NFL

Peyton Manning makes it look easy vs. Giants

It didn’t resemble his spectacular, record-tying show on opening night, but then again, it didn’t have to for Peyton Manning.

The legendary quarterback has never liked regular-season matchups with younger brother Eli, describing them as emotionally difficult, but several factors made Manning Bowl III look physically easy for Peyton on Sunday in a 41-23 Broncos victory at MetLife Stadium.

A hapless Giants defense, a surprisingly dangerous Broncos’ running game and an opportunistic defense that left Big Blue bruised and battered meant Manning wouldn’t need to throw seven touchdowns like he did against the Ravens in Week 1 for Denver to improve to 2-0.

Peyton sounded more relieved than excited afterward about improving to 3-0 in career games against Eli while joining Dan Marino and Brett Favre as the only players in NFL history to throw for more than 60,000 career yards.

“It’s not like beating another team,” he said as his father Archie and mother Olivia waited outside the Broncos’ locker room. “It’s not quite as enjoyable as it would be if you were beating somebody else. It’s a strange feeling.”

Peyton didn’t look uncomfortable on the field, at least. He was more crisp and efficient than mind-blowing this week, completing 30 of 43 passes for 307 yards and two touchdowns (2 yards to Wes Welker and 11 yards to rising-star tight end Julius Thomas) without an interception or a sack.

Eli might have one more Super Bowl MVP Award and Lombardi Trophy than his big brother, but he’s still winless against Peyton after tossing four interceptions Sunday to raise his total to an unsightly seven on the young season.

Peyton took no joy in that, even revealing after the game he intends to retire before the next scheduled regular-season Manning Bowl in 2017.

“I think both of us are glad that it’s over with,” Peyton said. “The postseason is one thing, but I don’t believe I’ll make it to the next regular-season one. So I think this will be the end of it, which I’ll be happy about. I know my family will be, too.”

Heroics also weren’t necessary for Peyton this time around because the rest of his teammates were so productive — on both sides of the ball.

While a stout defensive showing didn’t qualify as a surprise (the Broncos have been suffocating opponents since some guy named Tebow was leading them to the playoffs two years ago), but the emergence of the running game — Knowshon Moreno, in particular — certainly did.

Given the lead role after rookie Montee Ball lost a fumble in the end zone on the Broncos’ first possession, Moreno had one of his better days in five years as a pro with 93 yards and two long touchdown runs on 13 carries.

And with the Broncos’ relentless defense hounding the Giants into four more turnovers (giving Tom Coughlin’s team an unthinkable 10 in just two games this season), Peyton could afford to operate on cruise control on this most uncomfortable of days emotionally.

“It’s a unique situation,” he said. “Not too many players have to go through it, and I hope I don’t have to anymore, either.”