"What happened?" That was the question I heard from family and friends all winter, spring, and summer about the Broncos Super Bowl debacle against Seattle. I usually responded with the following answer: "I have no idea." Really, the Super Bowl loss was a major blemish on the Broncos 2013 season, but you can't overlook how good the Broncos were last year. They entered the season as the favorites in the AFC, won the AFC West, finished 13-3, won homefield advantage, and took care of both San Diego and New England on route to winning the AFC. Peyton Manning threw for a record 55 touchdowns and the offense scored over 600 points. It was a great season and probably the third best season the Broncos have put together in my lifetime. They did everything they were supposed to do, but they still failed at the worst time and didn't accomplish the goal of winning the Super Bowl. In the long winter, spring, and summer, I watched the entire season all over again (Except the Super Bowl of course) and I still can't believe how good this team was. Offensively, it was a pleasure to watch this team execute every single week. The whole team overcame so much adversity and they still were able to get to the Super Bowl. After watching all the games from last year, I watched the celebration at the end of the AFC Championship. To see John Elway holding up the Lamar Hunt Trophy, and to see Peyton Manning just kind of standing back and observing the whole scene while the confetti rained down, it was just really neat to watch it one more time. And with that viewing I finally put to bed the 2013 season and began to focus on the 2014 season. It is a new year, with new players, but the fact remains that the Broncos are still legitimate contenders to the Super Bowl. As long as Peyton Manning is back there at QB, then the Broncos have a shot to win it all, and I guess that is all you can ask for in today's NFL. It is time to start to new season, and hopefully I will be celebrating a Super Bowl victory in Glendale, Arizona on February 1, 2015.
Storylines for the 2014 Season:
1) Health: Every team gets banged up and loses guys during the season, but last year Denver got really ravaged by injuries at times. They were able to overcome those injuries and still finish 13-3. Can they survive again if the injury bug hits them? Will they be able to stay healthy enough as the season goes on to give them a chance in the playoffs?
2) Special Teams Question Marks: The Broncos are going to be without K Matt Prater for the first four games of the season. Rookie Brandon McManus is taking his place. You really hope Denver doesn't lose a game or two by a key field goal miss in those four games. Also, last year Denver's coverage units were terrible down the stretch. How have those units improved this year? Lastly, there is no more threat of Trindon Holliday returning punts and kicks anymore. Undrafted rookie Isaiah Burse takes his place. Can he be effective enough to be as dangerous as Holliday was?
3) Orange Crush: Von Miller and Chris Harris return after late season injuries. How effective are they going to be? Can they return to form quickly enough? The additions of DeMarcus Ware, Aqib Talib, and T.J. Ward are supposed to take this defense to another level. Those three guys are going to be under the microscope because if this defense can return to the form of 2012, then this group could be special.
4) Better Offensively? You really can't ask for that much improvement from last year's offense, but this group might actually be a little better. Emmanuel Sanders might be an improvement over Eric Decker in the sense that he gives the Broncos a more explosive option at the receiver spot. Also, Montee Ball might be ready to take the reins over from the departed Knowshon Moreno. I doubt that Denver will score as many points as last year, but they might be better overall.
5) Distractions: First, Matt Prater is lost for four games due to a suspension. Next, Wes Welker gets banned for the first four games. The easiest way to kill your season is to do it to yourself. The Broncos can't have any more distractions around their team. It seems like every year the Broncos are dealing with these types of issues. Sure, they can somehow overcome the losses of both Prater and Welker, but it is going to be a challenge. The distractions have to go away and the focus has to be on the field.
Colts (+7) over DENVER: The Broncos will be tested early at home by Andrew Luck and the Colts. This feels like a back and forth game between Luck and Manning. I think both defenses are going to have a hard time stopping the other team's offense. I am worried about Denver's secondary. Remember, Chris Harris is playing for the first time since tearing his ACL in the Divisional Playoff Game against the Chargers. Von Miller is playing for the first time since tearing his ACL in Week 6. I have a bad feeling about this opener. It will be a good game and a shootout, but I think Luck and the Colts have the last laugh.
Final Score: Colts-36 Broncos-33
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