DENVER (AP) ― Peyton Manning’s receivers played keep-away with his milestone memento and the NFL’s new leader in career touchdown passes toyed with the San Francisco 49ers in the Denver Broncos’ 42-17 victory Sunday night.

Manning went into the showdown two TDs shy of Brett Favre’s record of 508, and threw four touchdown passes to reach 510.

“It’s special because of the way our team played,” said Manning, who surpassed Favre’s mark with an 8-yard strike to Demaryius Thomas late in the second quarter.

As he went to retrieve the ball, his teammates had some fun.

Thomas tossed the ball over Manning to Emmanuel Sanders, who lobbed it to Wes Welker. From there, Welker dished it back to Sanders, who flipped it to Julius Thomas ― all of Manning’s favorite targets getting into the act.

“Those guys are all great athletes and my vertical leap isn’t what it used to be. I haven’t played keep-away since I was 8 years old,” Manning said. “That is something I will always remember.”

The Broncos had actually talked about doing something like that but Manning said he was surprised his teammates went through with it.

He shouldn’t have been, Demaryius Thomas said, revealing that Manning actually had them practice it Friday.

“It’s easy. You did that when you were kids,” Thomas said. “It’s like keep the ball away from the guy in the middle.”