Denver's Manning to play half vs. Seahawks

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DENVER, Aug. 18 (UPI) -- The Denver Broncos said Peyton Manning would get in some more snaps in Saturday's preseason game against Seattle but call it an evening at halftime.

Manning and the rest of the Denver starters will only play the first half and then make way for the guys on the lower rungs of the summer depth chart, The Denver Post said.

Manning ran only a dozen plays in last week's preseason opener against Chicago, which he said actually adds to the pressure of getting ready for the regular season. "You've got to have a sense of urgency," he said. "You want to do your job well and hopefully we can get a few more situations against Seattle and it'll be a good test going against their defense."

Manning also has a stake in how well Denver's backup passers perform since they have been looking to him to help them hone their game during training camp.

"They're all young guys," Broncos quarterbacks coach Adam Gase said. "When Peyton says something, it's his perspective, not some piece of paper perspective."

The Post said Manning has stepped willingly into the role of mentor. Along with a solid knowledge of defenses and the personalities of opposing teams, he has also taken the time to halt a practice drill to elaborate on the reasons for throwing one particular pass or another

"The thing that he does so well is the right play, the right read, the right progression," Gase explained. "Just meticulous study of where does this ball need to go against this defense."