent). I think Peyton is being Peyton, one of the greats of all time, McCoy said. Im happy to see him break the record ... but its not a shocker at all the way hes playing. Nor is it surprising that Philip Rivers is doing so well once again. After reviving his career under McCoy in 2013 and halting a three-year playoff drought, Rivers 113.0 passer rating trails only Manning in the AFC. And his 17-3 TD-to-interception ratio is similar to Mannings 19-3. Other things to watch for in Denvers second prime-time game in four nights: CORNERBACKS CORNUCOPIA: San Diegos secondary is banged up with cornerbacks Jason Verrett (shoulder, questionable) and Brandon Flowers (concussion, out) ailing. So Shareece Wright and Richard Marshall could make their third straight start together in Denver. Some of the players that are starting this week started last year and they were able to beat us still, Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas said. So, our main thing is trying to go out and do something better than what we did last year. TERRIFIC TIGHT ENDS: This game features the top tight ends in the NFL: Julius Thomas, who has nine TD catches, and Antonio Gates, who has seven. We see it all the time here against Julius, so we know what a special player at that position can be and they certainly have one, Denver defensive co-ordinator Jack Del Rio said. I think when our guys went out and got Juice I think they were hoping that he could become something like Gates someday. Antonio has done it for quite a while and we understand the concerns, the issues, the matchup problems they present. OLD FRIENDS: Dwight Freeney didnt get to face Manning, his old Indianapolis teammate, last year because a thigh injury sidelined him after a month in San Diego. Mannings not exactly eager to face the outside linebacker until the postgame hugs and handshakes this time: Our offensive line knows weve got a challenge against their front, especially the guys having to block Dwight, Manning said. WELL-RESTED: Rivers figures neither team has an advantage because they just played on Sunday night and weve got to travel, so it evens out. The Broncos, though, were able to rest most of their starters in their blowout of the 49ers on Sunday night. The Broncos were gassed in last years Thursday night loss to San Diego as they were coming off a come-from-behind win over Tennessee in which Manning played 95 snaps. He took just 51 snaps Sunday night and joined several other starters on the sideline in the fourth quarter. RIVERS IN THE ROCKIES: Manning is 20-3 at home since joining the Broncos, but Rivers is no slouch in Denver, where hes 6-3. And hed be 7-2 if not for Ed Hochulis blown call on a last-minute Denver fumble in 2008. Its a great place to play, Rivers said. I love playing there. Taylor Rapp Jersey .com) - Calgary Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau has been selected as the NHLs Rookie of the Month for December, the league announced Friday. Torry Holt Jersey .5 million, four-year contract with the Texas Rangers that could be worth $32. http://www.ramsrookiestore.com/Rams-Jared-Goff-Jersey/ . Both sides of the deal have formally announced acquisitions: TFC introduced Jozy Altidore as a designated player on Friday, while their counterparts announced a three-and-a-half-year deal with Jermain Defoe. Torry Holt Rams Jersey . With newly minted president of hockey operations Trevor Linden looking on from above one day after being handed the keys to the franchise, it was more of the same on Thursday night. Orlando Pace Womens Jersey . Carreno Busta broke his opponent five times in the match, but also lost his serve three times in the second set before prevailing in the tiebreaker. Both players struggled with their first serve, as Carreno Busta landed just 51 per cent of his to 47 per cent for Kukushkin. FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- David Garrard slipped on a black T-shirt before he walked over to his new spot in the New York Jets locker room, and the words printed in green on front said it all. "SOME THINGS JUST WONT RETIRE" The veteran quarterback tried it for a few months, and retirement didnt suit him. Especially with his balky left knee feeling healthy again for the first time in a while. "I didnt want to turn 50, look back, and be that guy that said, What if I just called somebody?" Garrard said Thursday after his first practice back with the Jets. "Im glad I did." The 35-year-old Garrard was removed from the reserve-retired list and placed on the exempt list, meaning he is eligible to practice and attend meetings. With Mark Sanchez out for the season with a shoulder injury, Garrard gives the Jets a veteran backup for rookie Geno Smith. Garrard, who signed with New York in March before leaving because of knee trouble in May, will be on the exempt list for two games. The team will need to make a decision whether to activate him by Oct. 21. If the knee proves to be healthy, Garrard could be on the sideline backing up Smith for the teams game at Cincinnati on Oct. 27. "My knees been feeling great," he said. "Ive been going out just about every other morning and running three miles on concrete and I really thought that would be the real test on if my knee would swell back up and get sore again and it hasnt. "So for the last three weeks, Ive been doing that." Last weekend, Garrard called Jets general manager John Idzik and asked for another opportunity. He told Idzik that he planned to put his name out there, and wanted to make sure the GM heard it from him first. And, if the Jets werent interested, he would have asked to be released from the reserve-retirement list so he could explore other options. "I started to get some really good feedback while talking to him," Garrard said. "I told him, Hey, if theres anything I can do to help you guys out in any kind of way, I know my veteran leadership in the meeting rrooms, the practice fields and really helping Geno continue to grow, I would love to come back and help you guys.ddddddddddddquot; On Thursday, Garrard was back on the field, working with Smith and the rest of the quarterbacks. "Geno has the job," he said. "And if my numbers ever called, I need to be ready for that." Garrard was signed during the winter to provide veteran competition for Sanchez, and then was expected to be in the teams quarterback mix along with Smith. But in May, Garrard said that his surgically repaired knee kept swelling up on him after workouts, and that forced him to walk away from the game and consider retirement. He took the whole summer off and just relaxed. Garrard and his family went to their lake house in North Carolina, and then headed back to their home Jacksonville toward the end of summer. During those days, Garrard felt, well, officially retired from football. "I was still having some aches and pains, and my knee was still swollen," he said. "I just continued to relax and rest and not do too much." After gaining some weight from the inactivity, Garrard decided to try to get active again. Garrards wife Mary was part of a flag football team, and he was constantly running and making cuts while catching passes from her -- and the knee felt fine. Thats when the comeback plan kicked in. "Im 35, so Im not so old that it doesnt make any sense," he said. "I know I have some years left in me." He hasnt played in a regular-season game in the NFL since 2010 because of injuries. But his signing leaves the status of Brady Quinn uncertain. Quinn is currently listed as the teams No. 3 quarterback, and he has been unable to surpass the inexperienced Matt Simms on the depth chart. He has been inactive for four games this season. Garrard has thrown for 16,003 yards in his career, with 89 touchdowns and 54 interceptions. "We have a plan," offensive co-ordinator Marty Mornhinweg said. "Were going to see exactly where he is physically. Its good to have him back." ' ' '