Peyton Manning called John Elway this morning to tell him he’s looking forward to coming to play for him.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 19, 2012

Of the final three teams to appear on Manning’s list of suitors, the Titans, 49ers and Broncos, only the Denver Broncos will not face the Detroit Lions in 2012. The Lions will face the Titans and 49ers as a result of the NFL’s rotating scheduling between divisions. Because the Lions (and the rest of the NFC North) were matched up with the AFC West in 2011, the Broncos won’t appear on their schedule again until 2015. Manning and John Elway reportedly discussed a five-year deal earlier in the process but the exact details of a contract are not yet set.

It’s all good news for the Lions assuming Peyton Manning is able to return to the form that earned him the label as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. Of course, it would be even better news if the Lions do end up facing a Manning-led Broncos team sooner than 2015; it would be in the Super Bowl.

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On with Saturday’s picks…

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It all led up to the Lions’ first Monday Night Football appearance in a decade and the team (and fans) did not disappoint. Ford Field was as loud as it has ever been and the Lions moved to 5-0 in front of a national audience.

No one expected the Lions to go undefeated but the Lions made it official in week six by falling to the San Francisco 49ers. The post game theater between Jim Schwartz and Jim Harbaugh overshadowed what was a good game between two good teams, however.

The Lions tried to make a move at running back at the trade deadline but it was negated when Philadelphia Eagles team physicians found a brain tumor when examining Jerome Harrison. The failed physical sent Ronnie Brown back to the Eagles and ended Harrison’s season. His surgery was reportedly successful and the condition is said to not be life threatening but could have become a serious issue if not for the trade attempt.

A second consecutive loss dropped the Lions to 5-2 overall. The Falcons made sure the Lions didn’t complete a comeback on them, however the win wasn’t enough for them. A number of Falcons players talked about things said and done by Lions players that would be un-befitting of a sportsman except that at least some of them could be proven false.

Needing a big-time performance to get on the right track, the Lions played one of their best games of the season against Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos. A 45-10 thrashing let the nation know it is the Lions, not Tebow, that they should be paying attention to and sent the Lions into their bye week with a feeling of positivity.

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