Broncos Vs. Bears 2012: Game Preview, Kickoff Time, TV Schedule And More

The Denver Broncos kick off the 2012 preseason with a road contest against the Chicago Bears on Thursday night. This will mark the return of quarterback Peyton Manning to field for the first time since the 2010 season, having missed the 2011 season with the Indianapolis Colts due to a neck injury.

Manning is expected to play 10-12 snaps, which likely means he will get one or two series of work in. After that, Caleb Hanie will play out the first quarter and then give way to rookie Brock Osweiler late in the second quarter. We should also expect Adam Weber to get some playing time, but likely not until the fourth quarter. Currently, Hanie is the backup and Osweiler is third-string. Weber is playing for a spot on the practice squad once again.

The Broncos defeated former Denver quarterback Jay Cutler and the Bears during the 2011 season on Dec. 11, 13-10. Matt Prater kicked a 59-yard field goal with three seconds left to send the game to overtime. Then in the extra minutes, Prater nailed a 51-yard attempt for the victory.

The Broncos will also get to see the Bears' newest offensive weapon, former Denver wide receiver Brandon Marshall.

Game time/date: 6:30 p.m. MT, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2012

Location: Soldier Field, Chicago, Ill.

Broadcast Info: KTVD-TV Channel 20 (Denver), NFL.com offers its Preseason Live package ($20) and the NFL Network will rebroadcast the game at 10:00 p.m. MT.

For more on the Broncos, check out Mile High Report. Head over to SB Nation NFL for more news and notes as we continue through the preseason.