Random Post Super Bowl Thoughts

Periodically, throughout the offseason I will post some random thoughts regarding the Super Bowl and the Broncos season in general. Here are some of my thoughts as we are now two weeks removed from the Broncos Super Bowl 50 win.....

-The Broncos defense really just dominated and frustrated the Panthers and Cam Newton. I've watched the game four times, and the more you look at it the more you see how the Broncos had a read on everything the Panthers were doing. They frustrated the Panthers like no other defense did the entire season, and it just completely rattled Newton and the entire Panthers offense.

-The Wade Phillips vs. Mike Shula chess match was a complete mismatch. It was advantage Phillips by a wide-margin. How many times did the Panthers try to run on first down? How many times did it not work? Over and over again Phillips dialed up the right call and the Broncos defensive players just did what they did all year- execute and dominate.

-Peyton Manning missed some open receivers on some key downs. For some reason he missed some open guys and it really could have blown this game open. On a key third down in the 4th quarter, he tried to throw a go route to Demaryius Thomas, who wasn't open at all and Josh Norman almost picked it off. He had Owen Daniels wide open on a slant route after Daniels completely beat Thomas Davis. If he looks that way, Daniels gets a big first down and gets the ball into Carolina territory. Also, in the second quarter coming out of his own end, Manning throw a seam that was almost picked off intended for Jordan Norwood. He had Emmanuel Sanders wide open on a dig route that would have picked up a first down and got them out of their own end.

-The Broncos special teams were so good, and they really affected the outcome of the game. The Norwood punt return was a key play, but how about the punting by Britton Colquitt. Watching the game a few times, you notice how often he directionally kicked it and gave Ted Ginn no chance for a return. Plus, Brandon McManus was really good in kicking three field goals in his first ever Super Bowl. Kayvon Webster was also so good at tracking down punt returns and making big tackles all game long.

-In the postseason, the Broncos defense faced Ben Roethlisberger, Tom Brady, and Cam Newton. They allowed 2-12 third down conversions to the Steelers, 2-15 on third down conversions to the Patriots, and 3-15 third down conversions to the Panthers in the Super Bowl. That is a combined 7-42 on third down conversions in the playoffs against three of the best offenses in the NFL. That is just unreal.

-Conversely, how many offensive touchdowns do you think the Broncos scored in the three playoff wins? The Broncos only had four offensive touchdowns. One by C.J. Anderson in the Pittsburgh game, two by Owen Daniels in the AFC Championship, and one by Anderson in the Super Bowl. That is pretty remarkable for a Super Bowl winning offense.

-Troy Aikman said after the NFC Championship Game that after Denver beat New England, he thought the Carolina-Arizona game was the Super Bowl. He felt that Denver wouldn't beat either team from the NFC. He was dead wrong. In fact, the AFC Championship was the real Super Bowl because Denver would have beaten Arizona handily. Also, the Patriots would have beaten Carolina in the Super Bowl too.

-How ironic is it that the Broncos only won 4 games by more than a touchdown all year long, and one of those games was the Super Bowl over the 15-1 Panthers and a game that they were six point underdogs.

-NFL Films captured John Elway and Gary Kubiak hugging on the podium after the game waiting for the presentation of the Lombardi Trophy. Elway and Kubiak were just laughing about how this team can win any game in any way. It is so cool to see Elway bring a Super Bowl back to Denver as the General Manager, and it is so cool to see him hire Kubiak as his head coach and to see Kubes win the Super Bowl as the head coach. Just surreal.

Broncos Mailbag: The Offseason

As much as I want to bottle this season and not think about next year already, I have to be consistent and take a look at the offseason ahead for the Broncos. There are a lot of questions for the Broncos as they prepare for the 2016 season, so let's take a look at some of them as the offseason gets ready to start....

Who are the Broncos key free agents this year?
Unrestricted Free Agents:
Von Miller, Evan Mathis, Vernon Davis, Antonio Smith, David Bruton, Malik Jackson, Danny Trevathan, Brock Osweiler, Andre Caldwell, Ryan Harris, Tyler Polumbus, Ronnie Hillman, Jordan Norwood, Kyle Williams, Shiloh Keo, Josh Bush, and Omar Bolden.

Restricted Free Agents:
Brandon Marshall, C.J. Anderson, and Lerentee McCray

Exclusive Rights Free Agents:
Todd Davis, Brandon McManus, Bennie Fowler, Matt Paradis, and Sam Brenner

Which players should they resign and who will they most likely lose?
The Exclusive Rights Free Agents should all be back so look for McManus, Fowler, Paradis, and Davis all to return. The Restricted Free Agents should all be given high tenders so look for Marshall and Anderson to return as well. The Broncos will use the Franchise Tag on Von Miller and look to sign him to a long-term deal by the July deadline. They should try to re-sign Brock Osweiler. That move is a no-brainer in my opinion. They could probably get a fair market, team-friendly deal done with players like Ryan Harris, Jordan Norwood and even a guy like Omar Bolden. I think they should and could get another deal done with Evan Mathis. I would love them to sign Trevathan, Jackson, and Bruton, but I don't think they will be able to do it, so sadly I think all three of those guys will leave and head to other teams for bigger deals and more money. They should let Vernon Davis, Antonio Smith, Andre Caldwell, Tyler Polumbus, Josh Bush, Shiloh Keo and Ronnie Hillman go.

Who are their opponents next year?
The Broncos 2016 home opponents are:
Oakland
Kansas City
San Diego
New England
Indy
Houston
Carolina
Atlanta

The 2016 road opponents are:
Oakland
Kansas City
San Diego
Cincy
Jacksonville
Tennessee
Tampa Bay
New Orleans

Who will they open up the season with on the Thursday night opener?
As a result of winning the Super Bowl, the Broncos get to host the season-opening game on Thursday night September 8th. There are many attractive teams on the Broncos home schedule, and the NFL likes to schedule a very marquee game for that opening night game. The three choices I think it will come down to are the Pats, the Colts, and the Panthers. If Peyton Manning retires, then I think the Colts at Denver would be a great way to honor Manning and start the season. I think the league will keep the Patriots game for later in the year. I also think the Panthers coming to Denver to start the new season will be a very interesting matchup and they can play up the rematch of Super Bowl 50 to the football world. Right now, I would go with Carolina as the team that the Broncos will open up the season with.

What is the Broncos draft order for next year?
The Broncos will pick #31 and last in the first round (The Pats had to forfeit their first round pick due to Deflategate). The Broncos other draft picks are:
2nd round (#63)
3rd round (#95)
5th round (#144)
7th round (#226)
7th round (#241)
7th round (#251)

The Broncos are also expected to get a number of compensatory picks in the draft. Those are projected to be the following:
3rd round (#99)
4th round (#136)
6th round (#219)

Who will be featured on America's Game before the season starts?
Another cool thing about winning a Super Bowl is the fact that the Broncos get featured on NFL Films "America's Game" program that tells the story of the Super Bowl winning team from that previous year. This show usually premieres the night before the season starts. The show usually features three members of that team that tell the story of that team as the season transpired. I think the three that will be featured are going to be Gary Kubiak, Von Miller, and Peyton Manning. I can't wait for that special.


What was your final record as far as picks go this season?
I correctly picked the Broncos at +6 in the Super Bowl so that gave me a playoff record of 8-3. My final regular season record was 123-125-11. If you add the 8-3 playoffs to that I finished with a 131-128-11 overall record combined.

Broncos Mailbag Part 2: The Postseason

Here is Part 2 of the Broncos Mailbag. Now, I take a look at questions involving the Broncos postseason run to a Super Bowl 50 victory....

Why was the game against the Steelers such a struggle?
The Broncos ended up winning 23-16 over Pittsburgh, but the Broncos struggled to get the victory. They seemed to play tight against the Steelers. Their defense was really good for the most part, but they gave up four big plays and it hurt them. Maybe they got a little over confident since Antonio Brown didn't play in the game after getting concussed in the Wild Card game the week before. I felt like the whole team played tight and nervous. The offense struggled because of 7 dropped passes. Those drops really killed some drives that the Broncos had. Also, I think Peyton Manning was a little rusty on a very windy day in Denver in his first start since mid November. There just seemed to be a sense of relief for the Broncos when they finally won the game late in the 4th quarter. If it wasn't for Bradley Roby's forced fumble midway through the 4th quarter, and Manning's key completion to Bennie Fowler on a 3rd and 12 on the ensuing drive, then the Broncos might have been one and done in the playoffs once again.

What is the one memory that you will think of when you remember this game down the road?
It has to be the Bradley Roby strip of Fitzgerald Touissant in the 4th quarter to swing the momentum, and give the Broncos the ball when the Steelers were driving with a 13-12 lead. The other moment that is right up there is when Manning hit Fowler for the big gain on 3rd and 12. The Broncos scored the game-winning touchdown on that drive and it came a play after William Gay almost picked off Manning.

Why didn't you have any confidence in the Broncos defeating the Pats in the AFC Championship?
After watching the Broncos performance against the Steelers and watching the Pats performance against the Chiefs the day before, I really felt like New England was just a better team than Denver. Also, with Julian Edelman back healthy and with Rob Gronkowski healthy, I just didn't see how Denver was going to slow down Tom Brady and that offense. I gained a little more confidence as the week went on because NO ONE was giving Denver any chance to win, but I still thought that the Pats would beat the Broncos by at least a touchdown.

What will be the memory that will always stand out about the AFC Championship?
There are so many memories from that game, so I guess I'll just list them in sequential order:
-Manning hitting Owen Daniels for the opening touchdown on the Broncos first drive to give them a 7-0 lead
-Stephen Gostkowski missed the extra point after the Pats first touchdown
-Daniels second TD of the game on a perfect pass from Manning to make it 14-6
-Von Miller's pick of Tom Brady to set up that TD by Daniels
-Darian Stewart's pick of Brady on the sideline in the second quarter
-The beating the Broncos defense inflicted on Brady all game long
-Chris Harris tackling Julian Edelman for a loss on a 4th 1 in the 4th quarter to stop the Pats from scoring.
-The Brady pass to Gronk on 4th and 10 to keep the Pats hopes alive
-The Gronk TD from Brady on 4th and goal
-Bradley Roby's interception of the 2 point play.
-Shiloh Keo's game-clinching recovery of the onside kick.

Why were you so much more confident in the Super Bowl?
The Broncos defense was so good and they did such a good job against Brady and the Pats that I felt that they would matchup well with the Panthers receivers. I felt like that would be a key and it turned out to be true because the Broncos secondary did a great job and really thwarted their passing attack. I just felt that the Broncos defense would be very tough for one guy like Cam Newton to defeat all by himself.

Were you ever relaxed during the game?
Not until C.J. Anderson scored the 1 yard touchdown run to make it 22-10 and then Manning hit Fowler on the 2 point conversion to make it 24-10. Even after Von Miller strip sacked Cam Newton and T.J. Ward recovered the ball inside the 10, I wasn't relaxed because I was still worried that the Broncos offense would have to settle for a field goal and only a 19-10 lead. When the Broncos got the TD and it was 24-10 with 3:05 to go in the game, I relaxed just a little bit, but I didn't start to celebrate because I have seen a lot of crazy endings in the NFL in my lifetime.

What is the one moment that will stand out for you when you remember Super Bowl 50?
The strip-sack by Von Miller on Newton in the first quarter that resulted in Malik Jackson recovering the ball in the endzone to give the Broncos a 10-0 lead will always be the moment that I will remember. All week every one talked about how Miller and the Broncos defense wouldn't be able to get to Newton, and then BOOM! Here comes Miller around the edge and he crushes Cam, forces the fumble and the Broncos score the defensive touchdown that they needed to help them win. Another moment that I will remember is when Manning hit Fowler for the 2 point conversion and to make it 24-10. I don't know why but I will remember that more than the touchdown by Anderson.  I also think when John Elway stood up on the podium and yelled "This One's for Pat." That was a moment that will give me chills every time I see it.

Where does this Broncos team place in team and NFL history?
The 1998 team was the best ever in Broncos history going 14-2 and winning a second straight Super Bowl. That team had a great offense and a very opportunistic, bend but don't break defense. The 1997 team had a very, very good offense and the same opportunistic defense. This team had a great defense and an average offense. It doesn't really matter where you rank them but I'll go with the 1998 team as #1 and the 1997 and 2015 teams at #2A and #2B.

How is this Super Bowl win different from the other two?
It is different because it was a team that won from a defensive perspective. It was defense oriented and won that way all year long. It carried the team to close win after close win. That might not be the prettiest or sexiest way to win, but it doesn't matter because at the end of the day the team still won 12 games, won the division, was the #1 seed in the AFC and beat three really good teams to win the Super Bowl.

How does this Super Bowl win compare with other teams historically?
I always try to compare a current Broncos team to other Broncos teams historically. This one doesn't really equal other teams because the Broncos have never had a defense this dominant. I would compare this team to the 2000 Ravens. The Broncos, just like the Ravens that year, were carried by a dominating defensive unit. The defense also proved itself by shutting down Ben Roethlisberger, Tom Brady, and NFL MVP Cam Newton in three straight playoff games. That should be enough for anyone to consider when you look at this team in a historic sense. The 2015 Broncos should be in the conversation with the 1985 Bears, the 2000 Ravens, the 2013 Seahawks, and the 2002 Buccaneers.

How does this Super Bowl victory justify the Peyton Manning era in Denver?
This justifies the Peyton Manning signing as the greatest signing in NFL free agent history. There is no doubt to that statement. It also puts a cap on the greatest era in Broncos history right with the 1996-1998 run with Elway and Terrell Davis.

Have you come down from the elation of the Broncos winning the Super Bowl?
Nope, and I won't come down from it until the next season starts in September. I have watched the Super Bowl four times in two weeks since the game. I watched the parade on NFL Network two days after the game. I watched the NFL Films footage of the game a number of times. I have been wearing a Broncos shirt everyday since the game. I have pumped my fist every time I see, read or think about anything related to the Broncos win. I haven't even thought about the scouting combine, free agency or anything related to the offseason. I don't want to think about next season yet. I am going to soak this in and enjoy every last drop of this championship for the near future and for a long, long time.

Broncos Mailbag Part 1: The Regular Season

I always head into the offseason with a mailbag discussing various questions that I had related to the Broncos and their just completed season. This year I get to do a mailbag for the Broncos as Super Bowl Champions. How sweet is that to say? I'll start with a mailbag related to the Broncos regular season. Here we go...

Did this regular season exceed your expectations for the Broncos this year?
Yes it did. The Broncos finished 12-4, won the AFC West, and made the playoffs once again. I predicted that Denver would make the playoffs-I had them in as a wild card though- and I figured that they could make a run once they got there. I was optimistic with Peyton Manning coming back, the emphasis of the running game with new head coach Gary Kubiak, and a defense that was good last year. Add it all up and I felt that Denver was going to be a playoff team. I also looked at their schedule and I liked the fact that most of their key games were at home: New England, Cincy, Green Bay all were coming to Mile High in 2015. I wasn't surprised to see them win 12 games, but I didn't think they would be the #1 seed, but I liked their chances to have a successful regular season.

How good historically was this defense in 2015?
The Broncos defense was the best in the league in the regular season. They had the most sacks, led the league in total yards and they only gave up an average of 18 points a game. They scored five defensive touchdowns, forced 27 turnovers, and they were dominant from Week 1 to Week 17. Their only blemish was in Week 15 when they gave up 34 points at Pittsburgh and they gave up 21 second half points in the 34-27 loss. They basically carried the Broncos and their offense the entire regular season. They weren't as dominant as the '85 Bears or the 2000 Ravens in the regular season, but they were right there behind them. Wade Phillips was a great hire as the new Defensive Coordinator and he brought an attacking and relentless style to his group. It was just fun to watch this defense do their job all year long.

Why do you think the offense struggled so much in the regular season?
The Broncos offense scored a total of 319 points this season. That averages to just over 18 points a game on offense. The Broncos scored a total of 355 points including defensive and special teams touchdowns. They only scored 30 or more points as an offense once during the whole season. The reason for their struggles on offense were a combination of a few things. First, Peyton Manning was basically on his last legs as a NFL starting QB. His age and injuries caught up to him, and he had to adjust to a new offense under Kubiak, and he never seemed comfortable. Second, the Broncos lost starting LT Ryan Clady to a torn ACL in OTAs, and he missed the entire season. Then, they lost starting RT Ty Sambraillo to torn shoulder in Week 3, so they were without their starting tackles for most of the year. Ryan Harris filled in admirably in at LT and Michael Schofield was overmatched at times at RT. In addition, after Manning's injuries forced him to shut it down for six weeks, Brock Osweiler took over as a starter and played his first meaningful games in his career down the stretch. Also, the running game never really got going. We know how important the running game is to Kubiak's offense and it just never really materialized the way they envisioned with C.J. Anderson and Ronnie Hillman both being inconsistent at times. All of those factors resulted in a very average offensive group in 2015.

What was one of the biggest surprises of the regular season for the Broncos as far as individual performances go?
Kicker Brandon McManus was a very key player for us this year. For most of the beginning of the season, he was the offensive MVP. He finished 30-35 on field goals and hit five field goals over 50 yards during the season. He was solid all year-with the exception of a few misses later in the year-and he bounced back very nicely after an inconsistent 2014 season. Also, Shaq Barrett was really good in relief of the injured Demarcus Ware during the middle part of the season. He has a bright future in Denver after what he showed this year as a pass rusher and as a run defender.

Who were the best players on the Broncos in the regular season this year?
You can say the entire Broncos defense but the guys that stood out all year were Von Miller, Chris Harris, Aqib Talib, Darian Stewart, Bradley Roby, Danny Trevathan, Brandon Marshall, Derek Wolfe, Demarcus Ware (When he wasn't hurt), and Malik Jackson. On offense, McManus was a very key player and Emmanuel Sanders was solid and very valuable player all year long. He outplayed Demaryius Thomas by a wide margin.

What was the turning point in this season?
A lot of people point to the loss to Pittsburgh in Week 15 as a turning point, but I think there are two key turning points of the year. The first one was the comeback win over New England in Week 12. It was Osweiler's second start of his career and it came against the Pats on Sunday Night Football on Thanksgiving weekend. The Broncos rallied from a 21-7 deficit in the 4th quarter and won the game in overtime 30-24. It put the Broncos at 9-2 and gave them a tiebreaker over the Pats in the playoff race. The second one is a little obscure. The Broncos were down 14-0 to the Bengals in a huge game in Week 16 on Monday Night Football. The Bengals were attempting a field goal late in the first half to make it 17-0. Mike Nugent missed the kick, the Broncos came down and got a field goal to make it 14-3 right before the half, and eventually came all the way back to win the game 20-17 in overtime. If Nugent makes that kick, then I don't know if Denver would have come back to win that game if they fell behind 17-0 before the half. With that win, Denver clinched a playoff berth that night and took some pressure off them heading into Week 17.

What was the biggest break the Broncos got during the year?
The Broncos got a lot of breaks during the year as far as turnovers, missed field goals, etc.. but the biggest break was the Patriots sleepwalking through their Week 17 game at Miami and losing to the Dolphins. The loss opened the door for the Broncos to get the #1 seed in the AFC later in the day and the Broncos capitalized by beating San Diego 27-20 and getting homefield advantage throughout the playoffs.

What was the most underrated part of this team this year?
Gary Kubiak did a really good job in his first year as head coach in Denver. He handled the Manning injury very well, he went with Osweiler when he had to, and he managed the ensuing QB controversy in textbook fashion. He also had a great pulse of his team. He played the games to his team's strength, which was a dominant defense, and he was able to get the most out of this group. Kubiak should have gotten more votes for coach of the year than he did. Also, he should get credit for making the most important move of the offseason when he hired his old friend Wade Phillips to run the defense. Phillips did an amazing job with this defense and took a good defense to a dominant and historic level.

What were the best games of the year?
There were a lot of games to choose from but the ones that will stand out the most were the comeback and miraculous win over the Chiefs in Week 2 on Thursday Night Football in Arrowhead. They rallied after being down 14-0, tied it late at 24 on a Manning drive, and won it in the final seconds on Bradley Roby's miracle fumble return for a 31-24 shocker. The win over New England in Denver in overtime was one of the best games of the year in the entire NFL. The overtime, comeback win over the Bengals in Week 16 was a great game and had a playoff feel to it. The dominant performance by the defense and the offense in the 29-10 win over Green Bay in Week 8 on Sunday Night Football was special because both teams came into the game at 6-0. The win over San Diego in Week 17 was great because of the fact that Peyton Manning returned to the lineup in the second half to rescue the Broncos and they pulled out the 27-20 on a Ronnie Hillman touchdown run late to secure the AFC West and the #1 seed in the AFC. All of those games were the defining games of the season.

How did you handle this regular season with all the close games the Broncos were involved in?
It was crazy because every week was basically a nail-biter. It was certainly a difference from the first three years under Peyton Manning when the Broncos routinely blew teams out. Every game was a battle and every game was basically giving me a heart attack. The Broncos played 12 games that were decided by 7 points or less and they won 9 of those games. It was exciting at times because they were winning, but it was crazy how tight this entire season was for the Broncos.

Was there ever a time you were really worried about this team during the regular season?
Once the Broncos got off to a fast start and were 7-0 after pounding the Packers on SNF in Week 8, I was content that they were going to have a good regular season and be a playoff team. Even after Manning got hurt, and the Broncos dropped to 7-2 and had to turn to Osweiler, I wasn't that worried that their season was going to collapse because Manning had not played well up until that point, and if they got anything decent out of Brock, then they would be okay. The only part that I was really worried was going into Week 16. Denver was 10-4, lost two in a row, and Pittsburgh, KC, and the Jets were all 9-5. KC had won eight in a row and they were only a game back in the West, and the Jets and Steelers were both hot coming down the stretch. If all three won their games in Week 16, and Denver lost to Cincy that week, then Denver's playoff fate would be out of their hands going into Week 17. In Week 16, KC beat Cleveland at home, the Jets beat the Pats in OT at home, but Pittsburgh lost a thriller in Baltimore, so even if Denver lost to Bengals, they could still make the playoffs with a win over the Chargers at home in Week 17. Trust me, I was definitely worried that morning watching all the early games.

A Personal Journey to Super Bowl 50- My Perspective on the Broncos Championship Run

I wanted to take time to share my personal experiences and perspective on the Broncos Super Bowl 50 win and their third Lombardi Trophy. I already focused on the game and ins and outs of what transpired in the Broncos win over the Panthers in the Super Bowl. I wrote about the bigger picture of the win in regards to Peyton Manning, John Elway, Gary Kubiak and the rest of the Broncos and their organization. Now, I wanted to write about what it meant to me personally. I want to be able to read this years from now and remember what it felt like to see the Broncos win their third Super Bowl in my lifetime.

I know I am not the only Broncos fan out there. There are many other diehards just like me, but the Broncos and the NFL are my hobby, and it is in my blood. I watch every game every week- no matter what day or night they are playing. I have the NFL Sunday Ticket so I can enjoy the Broncos in the comfort of my own home with my wife and my two sons. I spend countless hours texting or talking to my Dad, my family, and my friends about the games. I wear Broncos gear virtually everyday during the season and most of the offseason. I have a special gameday outfit that I pick out before each season. I wear an orange and blue tie to work on Mondays after a Broncos win. I spend way too much free time on message boards, writing on this blog, reading Twitter and analyzing every possible move the Broncos make from free agency through the draft in May. I spend time each day reading the Denver Post during training camp to get updates on the team. I rewatch the games during the week to analyze some of the strategy and decisions in the games. I live and die with the Broncos, and it has become a 365 day commitment and like a full-time job. I bleed orange and blue, and I do all of this just to see them win a Super Bowl. Sometimes, I take the losses way too seriously, and sometimes I rejoice a little too much with the victories. Why? The answer is easy: You want to invest all this time to this team because you want to be there when they win a championship. This year, I got to experience that feeling once again. It is as amazing and glorious as it was 17 years ago.

In January of 1999, the Broncos won their second consecutive Super Bowl when they pounded Atlanta 34-19 in Super Bowl XXXIII. John Elway won his second Super Bowl in a row, and he won the Super Bowl MVP in that game to send off his career in a perfect way. I was 19 at the time and a sophomore in college. I had just witnessed my favorite team win their second Super Bowl in a row and my favorite player and idol got to ride off into the sunset. How could it get any better than that? I was so satisfied and happy that I told myself at the time that I wouldn't complain or get frustrated about the Broncos for a long time. Growing up as a Broncos fan was a mixture of joy and heartbreak. In my elementary school years, Denver got to three Super Bowls in four years, but they got killed in all three games. I was upset and sad after each loss, but with John Elway as their QB, I realized even at that age that the Broncos could be contenders every year. After some really good seasons and some mediocre ones, the Broncos looked like a Super Bowl team once again in 1996. Unfortunately, my dreams were dashed when the 13-3 Broncos were upset by the Jaguars in the AFC Divisional Playoff Game. It looked like Elway was never going to get that Super Bowl ring he and I both cherished. Of course, the Broncos came right back, went 12-4 in 1997 and went on a magical run in the playoffs and upset the Packers and Brett Favre in Super Bowl XXXII, and the Broncos had their first ever Lombardi Trophy. The next year in 1998 they went 14-2 and repeated as Super Bowl Champions and Elway perfectly capped his great career. Even though Elway was retiring, you had a feeling that the Broncos were going to be perennial contenders. Unfortunately, things didn't go that way. The Broncos returned to the playoffs in 2000, 2003, and 2004, but each time they were eliminated in the Wild Card Round. In 2005, with Jake Plummer leading the way at QB, the Broncos were 13-3 and a very legitimate contender in the AFC. They hosted the defending champion Patriots in the Divisional Round in Denver and defeated them 27-13 to head to the AFC Championship Game. They hosted the Steelers in that game as a result of Pittsburgh's upset win over the Colts in the other AFC playoff game. As a home favorite, the Broncos got buried by the Steelers 34-17, and a golden chance at another Super Bowl was gone. After that game, the Broncos went into the darkest period of my lifetime as Broncos fan. The terrible loss on New Year's Eve to a 6-9 San Francisco team at home to knock them out of playoff contention in Week 17, and the shooting death of Darrent Williams that night totally marred the 2006 season. The epic collapse in 2008 when they were 8-5 and had a three game lead over the Chargers in 2008. A three-game losing streak capped by a blowout loss in San Diego in Week 17 kept them out of the playoffs once again. The subsequent firing of Mike Shanahan, the ill-fated hiring of Josh McDaniels, the Jay Cutler trade debacle, and another collapse at the end of the 2009 season made me wonder if the Broncos were a cursed franchise like the Red Sox and the Cubs. I thought things couldn't get any worse until the 2010 season when the Broncos went 4-12, fired McDaniels in December of that year, and looked like the laughing stock of the NFL. Pat Bowlen went out and hired John Elway to run the front office and right the ship in Denver. At the time, I liked the idea of hiring Elway, but with no GM experience was this move going to pay off at all? Elway immediately restored the credibility of the franchise, and he went out and hired the best coaching candidate out there at the time in John Fox. Elway drafted Von Miller with the #2 pick in the 2011 Draft, and the Broncos started to rebuild their defense and the overall team. 2011 will always be remembered as the year of Tim Tebow in Denver. With the Broncos at 1-4, Elway and Fox decided to find out what Tebow had to offer at QB, and when Tebow got his chance, Tebowmania took hold of the nation. Tebow led the Broncos to seven wins in eight games and at 8-5, the Broncos were alive for a playoff berth and they were the story of the NFL. The Broncos were relevant again. They were a national story. Even after Tebow faltered a bit at the end of the year, the Broncos finished 8-8 and got into the playoffs as AFC West Champs. It was their first playoff berth in five years, and they shocked the world with their huge upset win over the Steelers in the Wild Card Game when Tebow hit Demaryius Thomas for an 80 yard TD on the first play of overtime to win the game. Although they got crushed the next week in New England, the Broncos were the feel good story of the league, and with Tebow they had the possibility of building this team to a top contender. Then, all of a sudden Peyton Manning became available. Manning missed all of 2011 with a neck injury, and the Colts were picking #1 in the 2012 Draft and they were going to take Andrew Luck, the best QB prospect since Manning, and they decided to release Manning. The news filtered early that the Broncos were interested in Manning and Manning was interested in joining the Broncos. When I found out that Manning picked Denver as his next team, I was overjoyed,. It was like Christmas Day. Although the Tebow era was going to be over in Denver, the Broncos were going to have Peyton Fucking Manning as their QB! The move to get Manning was Elway's signature move in Denver, and it turned the Broncos into a legitimate Super Bowl contender and made them a must-watch team alongside the Patriots, the Cowboys, and the Steelers. As a Broncos fan, it was the first time since Elway retired that I actually felt like the Broncos had a chance to even get to a Super Bowl. Manning was as good as advertised. He delivered right away. After a 2-3 start in 2012, the Broncos and Manning got hot. They won 11 straight to end the season, finished 13-3, won the AFC West, and claimed the #1 seed in the playoffs. Unfortunately, the Broncos lost a heartbreaker to Baltimore in the AFC Divisional Playoff Game when Joe Flacco found Jacoby Jones on a miracle 70 yard touchdown to tie the game with only 35 seconds left (Thanks again, Rahim Moore). The Ravens won the game 38-35 in double OT, and the Broncos dream season ended in stunning fashion. As heartbreaking as that game was, the Broncos would load up for the 2013 season. Manning threw for a NFL record 55 TDs and added another MVP to his resume. The Broncos once again finished 13-3, won the AFC West, and were the #1 see once again. This time they would not be denied. The defeated the Chargers in the Divisional Round 24-17, and they defeated Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and the Patriots 26-16 to go to the Super Bowl. It looked like the Broncos and their unstoppable offense were going to cap off a dream season with another Super Bowl victory. Unfortunately, the Broncos didn't fulfill that goal and they were destroyed by the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII 43-8. It was a humiliating defeat that was shocking and unexpected. Two great years with Manning and two awful playoff defeats. Time was running out with Manning as our QB, and how many great chances were squandered? 2014 saw the Broncos load up once again, go 12-4, win the AFC West again, and finish with the #2 seed in the AFC. A first round bye set up the Broncos as a huge favorite over the Colts coming into Denver. With Manning hobbled by a thigh injury and a team that was sleepwalking throughout the game, the Broncos were upset by Indy 24-13 in a very disappointing and discouraging defeat. As Manning walked off the field, there were thoughts that Manning was going to retire, and that the Broncos were going to have to rebuild after three years of knocking on the door as Super Bowl contenders. I remember thinking that this was it for Manning and the Broncos. After three years of being close to winning another Super Bowl, the Broncos just didn't get it done and as great and successful the Manning signing was, it would be mean nothing because the Broncos never got that elusive Super Bowl title. It was about as bad of a feeling I had since the Broncos lost that playoff game to Jacksonville back in 1996. They were good enough to get to the playoffs, but they just couldn't finish the job. It was like they missed out on a golden opportunity and it would be a long time if they ever got back to that level. Dark days were ahead once again.

 Elway decided to part ways with John Fox, and he hired Gary Kubiak to take over the team. Manning decided to comeback for another year, and Kubiak hired Wade Phillips to take over the defense. In 2015, The Broncos were going to be a defensive minded team, that ran the ball on offense, and utilized Manning to create a Super Bowl caliber team. I bought into this philosophy, and the Broncos entered the year as a team to watch, but no one really thought they were a Super Bowl contender. I was optimistic that this team could make another run at a Super Bowl-even if no one was giving them much of a chance. A funny thing happened as the season progressed. Manning did not look like the player he was his first three years in Denver. It looked like his age, 39, was catching up to him, and he didn't look comfortable learning Kubiak's offense. On the other hand, the Broncos defense looked dominating and carried the team to their 7-0 start. After Manning went down with another injury in November, backup Brock Osweiler led the team to a 4-2 record and they had clinched a playoff berth in Week 16 win an overtime win over the Bengals. At 11-4, the Broncos got a break when the Patriots lost to the Dolphins early in the day in Week 17, and all Denver had to do was beat 4-11 San Diego at home to clinch the #1 seed. With the Broncos committing five turnovers on their first seven possessions, Kubiak made the gutsy call to go with Manning, who was serving as a healthy backup for the first time in his NFL career, over Osweiler and save the Broncos season. Down 13-7, Manning led a comeback to win the game 27-20, and the Broncos were 12-4, AFC West Champs, and #1 seed in the AFC once again. It was a remarkable turn of events, and I began to think that maybe-just maybe- this Broncos team was a team of destiny. They had the best defense in the NFL, Manning was returning from injury and was as healthy as he was all year long, and they had homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. How fitting would it be after being so close for three years with Manning for this group to go out and win the Super Bowl? Obviously, you know the story from there. A gritty win over the Steelers 23-16 in the Divisional Round. The classic win over the Patriots 20-18 in the AFC Championship Game, and then the upset over the Panthers 24-10 in Super Bowl 50.

The Broncos had their third Super Bowl victory in franchise history, and it was their first one in 17 years. At 36, I had another Super Bowl title to celebrate. 17 years is a long time. It starts to get to the point where you start to wonder if your team will ever win another Super Bowl in your lifetime. There were a lot of ups and downs during those 17 years. There were some really dark moments, and there were times where you wondered if putting all of this time and energy was even worth it. Of course it is worth it when you see the Broncos hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. Everything you do is worth it. All the wins, all the losses, all the time analyzing the moves in free agency, all the time watching the draft finally pays off. It is a feeling that I wish every fan of every team got to experience at least once. It justifies everything you do as a fan. For me, it made me realize how special and important the Broncos are to me. As I said earlier, the Broncos are a huge part of my life. I used to joke that the most important things in my life were my family, my friends, and the Broncos-put not necessarily in that order. I was only half joking. I was fortunate enough to see them win when I was 18 and 19 years old. I saw John Elway ride off into the sunset with a Super Bowl title. Then, 17 years later I got to experience that feeling once again. Elway came back to the franchise as Executive VP/GM, he landed Manning in free agency, and built one of the best defenses in the history of the NFL and he brought a Super Bowl championship back to the Broncos fanbase with Peyton Manning riding off into the sunset. The best part of winning of a Super Bowl is that it makes up for all the years of frustration that preceded that title. The wins in 1997 and 1998 made up for the Super Bowl losses in the 80s. This win in 2015 makes up for the loss to Baltimore in 2012, the Super Bowl defeat in 2013, and the listless loss to the Colts in 2014. It actually makes the Super Bowl win sweeter when you have recent failures like the Broncos had the past three years. It makes up for all those games I stayed up late to watch, all those games I cursed and screamed, and all those games I jumped up and down and cheered. At 36, I no longer had to wonder if the Broncos were ever going to win another Super Bowl. I got to share this with my family, my wife, and my two sons. They got to experience what I experienced 17 years ago. Winning Super Bowl 50, means that every year no matter how bad the Broncos season was, I can watch the Super Bowl highlights marathon on NFL Network and smile as I see the footage of Von Miller crushing Cam Newton and the Broncos celebrating the 24-10 upset over the heavily favored 15-1 Carolina Panthers. It doesn't get much better. How could I complain about that? 

No Plan B and Kicking and Screaming: The 2015 Denver Broncos-Super Bowl 50 Champions!

"There was no plan B." John Elway said that at the press conference when the Broncos signed Peyton Manning in March of 2012. Elway was referring to the fact that they had to get Manning, and they didn't want to think of a scenario in which he didn't sign with them. We all knew it was a big signing at the time, and it turned out to be the greatest signing in free agent history. When Manning came to Denver in 2012, he instantly turned the Broncos into a Super Bowl contender. Even with his limitations due to the four neck surgeries, Manning became the face of the franchise and put the Broncos amongst the elite teams in the NFL. Here are the records in the four years Manning has been in Denver: 13-3,13-3,12-4, and 12-4. 1 Super Bowl title, 2 Super Bowl appearances, 2 AFC Championships, 4 straight AFC West crowns, and a regular season record of 50-14. Throw in a 5-3 playoff record and the Broncos are 55-17 in the Manning era in Denver. That is fucking ridiculous with a QB who was considered done when he was released by Indianapolis. Instead of being lucky to be considered a wild card contender, the Broncos were battling for homefield advantage and first round byes at the end of each season. Three times Denver finished as #1 seed, and they secured a bye four years in a row. I can't even put into words how much of a difference Peyton Manning has made in Denver. Going into Super Bowl 50, the only thing left for the Broncos and Manning was to win a Super Bowl. Failing to win the Super Bowl would have been the only blemish on Manning's time in Denver. With all the wins and all the big-time numbers he put up, Manning needed to get another Super Bowl, and if he did it in Denver, then this truly was the greatest signing in the history of the NFL. Forget about how Manning played on Sunday. He struggled all year, but it didn't matter. The Broncos won the Super Bowl, and Manning was apart of it. He gets to ride off into the sunset-hopefully- and the Broncos and their fans get to celebrate a third Lombardi Trophy and the culmination of the Manning era. An era that began with so much promise and excitement back in March of 2012. There was no plan B. They had to win this game, and they did.

Another storyline that came out of this Super Bowl has to be the job that John Elway has done as Executive VP and GM of the Broncos. There was a lot of criticism when he was hired in 2011. The franchise was at an all-time low, and Pat Bowlen pegged Elway to come in and guide the franchise back to respectability. Critics were killing the Broncos for making this decision, and I remember being skeptical at the time, but I was open to see what Elway could do. No one thought he could hire a John Fox as head coach in 2011, and Fox took the job. Elway was questioned why he took Von Miller second overall in the 2011 Draft. No one thought the Broncos were going to be competitive in 2011, and they went 8-8 with Tim Tebow at QB, and they won the AFC West and upset the Steelers in a playoff game. From there, he signed Peyton Manning and moved on from Tebow. Obviously, we saw how successful that move was but look at some of the other shrewd and wise decisions he has made. He dramatically improved the roster by drafting the likes of Orlando Franklin, Julius Thomas, and Virgil Green in 2011. Derek Wolfe, Malik Jackson, Danny Trevathan, and Brock Osweiler in 2012. 2013 included Sylvester Williams and Kayvon Webster. 2014 featured Bradley Roby and Matt Paradis. He signed other free agents like Willis McGahee, Wes Welker, Aqib Talib, Demarcus Ware, T.J. Ward, Evan Mathis and Darian Stewart. He has even done a nice job of plucking undrafted guys and guys from practice squads like Brandon Marshall. He has had his share of missteps (Montee Ball) but for the most part he has been right on the money. When he felt like the team really underachieved and did not live up to their potential, he parted ways with John Fox after 2014 and went with Gary Kubiak. When he saw the Broncos and their historical offense get whipped by Seattle in Super Bowl XLVIII, he decided to switch gears and focus on the defense and he built a dominant unit that won the Super Bowl. After being a legend in Denver as a Hall of Fame QB, who won 2 Super Bowls for the Mile High city, he came back as a GM and brought the city another Super Bowl victory. How sweet is that? How amazing is that? The iconic legend comes back to Denver and delivers another Super Bowl. What an incredible job by Elway. If you would have told me back in January 1999 that Elway would eventually come back and win a Super Bowl as the GM 17 years later, I would have a hard time thinking it would be true. It did, and how cool is that?

Gary Kubiak also deserve a ton of credit. He walked into a very tough situation. If he doesn't win big in his first year, then he gets killed with criticism. He had to also deal with the fact that his Hall of Fame QB was dealing with the downside of his career. Not only did Kubiak do a good job of guiding this team to a 7-0 start, he also did a great job of dealing with the Manning injury, the promotion of Brock Osweiler, the ensuing controversy when Manning was healthy and a backup in Week 17. He also did a great job of inserting Manning into the lineup in Week 17 when everything was on the line against San Diego. He handled the QB situation about as good as you can, and he had his pulse on his team the whole season. In the playoffs, and especially in the Super Bowl, he realized that he had a great defense, and he played to that strength. It was also really cool to see Kubiak, who was considered a middle of the road coach in Houston, come back to Denver where he has so much of his roots and win a championship as a Bronco. I don't know if Kubiak is getting enough credit for the job he did this year with this team.

After John Elway and John Fox parted ways last January after Denver was upset by Indy in the Divisional Playoffs, Elway told the reporters at the press conference that he wanted the Broncos to go out "kicking and screaming." He felt they needed a little more toughness to get over the hump and win a championship. The phrase "Kicking and Screaming" was the rallying cry for this team all year, and it was the perfect quote for the 2015 Broncos. Every game was a battle and a fight to the end. They never gave up, found ways to win, and grinded it out week after week. From the comeback and the late fumble against the Chiefs in Week 2, to the close wins over the Vikings, the Browns, and the Raiders at midseason. The way they rallied down 14 points to the Patriots in the 4th Quarter to win that Sunday night game at home in the snow. The OT comeback win after being down 14 to the Bengals on Monday night in Week 16 to clinch the playoffs. The way they came back and beat San Diego in Week 17 to win 27-20 and clinch the #1 seed in the AFC. The way they came back and caused the late turnover and beat Pittsburgh in the Divisional Round. The way they fought off the Patriots and pulled off the upset in the AFC Championship. The way they pulled the upset and finished off the Panthers in the Super Bowl. All of those games came back to the idea of "kicking and screaming." It wasn't pretty at times, but this team never quit and put themselves in position to win these close games and they got it done. It is nice to see that your team has heart, and the 2015 Broncos will certainly be remembered as a team that certainly proved that guts and determination still exist in pro football. The 2015 Broncos will be long remembered for their defense. A defense that should be in the conversation amongst the greatest of all time. It will be remembered for the team that go over the hump and helped Peyton Manning get his second Super Bowl ring. They might not be one of the greatest teams statistically to win a Super Bowl, but they certainly were one of the best "teams" to win the Super Bowl. Everyone had a hand in bringing the Vince Lombardi Trophy back to Denver.

Broncos Upset the Panthers 24-10 to Win Super Bowl 50!

"This One's for Pat!" John Elway's quote put the finishing touches on an amazing evening for the Broncos as the franchise won its third Super Bowl and the Lombardi Trophy is coming back to the Mile High City. They did it! The Broncos did it! Peyton Manning gets to ride off into the sunset with his second Super Bowl, but the story was about the Broncos defense. Von Miller won the Super Bowl MVP, and he deserved it because he was the best player on the field. Demarcus Ware and the rest of the Broncos defense sealed the deal as the Broncos finally put the game away 24-10 late in the 4th quarter. This game was like virtually every game the Broncos played this year. The Broncos defense was the rock of this team the whole year, and they did it on the biggest stage. They sacked Cam Newton seven times and forced four turnovers in about as dominating of a performance there was in Super Bowl history. They limited the Panthers to 3-15 on third down conversions and held Carolina to a season low 10 points. You can put this defense on the short list of greatest Super Bowl Championship defenses in the history in the NFL. After losing Super Bowl XLVIII 43-8 to Seattle two years ago, the Broncos won their 3rd Super Bowl in franchise history and their first Lombardi Trophy since the 1998 season. I will write a column from a big-picture perspective on this Super Bowl season, but for this post, I will just focus on the key points and moments from the game. Here is a Super Bowl 50 winning edition of my thoughts and observations from the Broncos victory.....

First Quarter:
1) You can't ask for a better start for the Broncos. Manning led the Broncos down the field with an impressive drive to start the game with completions to Owen Daniels and Andre Caldwell on a third down and four for 22 yards. C.J. Anderson hit a run for 12 yards, but the Broncos drive stalled at the Carolina 16 and Brandon McManus hit a 34 yard field goal to give Denver a 3-0 lead. After the Broncos forced a three and out, and Denver went three and out, Von Miller made the first of his 1,00 amazing plays when hit crushed Cam Newton, stripped the ball, and Malik Jackson recovered the ball in the end zone for a touchdown and a 10-0 lead with 6:34 left in the first quarter. That play was set up because of a Jerricho Cotchery dropped pass which would have been a big gain and a first down a few plays before and after a challenge by Ron Rivera, the officials upheld the call and incompletion stood. It was hard to tell if it was a catch or not, but the play stood and the Broncos benefitted.

2) The Broncos forced another punt on the next series when Bradley Roby broke up a pass intended for Cotchery on 3rd and 4 from the Broncos 49. A Luke Keuchly sack of Manning on 3rd down forced the Broncos to punt again, and it felt like the Panthers were going to get momentum, and the Panthers offense finally got something going. Newton hit Corey Brown for 20 yards, rushed for 11, hit Greg Olson for 19 yards on a 3rd and 1, and another pass to Brown for 13 yards down to the Broncos 1 yard line. The Panthers capped off the drive with a 1 yard TD run to cut the Denver lead to 10-7 with 11:28 left in the 2nd quarter. I was really getting nervous that the Panthers were going to snap out of it and take the game over.

Second Quarter:
3) I was kind of surprised when Ron Rivera challenged a sack when Kony Ealy sacked Manning, but the refs didn't see it and called it an incompletion when Manning got up and threw an errant pass to Virgil Green. It was risky because Rivera won the challenge, but he lost his challenges for the rest of the game only to give up seven yards in field position. He lost the ability to challenge the rest of the game, and it didn't end up hurting him later on in the game, but it was a risky move by Rivera. The Broncos went three and out, and they punted, but they forced the Panthers to go three and out when Darian Stewart broke up a pass for Greg Olson.

4) Jordan Norwood made one of the biggest plays in the game on the ensuing punt when he didn't call for a fair catch, everyone on the Panthers coverage team stopped for some reason, and Norwood raced down the sideline for 61 yards and put the ball at the Panthers 14 yard line. It was a huge play by Norwood, and it was possibly a game changer. The Broncos had a 4th and 1 at the Carolina 5, and Gary Kubiak did the right thing and went for it and Anderson plowed forward for a first down but a holding call (It was questionable in my opinion) on Louis Vasquez put the Broncos in a 4th and 11 and McManus kicked a 33 yard field goal to give Denver a 13-7 lead. I really was upset on the holding call and if the Broncos punched it in to make it 17-7 it would have been a huge swing in this game, but at 13-7, I felt Denver had a golden opportunity in that spot.

5) Denver got another break on the next series when their defense stepped up again and forced another turnover. This time, Darian Stewart crushed Mike Tolbert on a textbook tackle and Danny Trevathan recovered at their own 40. C.J. Anderson broke free for a 34 yard run up the middle, and Denver had it at the Carolina 26. The game turned again turned again when Peyton Manning threw an awful interception to Kony Ealy on a third down at the 20. That was a huge turn of events, and the Broncos once again blew a chance to further separate themselves in the game. This game could have been a blowout at this point. My nerves were starting to go at this point.

6) The Broncos defense forced another three and out when Bradley Roby broke up another pass. The Broncos then went three and out again, and the Panthers took over at their own 19 with only 1:55 to go in the half. I was nervous that Carolina would score here and get the ball to start the half and score again to take the game over.

7) Cam Newton made a great throw on 3rd and 12 to Devin Funchess for 24 yards and big first down. They got the ball to the Denver 45, but they didn't use their final timeout correctly and a Demarcus Ware sack on Newton ended the half for the Broncos, who headed into the locker room up 13-7.

Third Quarter:
8) The Broncos got a break when after the Panthers were moving the ball to start the quarter, Graham Gano missed a 44 yard field goal. The drive started with a Newton to Ted Ginn 45 yard gain to the Broncos 35. After a big drop by Cotchery inside the five, the drive stalled and Gano missed a huge kick. It felt like the Panthers just couldn't catch a break and get the lead in the game.

9) Peyton Manning hit two passes for 25 and 22 yards to Emmanuel Sanders to set up the Broncos and McManus for a 30 yard field goal. I wasn't too upset with the field goal because Denver had a 16-7 lead and a two score lead was huge in this game with the way the Broncos defense was shutting down Cam Newton and the Panthers offense.

10) On the Panthers next drive, Cam hit Corey Brown for a 42 yard gain in which two Broncos defenders were right there to make the play. The pass set up shop for the Panthers at the Broncos 38. A few plays later, Newton zipped a pass to Ginn who tipped it and it fell into T.J. Ward's hands for a huge interception. Ward tried to get up and return it, got stripped and fumbled, but somehow Danny Trevathan recovered at the Broncos 7. It was a huge turnover and it was even bigger recovery by Trevathan.

11) A Kony Ealy sack of Manning stopped another drive and the Broncos punted and Carolina got the ball back with 3:12 left at their own 19. On a 3rd and 8, Miller and Derek Wolfe combined for a huge sack of Newton force another punt. I felt like the Broncos pass rush really got going at this point, and they never let Newton and Panthers off the hook from this point on.

4th Quarter:
12) Manning gets sacked by Ealy again, fumbles and the Panthers recovered at the 50 yard line. The Broncos were actually moving the ball and if they got another field goal there to make it 19-7, the game might have been over at that point. Unfortunately, the turnover was a huge play and gave the Panthers some life with 13 minutes to go in the game.

13) Naturally, the Panthers drive down the field on the a set up Gano for a 39 yard field goal to cut the lead to 16-10 with 10:26 left in the game. I was just worried because this game was still a one score game, and you felt that the Broncos were leaving the door open for Cam Newton to steal it.

14) Another three and out by the Broncos and they had to punt the ball back to the Panthers. I was really thinking at this point that Newton was going to drive down and take the lead.

15) A false start by Mike Remmers really hurt the next Carolina series, and a  huge tackle on Cotchery by Chris Harris on a 3rd and 14 with room to run forced another punt for the Panthers. Once again, the Broncos defense got the stop they needed.

16) At this point, the Broncos and their offense weren't going to take any chances. Three straight runs by Anderson set up another punt, and the Broncos were going to put the game in the hands of their defense to get this game home and win the Super Bowl.

17) With 4:51 left in the game, the Panthers and Cam Newton had their moment. There was a moment there where I really felt that the Panthers were going to go down the field and score, and the Broncos were going to have to get a Peyton Manning comeback to win the Super Bowl. Naturally, like it did all year, the defense didn't budge. Von Miller stripped sacked Newton on a 3rd and 9. The ball bounced in front of him, Demarcus Ware tried to scoop it up, Newton backed away, and the ball squirted down to the Carolina 4 yard line, where T.J. Ward recovered. It was another great play by Miller, and it basically sealed the deal for the Super Bowl.

18) The Broncos took over at the Carolina 4 yard line with just over 4 minutes to go in the game. Any score here would be a backbreaker. C.J. Anderson busted it into the endzone to make it 22-10 with 3:13 left. There was the backbreaker that we needed. The Super Bowl was in sight.A 2 point pass (Right Decision by Kubiak) from Manning to Bennie Fowler made it 24-10. That was the game right there. The Broncos were 3 minutes away from clinching the Super Bowl. Also, it was a good call on defensive holding on Demaryius Thomas in the endzone set up a first and goal. On third down, Manning's pass was incomplete to Thomas but Josh Norman clearly held him, and the Broncos got a fresh set of downs inside the five. Also, on Anderson's touchdown run, he basically ran over three unblocked Carolina defenders and willed himself into the endzone.

19) After a Demarcus Ware sack on a second down, it put the Panthers in a 4th and 24 situation with only 2:08 to go. For some unknown reason, Ron Rivera decided to punt the ball back to Denver. How the hell do you punt the ball in that spot? To me, that that was the equivalent of waving the white flag. I still can't believe Rivera didn't go for it in that spot. You never what could happen (Rahim Moore!), so that was a mistake. Punting shouldn't have been the option there.

20) One last Denver punt, and the Panthers got the ball back with only 54 seconds left, and time ran out on the Panthers. YES! The Broncos are Super Bowl Champions once again, and the confetti began to rain down on the stadium. What a moment! The players started rushing the field. Then, the podium gets set up and there is Roger Goodell handing the Vince Lombardi Trophy to Annabel Bowlen, who is the wife of owner Pat Bowlen. Then, John Elway gets his hands on the trophy and proclaims "This One's for Pat!" Gary Kubiak got his moment with the trophy, and Von Miller got a big ovation for being named MVP of Super Bowl 50. Lastly, the final interview was saved for Peyton Manning, and it was so great to see Manning holding up the Lombardi Trophy for a second time. It was a surreal moment, and it was something that I will never forget. It is so special to see your team win a championship. 1997 was special because it was the first one. 1998 was the repeat and John Elway's final moment. This one was a four years in the making. This was the culmination of the Peyton Manning signing in 2012, and the Broncos got it done as huge underdogs in Super Bowl 50. There is nothing better than that.


-Denver's defense led by Von Miller and Demarcus Ware was dominant once again. The big question was if the Broncos could stop the Panthers running game. They did that. The other question was if the Broncos could contain Cam Newton. They did it, and made him play his worst game of the season. Miller deserved the MVP, and Ware was right behind him. Darian Stewart, T.J. Ward, Chris Harris, Malik Jackson, and Derek Wolfe all made big-time plays. The Broncos defense completed imposed their will in this game, and they put in one of the best Super Bowl performances by a defense in recent history.

-This game was a grind like it was all season long for the Broncos. This is how they wanted to play the game and it played right into their hands. Everyone said all week that if the Broncos were going to win the game, it would have to be tight, low-scoring, and close going into the 4th quarter. It was just like that and the Broncos actually never trailed and actually won by 14 points. Think about this: The Broncos had some real opportunities to put this game away earlier in the game and blow the Panthers out.

-What a game for Peyton Manning to go out on. We know his numbers weren't great (13-23 for 141 yards and 1 INT)  but he gets to go out with his second Super Bowl. He isn't the same player he once was, but he deserved a second Super Bowl. He rode his defense to this championship after years of putting teams on his back. Manning is now 14-13 in the playoffs and only QB in NFL history with 200 wins. He actually finishes 5-3 in the playoffs as the Broncos starting QB.

- What a great job by Gary Kubiak. He outcoached Ron Rivera, had his team prepared and focused, and did a masterful job with this team this season. In this game, he knew that his defense can win this game, and he did really good job of understanding that and managing his team to the victory. Congrats to Kubiak, the old Bronco, to getting the job done.

-Broncos used the underdog status as motivation and it showed. They outplayed the Panthers and never trailed. Panthers made too many mistakes and it cost them. It looked like the Panthers and Cam Newton were caught up in the moment. They had a quiet confidence about them, it showed all week leading up to the game. The Broncos looked like the better team and they proved it in this game.

-Newton was harassed, confused, and contained by the Broncos defense. He didn't play well, his receivers didn't play well, and he handled himself poorly all game long and in the postgame.

-The Broncos fans deserve some credit as well. From all reports, the cities of Santa Clara and San Francisco were overrun by Broncos fans. Some reporters were estimating that the Broncos outnumbered the Panthers fans by a 10-1 margin. On Sunday in the Super Bowl, you could tell on television that the Broncos had more of their fans in the stadium too. There was a tremendous amount of orange in the stands. It was so loud that the Panthers had to go to a silent snap count. The Broncos have one of the best fans in the entire NFL, and they proved it in force in Super Bowl 50.

-What a job by John Elway in creating this defense. He had the guts to make the change with the head coach, built a great defense, and now has a Super Bowl as a GM in Denver after two Super Bowl wins as a Broncos QB. Two years ago, he sat there and watched the Broncos and their record-setting offense get mauled by the #1 ranked Seattle defense. He rebuilt the defense last year, and he refocused the emphasis of the team. The Broncos you saw in Super Bowl 50 were not the same type of team that we saw in the prior three years with Peyton Manning. What they did to Cam Newton was remarkable, and their defense is the reason why they won the Super Bowl. Give John Elway credit for that change.

-On a personal note, the Broncos win a third Super Bowl in my lifetime. I have seen them in the Super Bowl 7 times, and they have won 3. The back-to-back wins were when I was 18 and 19, and now at 36 I get to see them win again. It never gets old, and I am very fortunate and grateful to see the Broncos win three Super Bowls and to be a lifelong Broncos fan.


I will post other columns this week. The first one will be about the big picture on this season and the Super Bowl win. I'll talk more in depth about the impact of this win, Peyton Manning, the historical aspect of this Broncos defense and other storylines that evolved this year. I will also put out another column revolving around my personal thoughts and perspective on this third Super Bowl Championship and how special it is for me to witness another championship. I want to analyze this Super Bowl victory from every possible angle.

Super Bowl 50 Preview and Prediction

Super Bowl 50 is finally here. I can't believe that we are already up to the 50th Super Bowl. I remember it like it was yesterday when I received that 25th anniversary Super Bowl book as a gift for my birthday in 6th grade. Now, we are getting ready for Super Bowl 50 and it features my beloved Denver Broncos. The Broncos are making their 8th appearance in Super Bowl history (2-5) and they are making their second Super Bowl appearance in three years. The Panthers are making only their second Super Bowl appearance in team history and their first since Super Bowl XXXVIII when they lost to the Patriots. The Broncos come in as heavy underdogs, and no one is really giving them a chance to win this game. It almost feels like it is a coronation for the Panthers and their MVP quarterback Cam Newton. I wanted to break this game down like I normally would for every playoff game. I'll present the reasons why the Panthers can win and reasons why the Broncos can win. I'll finish with a prediction based on the spread and a final score. Here we go.....

Championship Sunday Record: 1-1
Overall Playoff Record: 7-3
Regular Season Record:  123-125-11
(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)


SUPER BOWL 50
Carolina Panthers vs. Denver Broncos

A Case for the Panthers:
1) The Panthers have been the best team all season long. They finished 15-1, and now stand at 17-1 after thrashing the Seahawks and the Cardinals in the NFC playoffs. They averaged over 30 points a game and their defense leads the league in turnovers. They have been as dominant as a team we have seen in the NFL in recent memory. They are simply the better team in this game.

2) They have the best player in the NFL in Cam Newton. Newton is the MVP of the league and he is the ultimate weapon at quarterback. If it wasn't for Cam, then the Panthers would be lucky to be 8-8. He is playing at such a high level that you wonder if this Super Bowl and MVP are just a sign of things to come for him. Perhaps this is his moment and the beginning of a long string of Lombardi Trophies. He can win this game all by himself.

3) Once the Panthers beat the Seahawks in Seattle in October and they continued their run at an undefeated season, it felt like this was the Panthers year. They started 6-0, then 10-0, and were at 14-0 with a legitimate shot at going undefeated. Only a Week 16 loss at Atlanta kept them from going undefeated. Every time you looked up on Sunday at the games and the scores, the Panthers were rolling the opposition. Even when they were tested, the Giants game in December comes to mind, they came through and won the game. It felt like it was their year and now that feeling this exists as they head into Super Bowl 50. It has been a storybook year all year for Carolina. They have had the look of a Super Bowl winner all of 2015.

4) In most aspects of this game, the Panthers have an advantage. They offensive line matches up favorably against the Broncos defensive line. They have big play capability. They can mash you with the run and they go deep and make big plays in the passing game. Their defense has big-time players on every level. They feature a strong interior in their defensive line with Kawann Short leading the way. They have the best middle linebacker in the NFL with Luke Keuchly, and they have an All-Pro corner in Josh Norman. And, they have the league's best player in Cam Newton. It is a very favorable matchup for the Panthers in many areas.

5) They are young and confident. They play fast and loose and that is a product of Newton and their coach, Ron Rivera. They jump on you early, get a lead, let their defense tee off and get turnovers, and then let Newton take the game over. They won't be afraid of the moment and of the enormity of the Super Bowl. It doesn't seem like they will be caught up in the aura of the Super Bowl.


A Case for the Broncos:

1) The Broncos have the best defense in the NFL, and they have been great all year. They carried this team to the Super Bowl. They put up one of the best defensive performances in playoff history with their game against the Patriots in the AFC Championship. Great defenses have beaten great offenses in the past, and Cam Newton has never faced a defense like this unit this year. The Broncos are athletic enough to be able to track Cam down and pressure him. They matchup well in their secondary against the Panthers receivers. This defense can get the job done one more time-even if Newton poses their most dangerous threat.

2) The Broncos are 6-point underdogs going into Super Bowl 50. No one is picking them to win this game. A lot of experts are just "hoping" that this game will be close going into the 4th quarter. They used it as motivation when they were virtually given no chance against the Pats in the AFC Championship. They are still getting no credit at all in this game too. You know they will use that once again to play the game of their lives in the Super Bowl.

3) I know Carolina went 15-1, buried Seattle and Arizona in the playoffs, and now stands as a sizable favorite to whip the Broncos. If you look closer at their season, they swept the NFC East, which was the second worst division in the NFL this year. They swept the AFC South, which was the worst division in the NFL this year. They beat the Packers at home in November, but the Packers weren't the same Packers this year. They did beat Seattle in Seattle in October but the Seahawks weren't playing well at that point in the year. They went 5-1 in their division, but their division featured the 8-8 Falcons, the 7-9 Saints, and the 6-10 Buccaneers. In the playoffs, they got the Seahawks on their third straight road game and second straight cross-country trip in an early start and the Panthers jumped on them 31-0 in the first half. Then, they trounced the Cardinals who were not the same team that they were for the most part of the year. That is about of a cupcake schedule that you can get. No wonder the Panthers are 17-1 heading into the Super Bowl. Conversely, the Broncos had to deal with the 11-5 Chiefs twice, the Steelers twice, the Patriots twice, the Bengals, the Packers, and the Vikings. It is plain to see that the Broncos are more battle tested than the Panthers.

4) Fittingly, the storied and legendary career of Peyton Manning looks like it might be coming to a close, and he gets one more chance to win a Super Bowl in what could be his last game ever. The Sheriff could ride off in the sunset with his second Super Bowl victory-just like his boss John Elway did after Super Bowl XXXIII. If he wins on Sunday, Manning would have his 200th victory as a starting QB in the regular season and postseason, and that would be a record for any QB in NFL history. How perfect would it be for Peyton to finish his career with a Super Bowl after the kind of frustrating season that he has had? From the rocky start to his season with 17 interceptions, to the injury to his foot that sidelined him for almost seven games, to the HGH allegations, and then his return in Week 17 to get his team the #1 seed in the playoffs. The story would be perfect for Manning to finish it off with a victory and leave the game with a Lombardi Trophy and his place firmly cemented in the annals of NFL history.

5) You can say that the Panthers have had the look of Super Bowl champion all year long, it seems like the Broncos have gotten the breaks all year to give them that team of destiny feel. From the miracle win over KC in Week 2, to all the close wins over the Browns, the Vikings, the Bengals, the Pats, the Bears, the Chargers in Week 17, and the two playoff wins over the Steelers and Brady and the Pats once again. They looked like they were dead to rights so many times, and they found a way to grind out close wins every time. Maybe they have lady-luck on their side, and sometimes you need to catch all the right breaks to win a Super Bowl, and Denver certainly has had their fare share.

Prediction: DENVER (+6) over Carolina: It will surprise no one in America if the Panthers come out and punch the Broncos in the mouth, and win this game going away. If this game is 31-10 Panthers in the third quarter, it will not shock anyone watching the game. There is a very likely chance that the Broncos play the Panthers tight for three quarters, but Cam Newton is just too much for them in the end. With that said, I picked against Denver in Super Bowl XLVIII when they lost to Seattle. They got embarrassed by the Seahawks in that game. They come into this Super Bowl with a completely different type of team. The Broncos defense is legit, and they have a Hall of Fame QB who is trying to win his second Super Bowl to close out a legendary career. They are big underdogs to a team that looks dominant, but you only have to beat a team in one game to win the Super Bowl. It isn't a seven game series like the other sports. One game wins the championship and there have been other Super Bowls that looked like mismatches on paper, but the underdog that no one gave a shot pulled the upset. That is why I'm picking the Broncos. A fierce defense, the "Nobody Believes in Us" motivation, and the chance to send Peyton Manning off into the sunset with a Lombardi Trophy will put the Broncos over the top and celebrate a third Super Bowl victory in franchise history.

Final Score: Broncos-22 Panthers-19

Super Bowl 50 Daily Blog- Saturday Februrary 6th

The final practice of the Broncos season featured a walkthrough at Levi's stadium on Saturday. The Broncos also took the team photo as a group, and the picture featured Pat Bowlen's wife, Annabell, sitting in place of Mr. B. It is a shame that Bowlen's health has diminished so much due to Alzheimer's disease that he can't even attend the Super Bowl. One of the main reasons why Denver has been to seven Super Bowls in my lifetime is the fact that Bowlen is one of the best owners in the entire NFL. One of the storylines in this game is the fact that the Broncos want to win this game and send off Peyton Manning with a Super Bowl title if he retires, but the other storyline should be the Broncos winning the Super Bowl for their owner who is suffering from a terrible ailment. That would be very special if that happens. As for myself, I am really starting to get ready for the game. All the talk is done. All the hype is over. It is time to play the game. Sunday night can't get here fast enough. The nerves, tension, and excitement are starting to build to a boiling point, and I just want this game to kickoff at this point. We are only 24 hours away from the Broncos and Panthers doing battle, and I don't think I can wait any longer.

Super Bowl 50 Daily Blog-Friday February 5th

The Broncos wrapped up their practices in preparation for Super Bowl 50 at Stanford University. All players were participants, and the Broncos are as healthy as you can be at this point in the year. Peyton Manning had another really sharp practice according to reports, but let's hope he saves some of that for Sunday. As more predictions came in and more experts talked about the game, I thought I heard something interesting from former Panther WR Steve Smith. He was on "Mike and Mike" on ESPN on Friday morning, and he said that all the stats, analytics, numbers, trends and everything else that everyone has talked about for two weeks in regards to this game means absolutely nothing. He said all that matters is how these two teams play once the game starts on Sunday. That is it. Throw everything else out the window. I thought that was one of the smartest takes I've heard from someone the entire two weeks. The predictions keep coming in favor of the Panthers, but some notable personalities are on record picking the Broncos. ESPN's Trent Dilfer, who does a great job, picked Denver, and WFAN's Mike Francesa went out on a limb and picked the Broncos as well. At least some people have some faith in the Broncos. The game is only 48 hours away, and Denver has one last walkthrough on Saturday at Levi's Stadium before Sunday.

Super Bowl 50 Daily Blog-Thursday February 4th

The Broncos had full participation today at practice with Darian Stewart, T.J. Ward, and Louis Vasquez all healthy and ready to go for Sunday. Also, pool reporter Peter King reported that Peyton Manning looked fantastic at practice and looked about as good as he has all year long. Gary Kubiak also admitted that Manning has looked as healthy as he has all season long. That is very good news for Broncos fans, and hopefully that will carry over to the Super Bowl. The Broncos still are getting no love from the football world, and everyone is still picking the Panthers to win this game rather easily. One person that is rooting for the Broncos is Tim Tebow. Tebow was interviewed by Ellen DeGeneres and he said that he is rooting for Denver to win the Super Bowl. That is comforting to know and maybe Tebow can bring some divine intervention to the Broncos in this game like he did when he was their QB in 2011. We are 72 hours away from the game and the tension, anxiety, and excitement is starting to build. I am starting to get antsy for Sunday to come.

Super Bowl 50 Daily Blog- Wednesday February 3rd

The Broncos went back to practice on Wednesday at Stanford in preparation for the Super Bowl. Darian Stewart and T.J. Ward were back on a limited basis but the expectation is that they will play on Sunday. The Panthers returned to practice as well at San Jose State University. Thomas Davis practiced fully with his broken forearm, and he is expected to be full go for Sunday's game. There was little news out of this day, but the overriding sentiment of a lot of current NFL players at the Super Bowl is that the Broncos have no shot of beating the Panthers. Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks, two former scouts who do a great job on NFL.com, were both giving Denver a decent chance to slow down Cam Newton, but both guys still picked the Panthers to win in a close game. It doesn't bother me that the Broncos aren't being picked by anyone, but I am just curious to see what notable experts actually have the guts to pick them.

Super Bowl 50 Daily Blog-Tuesday February 2nd

Tuesday was an off day for the Broncos and Panthers, but one Bronco player found himself in the news. Practice squad Safety Ryan Murphy was cited but not arrested by police during a prostitution sting operation. When news filtered back to the Broncos, Head Coach Gary Kubiak sent Murphy home on a plane back to Denver. Murphy wasn't going to play in the Super Bowl so his impact will not be felt, but it isn't the kind of story you want to deal with as you are getting ready for the Super Bowl. I don't like hearing these types of stories, and I just hope this isn't a bad omen for the Broncos. Otherwise, Tuesday just had some of the same storylines going around: Peyton Manning's legacy, his possible retirement, Cam Newton's confidence and showmanship, and the Broncos having little or no chance of winning this game. These stories are getting old pretty quick.

Super Bowl 50 Daily Blog-Monday February 1st

Monday was the first time the NFL unveiled Super Bowl Opening Night. This used to be Media Day on the Tuesday of Super Bowl week, but they decided to change it this year and held it Monday night. I actually watched the event and it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. It featured a WWE-style introduction of the Broncos players, and then the notable players had their own stand for the media to ask questions etc...The one thing that I took away from this event was how calm, relaxed, and at peace Peyton Manning looked. I really think that he is going to retire after Sunday's game, and after watching him at this event, I think that is more apparent than ever. Manning looks like he is soaking it all in. He looks like he is savoring the moment. He did so in the past Super Bowls he was in, but this time his demeanor is just different. He seems like he is just taking this all in and trying to appreciate not only being in the Super Bowl, but playing in what could be his final game. It seemed like that all last week before the Broncos arrived at the Super Bowl, but it really hit home watching him during the media event last night. This is it for Peyton. One last ride for #18. He knows it, and he is just trying to take it all in one last time. We'll see how much this storyline continues to build as the week goes on.