In the 30 days leading up to the start of Denver Broncos Training Camp 2016, we’re examining 30 big questions for the season. We’ll make a case for each answer; you’ll vote and tell Broncos Country what’s going to happen this year.

A lot has to go right for a team to win the Super Bowl. Fortunately for the 2015 Denver Broncos, a lot went right.

The Broncos’ 2015 playoff run was made up of a perfect storm of four components, an insanely productive Von Miller motivated by an upcoming contract extension, a historic defense that somehow managed to dodge the injury bug when it mattered, a significant decrease in the numbers of turnovers committed and a kicking game that helped the Broncos out in more ways than one.

While it can be argued that the defense played a bigger role than the others, if all four phases of the Broncos’ game don’t work together in some capacity, they aren’t defending world champions right now. So what’s the real key to repeating in 2016?

A happy, motivated Von Miller

Von Miller is less than a month removed from signing a record-breaking, six-year $114.5 million deal, making him the highest paid non-quarterback in the history of the National Football League. Despite appearing upset throughout the negotiation process, it’s hard for Miller to be upset now that he’s that much, much richer. With a new contract in hand, the Broncos should get the absolute best out of the Super Bowl 50 MVP this year. Now that he’s not playing with a contract on his mind, it’s time for Miller to prove he’s worth all of that money. With Miller now able to focus solely on football, he could easily be the key to the Broncos’ success in 2016. His drive and desire to play up to his contract could be what makes or breaks the Broncos in 2016.

Keeping the defense healthy

The Broncos’ defense was visibly the largest part of their Super Bowl run in 2015. Time after time, the defense managed to dig the offense out of unfathomable situations by forcing turnovers at crucial times and making big plays when needed. The defense is expected to be the key to a successful 2016 campaign, as well, but in order to repeat as Super Bowl champions they will have to stay healthy. Aside from backup safety David Bruton, the historic defense that was the 2015 Broncos entered the Super Bowl in one piece. A unit with all of their starters healthy enough to play that late in the season is unheard of in the NFL, and if the Broncos can recreate that in 2016 they can be just as good. If the defense can remain just as dominant while remaining healthy, it’s hard to think they won’t be the key to a successful season.

Limiting turnovers

A lot of the times the Broncos found themselves in tough situations in 2015 was directly related to costly turnovers. Now with Mark Sanchez presumably leading the Broncos’ offense in 2016, it will be up to him to cut down on the turnovers. By limiting the turnovers, Sanchez will ultimately be helping the Broncos’ defense stay off the field and not get beat up quite as much along with giving the Broncos more chances at scoring points. Peyton Manning was a turnover machine before he missed time with his plantar fascia injury. Manning wasn’t perfect when he returned from his injury just in time for the playoffs, but he was good enough. His ability to cut down on costly turnovers did wonders for the Broncos in the playoffs.Limiting turnovers could easily be the key to a successful title defense in 2016.

A good kicking game

As the Broncos learned in 2015, a successful kicking game can sometimes make all the difference. In a season where the offense often couldn’t so much as move the ball, Brandon McManus’ placekicking and Britton Colquitt’s punting was often the Broncos’ best offense. President Obama even jokingly called McManus “the heart and soul of the Broncos’ offense.” Punting and kicking is crucial in the battle for field position, and along with helping to bail out the offense, it put the opposing team’s offense in a tough spot against Denver’s tough defense. As mentioned earlier, Peyton Manning wasn’t the Peyton Manning of old in 2015. The offense’s inability to move the ball could have been a lot worse if it wasn’t for Colquitt’s ability to pin opposing offenses deep against the Broncos’ defense and Brandon McManus’ ability to put points on the board when noone else could. With Mark Sanchez likely starting at quarterback in 2016, the Broncos aren’t sure what kind of production they will get out of their offense. If the kicking can be just as reliable as it was in 2015, it could be what helps the Broncos to another successful season in 2016.

What does Broncos Country think? What will be the biggest key to a successful season in 2016?

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