Could Sunday’s game have epitomized the Denver Broncos season any more than it did? I mean, it was perfect. The offense looked good, then the offense looked bad, then the opponent made it close and finally the defense had to seal the deal.
Lather, rinse, repeat!
The Broncos have played 18 games this season, and 14 of them have been decided by seven or less. And in those games, the Broncos hold a record of 12-2; that’s an NFL record.
So, of course New England drove down the field to score a touchdown in the final minute of the game; that’s the only type of game the Denver Broncos know how to play!
It was a great game, it was an exciting game and it was an extremely important game. Because of that, before we dive head first into Super Bowl coverage and prediction, let’s take a look back at five of the most important lessons we learned from the Broncos victory over the Patriots:
Peyton Manning is healthy
Healthy may be a relative word, but for a 39-year-old quarterback who’s been through four neck surgeries and is believed to be frailer than your grandmother’s china, Peyton Manning looks to be pretty darn healthy. I mean, did you see the legs on the ‘ol guy?
https://twitter.com/NFL_DovKleiman/status/691386282522583040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
He dove head first! That may not be be the equivalent of John Elway‘s “Helicopter,” but that’s about as good as you’re going to get from Peyton Manning.
And that’s not even the best of it. Look at this play. Last season, even earlier this season, this play ends in a self-sack 99 out of 100 times.
https://twitter.com/RachelGBowers/status/691370295823880193
Manning actually tried to run away from Jamie Collins, one of the fastest linebackers in the NFL. If he tried to do that two months ago, he may have left Sports Authority Field on a stretcher.
This guy is never going to be Cam Newton — shocker, I know — but he’s giving it everything he has. And with two weeks of rest before the big game, he should have even more to give against the Carolina Panthers.
We can trust in Wade Phillips
I’ll admit, I was worried. I’m not ignorant to the fact that Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels are about as smart as they come, even if they are pretentious and evil. And if there’s anybody who could have out-smarted Wade Phillips in an all-or-nothing game, it’s those two guys.
But they didn’t. And that brings me to this point: We can put our trust in Wade Phillips.
Sure, a lot of you will say, “Well, I’ve trusted him the whole time!” and maybe you did. Your gold star will be coming in the mail. But I trusted Peyton Manning and Adam Gase heading into Super Bowl XLVIII, too, and look where that got me.
Even the best get beat.
But after what Phillips accomplished on Sunday, I’ll take him over anybody any day. If Belichick and McDaniels can’t pull one over on the “Son of Bum,” then I don’t expect Mike Shula to, either.
The Broncos have to run the ball
Following the Brandon McManus field goal that put the Denver Broncos up 20-12 with 10:06 left to go in the fourth quarter, the Broncos had two more opportunities to put the game away before Brady drove down the field for what could have been the game-winning touchdown. In those drives, the Broncos ran the ball three times for 5 yards, taking just 1:14 off the clock.
That’s inexcusable.
First off, there is no reason why the Broncos should have thrown the ball on three of those six downs. At that moment, their biggest enemy was the time left on the clock, and they lost; they gave Tom Brady and the Patriots offense way too many chances to get back into the game.
Second, they need to find a way to generate the type of running attack that is going to allow Gary Kubiak to feel comfortable calling three straight running plays. Right now, that seems to be a 50-50 proposition.
And when I say 50-50 proposition, I’m referring to the snaps where C.J. Anderson is in the backfield, not Ronnie Hillman.
Now, Anderson didn’t have a great game — without his one big 30-yard rush, he would have averaged just 2.6 yards per carry — but even that’s better Hillman’s 1.5 yards per carry. Plus, unlike Hillman, Anderson has proven that he’s capable of breaking out runs of 20 yards or more on a weekly basis.
Sunday marked the sixth time in the last seven weeks where Hillman rushed for an average of 4 yards or less; Anderson has only done that once in the last 11 weeks.
As I’ve been saying for the last month, the Broncos need to run the ball, and they need to start doing it with C.J. Anderson. They’ve got one more opportunity to make that happen.
The offense is capable
Is the Broncos offense good? No. Is it consistent? Absolutely not. Is it capable? You betcha!
We’ve seen it in spurts all season, but when the Broncos are running at full capacity, they can score points. The bigger question, though, is why aren’t they doing it more often?
Here’s my theory (and, yes, it’s just a theory: Gary Kubiak is scared; he is scared of making a mistake.
And if that’s the case, I don’t blame him! I’d be scared, too.
Just think, when the Broncos have needed to score this season, they always have — at least for the most part. There’s a reason why Denver is 12-2 in games decided by less than seven points, and it’s because they take care of business when they absolutely have to. They did it in the Chiefs game, the first Patriots game, the Bengals game, the Wild Card game and more. When their backs were against the wall, they made things happen.
When they’ve had problems, it’s largely been after they’ve developed a lead to start the game, following apart afterwards. You can credit the opposing defense for cracking down, or you can blame Gary Kubiak for pulling his foot of the gas.
I tend to lean towards the latter, only I’m not so sure that “blame” is the right word; I understand where he’s coming from.
This offense may be capable of moving up and down the field, but it comes at a risk: Turnovers. The Broncos offense has had a propensity to turn the ball over all season, and it’s cost them. So wouldn’t it make sense that once the Broncos develop a lead, Kubiak lays off the attack, limits the opportunity for turnovers and allows the defense to take care of the rest?
I mean, it’s not ideal. I’d much rather a dominant, whistle-to-whistle performance. But I get it. A three-point, nail-biting victory is better than watching the Broncos lose off a Peyton Manning interception.
But all this is to say that the Broncos are capable. If they need to score, I believe they can. Maybe not 35 or 40 points, but they’ll never need to with this defense.
This piece brought to you in part by …
A victory is going to take everybody
They say football is a team sport, but it’s never been more true than with these Denver Broncos. Despite the Hall of Fame quarterback standing behind center, if the Broncos are going to take home their third Lombardi Trophy, they’re going to need everybody.
That’s starts with Von Miller and the defense and it carries on down to Demaryius Thomas and the receiving corps. Heck, the Denver Broncos would not be where they are if it wasn’t for Brandon McManus, Britton Colquitt, Kayvon Webster and the entire special teams. Not only did they play a huge role in last Sunday’s victory over the Patriots, but they’ve been critical all season.
The Panthers are a fantastic team, and anybody that tells you differently doesn’t know what they’re talking about. They are well deserving of their favored status.
And you know what? You probably could have said the same thing about the Patriots. In fact, most everybody did.
But that doesn’t mean they’re going to beat the Denver Broncos, because the Denver Broncos have proven over and over again that they are the best team in the NFL. It may take every last man on their roster, but when the final whistle blows, the scoreboards shows Denver on top.
If there’s one thing you can be confident about going into the Super Bowl in two weeks, it’s just that.