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It’s been smooth sailing this season for the Denver Broncos, who tallied the AFC’s best record via the best offense in the country. At the center of all the hype is, of course, MVP quarterback Peyton Manning, who’s had a record-breaking season at the helm of this high-flying offense. The Broncos haven’t been to the Super Bowl since 1999, when they beat the Atlanta Falcons 34-19 to win Super Bowl XXXIII. Now they’re finally back, and they’re almost certainly ready to prove why they’re considered by many to be the NFL’s best team. Now then, let’s take a look at the Season In Review for the Denver Broncos.
Esprit de Corps
A lot of recognition goes to Peyton Manning when it comes to which player has had the most impact on this Denver team, and rightly so. However, a quarterback is only as good as his receivers, and Manning’s been pretty blessed to have a receiving corps like this. When you’re throwing to a group like Demariyus Thomas, Eric Decker, Wes Welker, and Julius Thomas, even someone like Charlie Frye could have a 4,000-yard season through the air. Special notice, however, has to go to Wes Welker. The former Patriot crossed over this offseason and has really opened up the Broncos’ vertical attack with his ability to catch just about any pass thrown his way. He may have finished with only 770 yards (in comparison to Demariyus’ 1,430 and Decker’s 1,288), but make no mistake: he’s indisputably a crucial part of this offense. His ability to run short routes has opened the door greatly for Manning to heave it down the field, and as a result the Broncos had the most effective offense in the league in 2013.
Beyond Welker, one has to mention Thomas and Decker as being two of the league’s top young wideouts. Thomas has the ability to get behind the coverage and put the ball in the end zone, as evidenced by his 14 receiving TDs in 2013 (most among WRs, and second overall behind Jimmy Graham). He’s got the savvy of an elite receiver years his elder, not to mention a 4.3 40-yard dash speed. Decker, meanwhile, has sort of snuck onto the radar in recent mnths, but he’s proving himself to be every bit the effective counterpart to Thomas; where DT has speed, Decker has big hands, and he’s not afraid to sacrifice his body to make the catch. All of these receivers have been clutch for Manning all season long, and it’ll be fun to see what they can do against the league’s top defense.
Unsung Hero
Former Georgia running back Knowshon Moreno, drafted twelfth overall by Denver in the 2009 NFL Draft, has always been one of the league’s best running backs, and as such is a huge threat any time he touches the ball. He recorded his first career thousand-yard season in 2013, tallying 1,038 total yards (4.3 per carry), good for twelfth in the NFL on the ground. In addition, he scored 10 touchdowns, tying him for the fourth-most in the league alongside Adrian Peterson. (Yes, that Adrian Peterson.) He’s one of the most electric running backs in the league today, and given a few more years he could be the second coming of LaDanian Tomlinson.
So why hasn’t he been mentioned more? Well, for starters, when you put Peyton Manning on any given team, nine times out of then the media will be saying he’s the biggest reason for that team’s almost inevitable success. In this case, the tenth time would be devoted to the receiving corps mentioned previously. As electrifying as Moreno is, he just isn’t the headline-grabber that Manning and Co. are. It’s a slightly disturbing trend, but the NFL’s fanbase has been favoring air-heavy attacks more and more for several years now, and Moreno isn’t the type of back who can go out and catch five passes a game for seventy yards every week. Regardless, while he may not be the player Marshawn Lynch is, Knowshon Moreno is far from done in the NFL; his future looks very bright indeed.
Season Schedule
Regular Season:
Week 1: vs. Baltimore (W 49-27)
Week 2: @ New York Giants (W 41-23)
Week 3: vs. Oakland (W 37-21)
Week 4: vs. Philadelphia (W 52-20)
Week 5: @ Dallas (W 51-48)
Week 6: vs. Jacksonville (W 35-19)
Week 7: @ Indianapolis (L 33-39)
Week 8: vs. Washington (W 45-21)
Week 9: BYE
Week 10: @ San Diego (W 28-20)
Week 11: vs. Kansas City (W 27-17)
Week 12: @ New England (L 31-34)
Week 13: @ Kansas City (W 35-28)
Week 14: vs. Tennessee (W 51-28)
Week 15: vs. San Diego (L 20-27)
Week 16: @ Houston (W 37-13)
Week 17: @ Oakland (W 34-14)
Postseason:
Divisional Round: vs. San Diego (W 24-17)
AFC Championship: vs. New England (W 26-16)
Well, that’ll just about do it for the time being. The Super Bowl is just about here, which means it’s almost time to find out which team is truly worthy of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy and being called the best in the land. On Saturday I’ll make a final rundown of the two squads, culminating in my official prediction for 2014. Until then, farewell!
(All images, unless otherwise specified, are from USA Today.)
