Peyton Manning: 'We needed to win'

Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning has acknowledged the importance of his side wrapping up top seed in the AFC with their comfortable 34-14 win over the Oakland Raiders last night.

Manning threw four touchdowns in the opening two quarters to help his team to a commanding 31-point lead at the halfway stage, breaking yet another record in the process as he set a new NFL single-season mark for yards passing.

The 37-year-old was given the second half off with the game already won, and he was happy with how his side performed as they finished the regular season with a 13-3 record.

"This was a good game today. We needed this win. We needed to improve on some things. The coaches challenged us in a couple of areas and I think we responded to those challenges," Manning told The AP.

The number one seed gives the Broncos a first-round bye in the playoffs, meaning that their first post-season game will be on January 12.