Good evening and welcome to the live commentary of the NFL clash between the Denver Broncos and the Baltimore Ravens.

The Broncos and the Ravens return to competitive action for the first time since their elimination in the AFC playoffs last season, where they both saw their dreams ended in the divisional round with defeats to the Indianapolis Colts and the New England Patriots respectively.

Denver reacted to their exit from the playoffs by firing their head coach John Fox after his four seasons at the club, despite his success in guiding them to the post-season in each of his campaigns in charge. John Elway interviewed many candidates for the role, but opted to go for his former Broncos teammate Gary Kubiak, who served as offensive coordinator at the Ravens last season. There was also speculation regarding the future of quarterback Peyton Manning following his struggles at the end of the campaign as a quadriceps injury limited his ability to throw downfield. However, the 39-year-old opted to take a paycut to remain with the club and play out possibly his final season in the league, searching for his second Super Bowl crown.

Elsewhere, the Broncos lost a few key players to free agency as tight end Julius Thomas left the club for the Jacksonville Jaguars, while Terrance Knighton opted to sign for the Washington Redskins. Rahim Moore, Jacon Tamme, Nate Irving and Orlando Franklin also departed during free agency, while the club brought in Evan Mathis, Darian Stewart and Vance Walker to fill the gaps in their roster.

The Ravens replaced Kubiak with Marc Trestman after he was fired by the Chicago Bears, resulting in the club changing their offense for the second season in a row. Quarterback Joe Flacco is entering the third season of his huge contract, but has seen his receiving corps continue to dwindle following the departure of Torrey Smith to the San Francisco 49ers. The AFC North side tried to replace him with Breshad Perriman in the Draft, but the 21-year-old has been out since training camp with a knee injury, leaving him only veteran Steve Smith as his recognised wideout. Owen Daniels left the club after one season to join the Broncos with Kubiak, while fellow tight end Dennis Pitta has not been deemed fit enough to start the campaign as he was placed on their PUP list.

Baltimore's strength last season was their defense but they chose to trade away a key cog of their success Haloti Ngata by sending him to the Detroit Lions. Brandon Williams and Timmy Jernigan are now under immense pressure to fill the void of his departure on the defensive line, while they also added Carl Davis during the Draft. In better news for the Ravens, cornerback Jimmy Smith has returned to fitness after he missed the majority of the 2014 due to injury, while they added Kyle Arrington following his release by the Patriots to play in the slot this term. Kendrick Lewis replaces Stewart, who moved to the Broncos, at safety, but 2013 first-round pick Matt Elam has been ruled out for the year. A lot of turmoil at the club, but they always seem to make it work.

BRONCOS INACTIVES: Siemian, Marsh, Doss, McCray, Smith, Henry, Anunike

RAVENS INACTIVES: Perriman, Jernigan, Melvin, Jensen, Taliaferro, Bilukidi, Smith

The Ravens will begin at the 20 as McManus's kick sails beyond the endzone.

Flacco somehow gets the ball out in time under durress from Ware and he manages to find Smith for a first down over the middle on third and five. A 10-yard pass from the quarterback and just what the AFC North side to get themselves started today.

The first drive comes to an end for the Ravens without any points as Flacco feels the pressure up the middle and throws the ball incomplete at the feet of Brown. Talib made a good open-field tackle on Smith to prevent him from gaining yards after the catch. Their duel will be interesting to watch today as they have locked horns before in the past. Koch's punt is collected at the 10 where Manning will start for the home side.

Manning gets his first completion of the season as he fires over the middle of the field for Thomas, who makes the grab for a seven-yard reception to bring up the first down. The last time Manning played against the Ravens he threw for an NFL record seven touchdowns, something else to monitor this evening.

Another first down for the Broncos as Sanders sits down in the zone between three defenders and Manning drills the ball to him for a 10-yard reception.

Sanders comes across the line on a drag route and Manning hits him over the middle of the field for a nine-yard gain to take the Broncos over midfield before he gets hauled to the ground by Jimmy Smith.

Manning fires to Sanders for the fourth time on the drive on a slant route and he moves the chains to the 32-yard line by hauling the ball in for a seven-yard snag.

The Broncos' drive comes to an end with a field-goal attempt as Manning fires too long for Sanders on a go route in the endzone under pressure from Arrington.

McManus shows the strength of his leg as his kick sails through the posts from 57 yards. Excellent start from the kicker.

Bad news for the Ravens on offense...

SACK! Flacco goes down under pressure from Brandon Marshall up the middle for a five-yard loss, forcing the end of their drive with a three-and-out. The quarterback did not stand a chance on that play and Koch is brought out to punt. His kick is collected and returned just over midfield by Sanders, who made a couple of plays miss.

The line judge has found himself in the line of fire as he was clattered from behind accidentally, forcing him from the field. The crew will now operate with six officials rather than seven.

Manning gets the chains moving for his side as he connects with his tight end Daniels on a short route and the 33-year-old makes a couple of defenders miss to get the five yards he needs for the first down.

The drive comes to an end again for the Broncos as Manning tries to find CJ Anderson on a short route, but CJ Mosely is there to break up the pass and force the field-goal attempt. This one will be from 56 yards.

McManus sends his kick through the posts once again with an equally impressive effort. Solid start from the home side.

The Ravens will start this series at the 20-yard line.

SACK! Flacco is sacked once again on third down as Ware comes through the line and drags the quarterback down as he tries to escape his clutches. Koch will punt at the start of the second quarter.

No he won't because he will punt with five seconds left on the clock. His kick sails deep into the Denver half of the field and Sanders makes the catch at the 30-yard line.

Manning manoeuvres his side to a first down as he changes the call at the line and opts to go for a short pass to Thomas which yields 10 yards and is enough to move the chains. Efficient start from Manning, but he seems to be slightly restrained in going for deeper shots down the field.

SACK! Manning's turn to get dumped to the turf as McClellan comes straight through the line to tackle him to the ground for a five-yard loss. On third down, the quarterback is forced to ground the ball as the designed screen play is snuffed out by the Ravens. Colquitt sends his punt to the Ravens' 40 where Flacco will begin.

The Ravens finally get a first down as Flacco fires short to Forsett for seven yards and then the back charges through the line for a four-yard gain to move the chains at midfield.

Flacco somehow escapes being sacked by Ware with a last-second release to Juszczyk for four yards, and then Allen plows through a gap for eight yards to get the first down for his side.

Allen continues to make yards on the ground with carries of three and four yards, but Forsett gets stuffed short of the line on third down, leaving Harbaugh and his offense with a decision to make regarding a field-goal attempt. It would be 52 yards from this position.

Tucker sends his first kick of the day through the posts from 52 yards with ease. It reduces the deficit to three points.

The Broncos will begin again at the 20-yard line.

A huge conversion for the Broncos as Manning hits Sanders on an out route for a 16-yard gain after he took a sack on second from Mosley. The pass moves the home side to their 37-yard line.

SACK! Manning goes down for the third time in the game as Mosley touches to the deck for a two-yard loss after the quarterback himself was called for false start on third down, knocking his side back five yards. The 39-year-old's not having his best game out there. Colquitt's punt is collected at the Baltimore 15 by Smith.

At the two-minute warning Flacco hands the ball off to Forsett who gets a yard before he is met by several orange shirts and his progress is brought to an abrupt end.

Forsett gets clattered on a short pass from Flacco and then Aiken gets the same treament as he gathers a screen. The Ravens have got nothing going on offense in the first half and will be delighted if they can go into the dressing room with the scoreline the same. Koch's punt is collected at the 45-yard line by Sanders.

Manning gose short to Norwood, who beats Arrington on his route, to get 11 yards to take the Broncos into the Ravens half of the field.

Norwood gets the ball again and he beats his coverage for a 14-yard gain to take the Broncos into field-goal range.

Manning misses with two strikes downfield to Sanders as he overthrows the wideout on two routes to the endzone, leaving a 46-yard field goal for McManus.

McManus nails the kick for the third time in the half to hand his side a six-point lead.

McManus kicks the ball short and the Ravens will likely kneel this out to end the half.

Half time at Sports Authority Field and a surprisingly low-scoring contest as just 12 points have been notched in the first half. Both quarterbacks have struggled to throw the ball downfield as they have been under immense pressure from the rush, while neither have had great protection in front of them.

Brandon McManus has been the best player on show today on the offensive side of play as he has nailed all three of his field goals through the posts, including from 57 and 56 yards. There has yet to be a turnover in the match, but given the nature of the match any mistake could have a huge bearing on the outcome today.

The Broncos will start at the 20-yard line.

Manning feels the pressure from Arrington on the slot blitz and it affects his throw to Norwood on the left. Smith sees the ball limping towards the receiver and jumps the route and seizes the ball. The cornerback is left with a simple jog into the endzone and Tucker kicks the PAT to hand his side the lead.

The Broncos will start again at the 20-yard line as Tucker fires his kick into the stands.

Life does not get much better for the Broncos on this series as Manning's pass over the middle to Thomas is tipped and Guy nearly makes the play to notch a second interception. Manning does find Thomas on third down, but this time the receiver gets brought down before he can muster more than five yards. Colquitt punts the ball away and Steve Smith returns the ball to the Ravens' 40-yard line.

Juszczyk gets the ball on first down as Flacco fires the ball to him for a seven-yard gain, while Forsett manages to eek out a yard on second to move the chains at midfield.

A big conversion for the Ravens as Flacco throws downfield on the right side to Brown, who curls back on his route, to make a grab for 22-yards at the Denver 29. The visitors' biggest play of the game.

There will be no conversion this time as the Broncos make the defensive stand as Brutton knocks the ball away from Williams on a crossing route on third down. It forces Tucker into action again and he will now attempt his kick from 44 yards to extend the Ravens' advantage.

Tucker nails his kick between the posts and the Ravens now hold a four-point lead. Things can change very quickly in this game.

The Broncos will begin again at their 20-yard line.

Another series of struggle for the Broncos on offense as Anderson can get nothing on the ground on first and second down due to stout defending from the Ravens. Manning decides to go long for Thomas down the left flank and his pass lacks touch and sails well beyond the wideout. Colquitt gets good distance on his punt as it sails all the way to the 15-yard line, with the aid of a good bounce.

Nothing there for the Ravens on that series as Flacco's pass to Smith on third down was broken up by Talib on a crossing route. Forsett got eight yards on a pass out of the backfield and another two up the middle, but this continues to be a war of atrition between the two sides. Koch's punt is taken to the 34-yard line by Sanders, but he will be backed up a penalty that will enforce a start at the 17.

The Broncos finally register their first chain-mover of the half as Manning hits Sanders on a crossing route and the wideout evades the tackle of Arrington for a nine-yard gain. The feat was more impressive as the Broncos were backed up five yards on third down following a false start penalty. Better from Manning and company.

SACK! Well that optimism did not last long as Manning gets sacked for the fourth time of the day as Canty gets through the line and brings down the 39-year-old. On third and 18, Manning throws short for Anderson who falls well short of the first-down marker, forcing the punt from Colquitt, which is gathered by Smith at the Ravens' 30.

Allen rushes through the line for a gain of seven yards as he gets over the left side, and then he comes back on second for four further yards in the middle to move the chains.

Flacco commits a huge error with his side seemingly in control of the match as he fires the ball to Talib when trying to find Smith, but the cornerback cuts off the route and makes the interception. The 29-year-old then finds a seam to return the ball for a 51-yard score to put his side back into the lead.

The Ravens start again at the 20-yard line.

Flacco gets his side moving with a strike to Williams who makes the grab for a 15-yard gain to take his side to the 35-yard line.

The Broncos' pass-rush gets to Flacco in the pocket to pressure him on second and third down, forcing incompletions to Camapanero and Smith down the sideline. Koch punts the ball down to the eight-yard line and a penalty against the Broncos backs them up to the four. Big series coming up for Manning and his offense.

Anderson bursts through the line on third and one to pick up the first down for the Broncos after Manning managed to ease the pressure on the goalline with a short pass to Thomas.

Hillman finds a crease in the Ravens defense and speeds through the hole for a 12-yard gain before he is brought down by Mosley to take his side to the 30-yard line.

Two further carries for Hillman and he moves the chains for the home side as he cuts back behind his blockers on first down and then runs right through the middle on second.

The Broncos move into Ravens' territory as Manning lifts the ball high up for Sanders, but the wideout is held by Webb as he attempts to catch the ball down the sideline. The officials call holding and award the Broncos the first down and five yards.

Hillman finds space through the line and he manages to get the first down on two carries on first and second to keep the clock moving for the Broncos and edges them closer to field-goal range.

Manning gets the ball out of his hands quickly to Thomas on a screen pass for a seven-yard gain down the sideline and he does enough to get the yardage for a new set of downs deep in Baltimore territory.

Broncos call timeout on a crucial third down and nine play. Manning can put the game away here with a touchdown as he has controlled the clock for an incredible 10 minutes on the drive to take the match away from the visitors.

Baltimore come up with the stop as Anderson gets stopped in his tracks by Daryl Smith. McManus will now have a kick to make this a six-point game from 33 yards.

McManus is money again for the Broncos as he nails his kick from 33 yards. The Ravens need a touchdown to get back into the match now.

Flacco will start at the 20-yard line for the attempt at the game-winning drive.

Forsett carries the ball through the middle of the line and gets the first down to take the Ravens to the 40-yard line after a short completion to Gillmore for nine yards.

Two-minute warning at Sports Authority Field and the Ravens are at their 36-yard line with two of their timeouts remaining.

Fourth down and nine for the Ravens. Game on the line here.

Flacco delivers the strike to Gillmore and gets the yardage he needs to keep his side's hopes alive. They move to the Denver 47-yard line. The tight end took a huge hit from Stewart, but still held on to make the grab.

What a playcall from the Ravens as they catch the Broncos cold out wide with a running play that takes the Ravens to the 19-yard line. Forsett got 21 yards on the carry before he was tackled by Stewart.

Flacco throws for the endzone to Smith, but the pressure gets to him in the pocket and forces the throw to bounce short of its target. Third and nine now for the Ravens at the Denver 18.

The pass interference flag comes on Brutton for the Broncos and hands the Ravens a fresh set of downs at the Denver 15-yard line. Huge pressure here for both teams.

Flacco throws to the endzone and the ball loops over the hands of Roby but Smith cannot make the catch despite the ball striking him in the hands.

INTERCEPTION! The Broncos make the stand to secure the win as Flacco loops the ball to Gillmore in the endzone, and although he gets his hands on the ball he cannot hold it and the former Raven Stewart comes across to make the game-sealing pick.

Manning kneels down and the game is over. Denver escape with a narrow win.

The Broncos survive the late surge by the Ravens to go for the win as Darian Stewart comes up with the pick on the goalline. Flacco did his utmost to attempt to secure the win with a threadbare receiving corps and just came up short for the visitors. Manning was far from his best for the Broncos and their play today may suggest that they are moving away from their potent passing attack of the past three seasons as he struggled immensely to throw the ball downfield. The Broncos's defense bailed them out today and it will be worth monitoring to see if they can continue that form throughout the year.

Thanks for joining our commentary this evening. Be sure to join us again next week, until then, goodbye.