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Denver • The best part of Peyton Manning's big day was getting to share the spotlight with some of his best friends.
Manning joined Brett Favre in the NFL's most exclusive of clubs with his 500th touchdown toss Sunday when the Denver Broncos handed the Arizona Cardinals their first loss, 41-20.
"Football is the ultimate team game, and so I guess one man has to accept it and I really accept it on behalf of a lot of coaches and teammates," Manning said.
Manning threw for 479 yards and four TDs, moving him within five of Favre's record 508.
After getting his touchstone touchdown a 7-yard dart to tight end Julius Thomas out of the way early, Manning helped Demaryius Thomas and Wes Welker make history, too.
Demaryius Thomas set a franchise record with 226 yards on eight catches, beating Shannon Sharpe's mark of 214 yards set against Kansas City in 2002.
Welker's seven receptions moved him past Rod Smith for the most catches in NFL history by an undrafted player. He has 854, five more than Smith caught for Denver between 1995-2006.
"I still can't believe he was undrafted because that man can play some ball," Demaryius Thomas said.
Welker's record-breaker came on the last play on the first half, something Manning called "kind of a ha-ha moment for scouting, for not drafting him. So, whoever was a general manager in 2004, those guys ought to send him an apology letter."
Demaryius Thomas caught touchdown passes of 31 and 86 yards, and his 77-yard TD was nullified on a chop block by Julius Thomas that sent defensive end Calais Campbell from the game with a right knee injury.
Left tackle Ryan Clady was engaged with Campbell and was whistled for the flag. But it was the Pro Bowl tight end who crashed low into Campbell and drew the wrath of Arizona coach Bruce Arians.
"I've been coaching for 37 years, it's the dirtiest play I've seen," Arians fumed. "It was a flat chop block and put him out of the game. I know John Fox, great coach and great guy. Somebody has got to answer to that. A fine isn't going to do it, when he's going to miss three or four weeks, on a blatant chop block."
Campbell's strained MCL added to a miserable afternoon in which the Cardinals (3-1) surrendered 568 yards, the most they've allowed since 1973, and saw fill-in quarterback Drew Stanton leave with a concussion.
The Broncos' offensive output was their best in franchise history. They had 567 yards against Atlanta in 2004.
Manning's 500th TD throw came in his 244th career regular season game, 49 fewer games than it took Favre. It came against two of his mentors: Arians, who was his first QB coach in 1998, and Cardinals assistant head coach Tom Moore, who was his offensive coordinator during his 13 seasons in Indy.
"I give both of those men a lot of credit for helping me improve as a quarterback," Manning said.
Footballs from Manning's milestone TDs usually end up in his receiver's trophy cases, but he kept this one. "I'll probably keep it in a bag somewhere," said Manning, adding that he's sure his 3-year-old boy will get to it soon and play with it in the mud.
Monday night football
P Seattle at Washington, 6:30 p.m.
TV • ESPN Broncos 41, Cardinals 24
Arizona 6 7 7 0 20
Denver 7 14 3 17 41
First Quarter
Ari • FG Catanzaro 33, 9:09.
Den • J.Thomas 7 pass from Manning (McManus kick), 4:43.
Ari • FG Catanzaro 48, 1:41.
Second Quarter
Den • D.Thomas 31 pass from Manning (McManus kick), 7:30.
Ari • Ellington 5 run (Catanzaro kick), 4:37.
Den • D.Thomas 86 pass from Manning (McManus kick), 1:37.
Third Quarter
Den • FG McManus 44, 9:33.
Ari • Ellington 81 pass from Thomas (Catanzaro kick), 3:03.
Fourth Quarter
Den • FG McManus 41, 13:48.
Den • J.Thomas 12 pass from Manning (McManus kick), 7:47.
Den • Thompson 8 run (McManus kick), 4:33.
Attendance • 76,895.
Ari Den
First downs 9 24
Total Net Yards 215 568
Rushes-yards 19-37 28-92
Passing 178 476
Punt Returns 2-7 6-38
Kickoff Returns 0-0 0-0
Interceptions Ret. 2-24 0-0
Comp-Att-Int 12-34-0 31-47-2
Sacked-Yards Lost 3-21 1-3
Punts 11-44.3 4-49.8
Fumbles-Lost 1-0 0-0
Penalties-yards 3-15 7-67
Time of Possession 24:43 35:17
Individual Statistics
Rushing • Arizona, Ellington 16-32, Taylor 1-6, Hughes 1-0, Ginn Jr. 1-(minus 1). Denver, Hillman 15-64, Thompson 3-15, Sanders 2-8, Ball 6-7, Manning 2-(minus 2).
Passing • Arizona, Stanton 11-26-0-118, Thomas 1-8-0-81. Denver, Manning 31-47-2-479.
Receiving • Arizona, Ellington 4-112, Fitzgerald 3-57, Carlson 2-19, Jo.Brown 2-4, Floyd 1-7. Denver, D.Thomas 8-226, Sanders 7-101, Welker 7-58, J.Thomas 6-66, Ball 2-11, Tamme 1-17.
Missed Field Goals • Denver, McManus 53 (WL).