Half-Time Report: Peyton Manning, Emmanuel Sanders earn lead for Denver Broncos

Emmanuel Sanders scored two touchdowns in the first half to hand the Denver Broncos a 14-7 lead against the San Diego Chargers at the half-time interval.

Both sets of defenses excelled in the opening quarter, as promising drives continued to result in punts while Peyton Manning and Philip Rivers struggled to link up with their receivers.

As a result, the first quarter came to an end without a point being scored, but the Broncos quickly clicked into gear early in the second period.

Manning led the Broncos on a seven-play drive, which resulted in the experienced quarterback picking out Emmanuel Sanders with a short pass to hand the hosts the first lead of the night.

The Chargers responded before the interval with just over three minutes left in the first half as Rivers found the space to fire a touchdown pass into the hands of Keenan Allen.

However, Manning was showing signs that he was back on form with the Broncos offense as he secured the advantage late in the second quarter with a 31-yard pass to Sanders, who collected for his second touchdown of the night.