2016 Broncos Training Camp Preview

The Broncos will begin the 2016 season as the defending Super Bowl Champions. How nice does that sound? For the first time since the 1998 season, the Broncos will raise a championship banner and the Lombardi Trophy will reside in Denver, Colorado. After an amazing defensive-led 12-4 2015 campaign, the Broncos grinded their way to three thrilling postseason victories and the third Lombardi Trophy in franchise history. The new season is about start with the beginning of training camp, and the franchise begins a new year, but the memories and the thrill of last season will never be erased or forgotten. There are a lot of changes that took place with this team since the moment they hoisted the trophy in February, and I'll take a look at those and some other questions regarding the Broncos as they head off to start training camp the defense of their Super Bowl 50 crown.

Where We Left Off: The confetti was falling on Levi's Stadium at the conclusion of Super Bowl 50. The Broncos had just upset the Panthers 24-10 behind another stifling defensive performance. Von Miller was named Super Bowl MVP, and GM John Elway accepted the Lombardi Trophy and declared the statement that every Broncos fan was waiting to hear since their last Super Bowl win. Elway stated "This one's for Pat" for team owner Pat Bowlen, who is suffering from Alzheimer's disease and couldn't attend the Super Bowl. Peyton Manning was able to secure his second Super Bowl victory and it allowed him to retire and ride off into the sunset a perfectly cap an amazing career. Gary Kubiak became a Super Bowl winning head coach in his first year as Denver's head man, and John Elway brought back another Super Bowl championship to Denver after delivering two during the last two years of his playing career. It was the culmination of what Elway started back in 2011 when he became Executive and General Manager, and it fulfilled his promise to bring a World Championship back to Denver-especially since they came so close the past three seasons.

What Happened Since? After the Super Bowl win, the Broncos went on their victory tour and celebrated the championship with a tremendous parade and ceremony in downtown Denver. Once the party stopped, the Broncos had to get back to business. Peyton Manning, as expected, retired after a brilliant 18 year career, and he got to ride off into the sunset with his second Super Bowl under his belt. After that retirement ceremony, the offseason started off in a very negative manner. Key veterans like Owen Daniels and Louis Vasquez were cut to save money. Malik Jackson left for Jacksonville. Danny Trevathan, Aaron Brewer, and Omar Bolden left for Chicago. David Bruton bolted to Washington. Ryan Harris left for Pittsburgh, and Evan Mathis took off to go to Arizona. They traded OT Ryan Clady to the Jets. In perhaps the biggest surprise of free agency, Brock Osweiler spurned the Broncos and signed with the Houston Texans. It was a big blow to the Broncos and their plans had to change dramatically as their supposed future franchise QB just took off and left the team. The Broncos were able to keep some free agents as they re-signed restricted free agent C.J. Anderson to a new deal and they re-signed guys like Jordan Norwood and Ronnie Hillman. The Broncos also signed restricted free agent Brandon Marshall to an extension, and also signed OTs Russell Okung and Donald Stephenson in free agency to bolster their offensive line, and TE Garrett Graham to help add depth to their tight end group. They traded for QB Mark Sanchez from Philly once Osweiler bolted in free agency and there is the thought that Sanchez will be starting come Week 1. In the biggest and most important move, they reached an agreement with franchise player Von Miller on a new six year deal worth over $114.5 million. Miller now becomes the highest paid defensive player in NFL history, and he is the cornerstone as the face of the Broncos for years to come. Denver moved up to select QB Paxton Lynch in the first round of the NFL Draft in April, and many people feel that Lynch has the highest potential and the highest upside of all the QBs taken in the first round. He is obviously going to be called on to become the eventual future QB of the Broncos-it is just a matter of when he gets that shot. The Broncos also got a chance to visit President Obama at the White House in June and then a week later they hosted a private ceremony at their stadium to distribute their Super Bowl 50 rings to the players and staff. Throw in the fact that Aqib Talib was shot in the leg during some sort of altercation, and it seemed like the offseason was one drama and storyline after another.

Position Battles at Camp: The most important position battle at camp will be in the most important position: Quarterback. Sanchez, Trevor Siemian, and Lynch will all have a chance to win the job. In my opinion, I think Gary Kubiak will give Paxton Lynch every possible opportunity to win the spot. If he shows enough in preseason, I think he will get the job. If he shows that he really can't grasp the position right now and really isn't ready, then I think you will see Sanchez start over Siemian. Either way, it will be fun to watch an old-school QB battle as camp goes on.

Surprise Roster Cuts: There is a logjam at the receiver position this training camp. Demaryius Thomas is clearly the #1 WR, and Emmanuel Sanders is clearly the #2 guy. After that, you have Jordan Norwood, Bennie Fowler, Cody Latimer and Jordan Taylor all battling it out. There is a chance that the Broncos could keep all those guys, but if there is a surprise roster cut, I would think that Cody Latimer might get the boot. The one thing that could save him is the fact that he is effective on special teams, but don't be surprised if he gets his walking papers come late August.

Out of Nowhere Players: There are a couple of players that could come with little publicity and little fanfare and get a spot on the roster or contribute during the year. Keep an eye on LB Zaire Anderson. He was having a great camp last year until he got injured. He might be able to push Todd Davis for the ILB spot that was vacated by Danny Trevathan. Also, I would look out for either Bralon Addison or Mose Frazier. Both are undrafted WRs and both have enough athletic ability to impress the coaches.

Biggest Questions That Need To Be Answered: The biggest question that needs to be answered is with the quarterback position. Is Mark Sanchez good enough to win games as a starter with a defending Super Bowl champion? Is Paxton Lynch ready to go in and win the starting job right away? Does Trevor Siemian really have a legitimate chance to start for this team? The answers to those questions will determine how successful the Broncos are in 2016.

This team enters the new season with a Super Bowl title, a great defense, and a murky QB situation. No longer is Peyton Manning there to set the tone for this team and the franchise. That leadership falls on guys like Von Miller and Chris Harris. It will be interesting to see how this team handles the pressures of being the defending Super Bowl champions week in and week out. It is hard to strap it up for a whole new season knowing that you just accomplished what you always set out to accomplish. It is easy to take the shortcuts and easy path after you won a world title. Can the Broncos avoid that fate with a team that lost a lot of those key members? Perhaps being slighted so much around the NFL will actually give this team motivation. That is what the 2016 Broncos are about to embark on.

Von Miller Signs 6 year Deal for $114.5 Million with the Broncos

The deadline for the Broncos and Franchise Tag player Von Miller to agree to a new deal was July 15th at 4:00pm EST. Two hours before that deadline, the Broncos and the Super Bowl 50 MVP struck a deal and Miller will be the face of the Broncos franchise going forward. The two sides agreed on a 6 year deal worth up to $114.5 million. The deal also gives Miller $70 million guaranteed through the first three years of the deal. It is the biggest non-QB deal in NFL history, and Miller is worth every penny of it. This is a dominant player, a top-10 player in the league, who single handedly won the Broncos a Super Bowl with his performance in the AFC Championship and in Super Bowl 50. All along, I knew that the deal was going to get done. It made sense for both sides and both sides wanted it. Miller wanted to be a Bronco for life, and the Broncos needed to re-sign their best player. Both sides had some hard feelings during negotiations but that is business sometimes. The bottom line is that the deal got done, Miller will be a Bronco and he is the now the face of the franchise. Now, I can go get that #58 Von Miller jersey for me and my two sons.

Broncos Rewind: 2015 AFC Championship: New England at Denver

The rivalry that shaped the NFL for over a decade: Brady vs. Manning had the final installment in the 2015 AFC Championship Game. It would turn out to be the final game between these two legends, and a trip to Super Bowl 50 was on the line.

The game begins with a little video package about Brady and Manning, and then the scene is set with a wild Denver crowd waving those orange pom-poms and anticipation of the kickoff at a fever pitch on a picture perfect Sunday in Colorado. There are big games, but some of those big games just feel really, really big. This was one of those.

The Patriots won the toss and elected to receive and their first drive starts on their own 20.

On 1st and 10, Brady hits Rob Gronkowski for a short gain of 4 over the middle and Danny Trevathan takes him down immediately. On 2nd and 5, Brady hits Julian Edelman for a gain of 8 over the middle and a flag for defensive holding is declined. On 1st and 10 form the 33, James White gets 2 yards up the middle. On 2nd and 8, Brady throws wide to Edelman in the flat and Bradley Roby was all over him. On 3rd and 8, Brady throws incomplete over the middle and the ball the was tipped by Malik Jackson and it was almost intercepted by Darian Stewart. The Pats punt to Denver and Jordan Norwood gets tackled right away.

Broncos first possession starts on their own 17 yard line.
On 1st and 10, Manning throws incomplete to Ronnie Hillman on a play-action pass. On 2nd and 10, Manning throws incomplete to Vernon Davis as it gets knocked away by Devin McCourty. On 3rd and 10, Manning hits Emmanuel Sanders for a gain of 11 as Sanders jumps up to get it for a big first down. On 1st and 10 from the 28, Hillman gets killed by Jaime Collins on a run up the middle. On 2nd and 11, Manning hits Sanders again for a gain of 13 and another first down on a nice hook route. On 1st and 10, C.J. Anderson gets 2 on a run up the middle. On 2nd and 8, Anderson runs again for 2 up the middle. On 3rd and 6, Manning throws incomplete to Demaryius Thomas but the Pats get flagged for pass interference and the Broncos get another first down. On 1st and 10 from the NE 42, Hillman scoots for 7 yards over left tackle. On 2nd and 3, Manning runs a bootleg and hits Andre Caldwell down to the NE 20. Great play call by Gary Kubiak. Hillman gets stopped for a loss of 1 and it sets up and 2nd and 11 from the Pats 21. On the next play, Manning hits a wide open Owen Daniels for a 21 yard TD over the middle. Daniels ran a double move on Jaime Collins and he broke wide open and Manning hit him in stride. Brandon McManus hits the extra point and the Broncos lead 7-0.

New England's second drive starts at their own 20.
On 1st and 10, Brady throws for Edelman underneath, who gets 7 and Aqib Talib tackles him. On 2nd and 3, Derek Wolfe knocks down a Brady pass. On 3rd and 3, Brady throws behind Gronk and T.J. Ward was all over him as the pass goes out of bounds. The Patriots punt and Norwood returns it to the 34.

Denver's second possession starts at their own 34.
On 1st and 10, Manning throws a quick screen to Thomas for a gain of 5. On 2nd and 5, Hillman loses a yard once again. On 3rd and 6, a pass to Bennie Fowler got knocked away and the Broncos have to punt. Danny Amendola returns to it to the NE 40.

The Patriots third possession starts at their own 40. On 1st and 10, an inside by Stephen Jackson gets only 3. A personal foul penalty on the Pats knocks them back. On 2nd and 20, Manning hits Amendola underneath and he gets wrapped up quick by T.J. Ward. On 3rd and 14, Brady gets sacked by Derek Wolfe and the Pats will have to punt once again. The Denver pass rush is just getting started in this game. Norwood calls for a fair catch at his own 20.

Denver's third possession starts at their own 25 after a penalty on NE. On 1st and 10, Hillman gets only 2 yards on a run. On 2nd and 8, Manning throws a swing pass to Hillman and it is incomplete. The Pats challenge that the ball was thrown backwards. The officials rule in NE favor and the Pats get the ball on a huge break and huge turnover.

The Pats fourth possession starts on the Denver 22. On 1st and 10, Brady hits Brandon Bolden on a pass in the flat, and Bolden takes all the way down inside the five to set up a 1st and goal. On 1st and goal, Jackson rumbles up the middle for a 2 yard TD run and it is now 7-6. Stephen Gostkowski, who never misses a PAT, somehow pushes it right, and the score remains 7-6. Even though there was still a lot of time left in the game, you had a feeling that play would come back to haunt the Pats and of course it did.

Denver's next possession starts on their own 20. On 1st and 10, a pitch to Anderson gets about 3. On 2nd and 7, Manning checks it down to Anderson who only gets a couple. On 3rd and 4, Manning throws deep to Sanders down the left side and Sanders leaps up to catch it for a gain of 34 down to the NE 40. Sanders made a great play there. On 1st and 10, a Hillman run gets no gain as the 1st quarter ends.

End of 1st Quarter: Broncos-7 Patriots-6

Start of 2nd Quarter
Denver has 2nd and 10 from the Pats 39. Manning throws incomplete to Virgil Green as Donta Hightower knocks it away. On 3rd and 10, Manning throws high to Thomas down the sideline and Denver punts and Amendola fair catches it at the NE 14.

The Patriots next possession starts on their own 14. On 1st and 10, Brady gets rushed by Von Miller and he throws it away. Miller begins to assert his dominance at this point. On 2nd and 10, Brady gets intercepted by Von Miller on a great disguise by Wade Phillips and the Broncos defense. Miller undercuts the route to Gronk and he falls down at the Pats 16.

Denver's possession starts at the NE 16. On 1st and 10, Manning just misses a wide open Sanders in the endzone as the pass falls incomplete. On 2nd and 10, Hillman runs up the middle for a gain of 4. On 3rd and 6, Manning hits Daniels again in the corner of the endzone for a 12 yard TD pass. Daniels ran another double move on Jaime Collins again and beat him again and Manning made a great throw. McManus nails the PAT and it is 14-6 Denver with 13:46 left in the half.

The Pats return the kickoff to their own 24. The Pats next possession takes place at their own 24.
On 1st and 10, Brady misses Bolden deep on the sideline and Brandon Marshall was all over him and Brady got pressured again. On 2nd and 10, Brady has to call a timeout and then after the timeout Brady threads one into Gronk for a gain of 19 and a huge first down. From their own 43, on 1st and 10, a false start on NE knocks them back 5. On 1st and 15, an inside run to White gets about 2 as Trevathan swallows him up. On 2nd and 13, Brady throws to Amendola in the flat as Chris Harris tackles him immediately for a gain of only 4. On 3rd and 9, Brady gets flushed out by Demarcus Ware and his pass is incomplete but a flag on Denver for illegal contact gives the Pats an automatic first down. On 1st and 10 from the 49, Bolden runs up the middle for no gain as Malik Jackson takes him down. On 2nd and 10, Brady hits White on a slant as Darian Stewart crushes him but the Pats get a first down. On 1st and 10 from the Denver 40, Jackson runs for a loss of one. On 2nd and 11, Brady throws incomplete to White in the flat. On 3rd and 11, Brady somehow scrambles for a first down on a gain of 11 as Talib trips him up. From the Broncos 30 on 1st and 10, Brady throws incomplete to a diving Edelman. On 2nd and 10, Brady hits White over the middle for a gain of 7. On 3rd and 3, Brady gets sacked by Ware and Miller as he had no chance and no opportunity to make a throw. A huge sack by Denver forces Gostkowski to hit a 46 yard FG to cut the lead to 14-9 with 7:02 left in the half.

Denver's next possession starts at their own 20.
On 1st and 10, Anderson gets 3 on a run to the left. On 2nd and 7, Anderson runs again for 2 yards to the right side. On 3rd and 5, Manning is rushed and is forced to throw the ball away to avoid the sack. Denver punts.

The Patriots next possession starts at their own 40 after a Denver penalty for having one of their players run out of bounds on the punt and re-enter the play. On 1st and 10, Bolden squirts his way for 4. On 2nd and 6, Bolden runs up the middle for a gain of 1 as Trevathan and Ward snuff it out. On 3rd and 5, Brady gets crushed by Jackson as he throws it and Darian Stewart jumps in front and picks it off on the Denver sideline for a huge interception. Another big play by the Broncos defense is caused by the relentless pass rush.

 Denver takes over with 4:08 to go in the half at their own 44. On 1st and 10, the Broncos have a false start and it becomes 1st and 15. Manning gets decked by Alan Branch for a sack and a loss of 7. On 2nd and 22, a pass to Thomas is dropped over the middle and falls incomplete. On 3rd and 22, Anderson runs up the middle for a gain of only 6. Denver punts and NE takes over on their own 12 with 2:27 to go in the half.

The Patriots next possession starts at their own 12. On 1st and 10, Jackson runs for a gain of 2. The 2:00 warning hits. On 2nd and 8, another false start moves the Pats back 5 yards and it now becomes 2nd and 13. Brady throws low and incomplete to Keshawn Martin. On 3rd ad 13, the Pats go conservative and run it up the middle with James White for a few and Denver wisely takes their 2nd timeout. NE punts and Denver takes over at their own 46.

Denver's next possession starts at their own 46 with 1:45 to go in the half.
On 1st and 10, Anderson runs left for a gain of 9. On 2nd and 1, Manning hits Thomas over the middle for a first down and the Broncos have the ball at the NE 40. Manning hits Anderson in the flat for a gain of 6 and Anderson gets out of bounds with 47 seconds left. On 2nd and 4, Manning goes deep for Sanders but the ball is overthrown. On 3rd and 4, throws incomplete to Thomas on a backshoulder fade as Logan Ryan breaks it up but Thomas could have had it. McManus lines up and nails a 52 yard FG to make it 17-9 Denver with 38 seconds left in the half.

The Pats next possession starts at their own 20 after the touchback and a Brady knee runs out the clock on the half and Denver heads into the locker room up 17-9

Halftime: Broncos-17 Patriots-9.

Start of the 3rd quarter.

Denver's first possession starts at their own 20.
On 1st and 10, Hillman runs for no gain. On 2nd and 10, Manning has to take another sack as Jaime Collins gets him for a loss of 13. On 3rd and 23, Anderson runs up the middle on a draw for a gain of only 6 and the Broncos have to punt. Danny Amendola returns it to the NE 34.

The Patriots possession takes place at their own 34 with 13:15 to go in the quarter.
On 1st and 10, Brady throws incomplete to Gronk, who had Trevathan all over him. On 2nd and 10, Brady lasers one to Gronk who then rumbles down to the Denver 36 for a gain of 32. On 1st and 10, Brady hits Edelman for a gain of 6 to the 30. On 2nd and 4, Brady completes a pass to Amendola over the middle for another first down as Amendola got rocked by Stewart on the play. On 1st and 10 at the Denver 20, Brady's pass hits White in the endzone but he dropped it as pressure forced Brady to throw it early. On 2nd and 10, an inside run to White gets no gain as Vance Walker buries him. On 3rd and 10, Brady's pass gets broken up by Chris Harris. The Pats settle for FG and Gostkowski nails the 38 yarder to make it 17-12 Denver.

Denver's next possession starts at their own 20 with 10:26 to go in the quarter.
On 1st and 10, Anderson runs for no gain as Hightower bottles him up. On 2nd and 10, Manning goes deep for Thomas but the pass is too long and incomplete. On 3rd and 10, Manning somehow scrambles for 12 and first down! Incredible play by Manning. On 1st and 10, Manning hits Cody Latimer on a play-action pass for another first down to the Denver 45. On 1st and 10, Hillman runs up the middle for a gain of 2. On 2nd and 8, Manning hits Sanders in the flat for a gain of 7. On 3rd and 1, a quick pitch to Anderson gets snuffed out by Malcolm Butler for a loss of 1, and the Broncos have to punt. The Pats take over at their own 8 after a fair catch.

The Patriots next possession starts at their own 8 with 6:42 seconds left in the 3rd quarter.
On 1st and 10, Brady gets crushed by Von Miller for a sack and a loss of 5. What a speed rush by Miller to get to Brady. On 2nd and 16, a run to Bolden gets about 3. On 3rd and 13, Brady dumps it off to White but Miller is there to wrap him up right away for a gain of only a couple. On 4th and 10, the Pats have to punt out of their own end zone and the ball is downed at the Denver 43.

Denver's next possession starts at their own 43 with 4:40 to go in the quarter.
On 1st and 10, Hillman runs up the middle for 4. On 2nd and 6, Manning has no chance and gets sacked by Collins after a play-action fake. On 3rd and 19, Manning dumps it off to Anderson for a gain of 9 and Denver has to punt again. Britton Colquitt's punt is saved by Kayvon Webster and the ball is downed inside the 5 on a brilliant special teams play.

The Patriots next possession starts at their own 4 with 2:35 to go in the 3rd quarter.
On 1st and 10, Brady hits Amendola for a gain of 9. On 2nd and 1, Brady sneaks for a first down. On 1st and 10, Brady hits Gronk for a first down on a crossing route. On 1st and 10 from the 28, Brady has to throw it away as Malik Jackson was in his face right away form the snap. On 2nd and 10, Brady throws high and wide to Edelman for an incomplete pass. On 3rd and 10, Brad gets sacked once again by Von Miller, who just speed rushes again and gets Brady once again. The performance by Miller in this game is Hall of Fame worthy at this point. Jordan Norwood returns the punt to the Broncos 40 as the 3rd quarter ends on that play.

End of the 3rd quarter: Broncos-17 Patriots-12

Broncos next possession starts at their own 40.
On 1st and 10, Manning hits Norwood in the flat for a gain of a couple. On 2nd and 7, Manning hits Sanders for a gain of 6 on the sideline. On 3rd and 1, Anderson runs left for a big gain down to the Pats 20 and a gain of 30. Huge run by C.J. in that spot. On 1st and 10, Anderson runs right for a gain of 8. On 2nd and 2, Hillman runs up the middle for no gain. On 3rd and 2 from the NE 14, Manning hits Sanders on a quick slant for a first down and a gain of 4. On 1st and Goal from the 10, Anderson runs right but loses 3. On 2nd and Goal, Manning overthrows Daniels in the endzone as he was double covered. On 3rd and Goal, Manning just overthrows Norwood in the endzone and the pass falls incomplete. Manning had him for a touchdown but just threw it a little too far. Missed opportunity but McManus hits the 31 yard FG and the Broncos now lead 20-12 with 10:02 to play in the game.

The Patriots next possession starts at their own 20 with 10:02 left in the game.
On 1st and 10, Brady throws for Amendola but Talib tipped it and almost picked it off. On 2nd and 10, Brady completes a pass to Edelman over the middle, and he gets crushed by Shiloh Keo but Keo gets flagged for a helmet-to-helmet hit and a 15-yard personal foul. On 1st and 10 from their own 43, Bolden runs up the middle and gets 3 as he gets body-slammed by Derek Wolfe. On 2nd and 7, Brady swings it out to Bolden for a first down to the Broncos 44. On 1st and 10, Brady gets pressured by Ware and has to rush his throw and misses Gronk over the middle. On 2nd and 10 after a Denver timeout, Brady rushes his throw and just misses James White down the sideline. On 3rd and 10, Brady hits Edelman over the middle for a first down to the Denver 25. On 1st and 10, White runs up the middle for a loss of two as Trevathan and Marshall wrap him up. On 2nd and 12, Brady overthrows White again in the endzone and it falls incomplete but Trevathan was with him stride for stride. On 3rd and 12, Brady hits Amendola short but he breaks 3 tackles and gets 11 to set up 4th and 1. Bill Belichick foregoes the field goal attempt and on 4th and 1, Brady rolls right, gets rushed by Ware and throws back to Edelman, who gets stopped for a loss of 2 by Harris and Talib. The Broncos defense holds with 5:56 to go in the game. Huge stop by the Broncos and their defense rises up once again.

Denver's next possession starts at their own 17 with 5:56 left in the game.
On 1st and 10, Anderson runs for no gain. On 2nd and 9, Manning throws incomplete intended for Thomas. On 3rd and 9, a false start on Thomas moves them back 5. On 3rd and 14, Manning checks it down to Hillman for a gain of 7. Denver has to punt and NE gets it at their own 27.

The Patriots next possession starts at their own 27 with 4:35 to go in the game.
On 1st and 10, Brady has to rush the throw and it falls incomplete as Miller and Jackson were all over him once again. On 2nd and 10, Brady hits White over the middle and he gets a first down to the Pats 44. On 1st and 10, Brady hits Gronk on a seam route for a huge play down to the Denver 27. On 1st and 10, Brady hit Gronk over the middle but Harris tackles him for a gain of 5. On 2nd and 5, an incomplete pass to White is nullified by a defensive holding call on Brandon Marshall. On 1st and 10 from the Broncos 18 with 2:36 to play, Brady hits White in the flat for a gain of 9 down to the Denver 9. On 2nd and 1, Brady has to throw incomplete because Ware was all over him. On 3rd and 1, Brady sneaks it for no gain but a false start on NE moves them back 5. On 3rd and 6, Brady's pass to Amendola is broken up and falls incomplete. On 4th and 6, the Pats go for it again with 2:25 to go in the game from the Denver 14, Brady throws for Gronk in the back of the endzone and it falls incomplete as Gronk was triple-covered on the play. The pocket was collapsing around Brady once again as Jackson and Ware forced Brady to backpedal and heave the ball in the endzone. Another huge stop by the Broncos defense on Brady and the Pats offense.

Denver's next possession starts at their own 14 with 2:18 to play in the game.
On 1st and 10, Anderson runs right for a gain of 2 and NE takes their first timeout with 2:13 left. On 2nd and 8, Anderson runs left and loses 2. NE takes their second timeout with 2:09 to go. On 3rd and 10, Manning throws deep down the sideline for Sanders and Malcolm Butler breaks it up for an incomplete pass. Denver punts to the NE 35 and Edelman takes it to the 50 with 1:52 to go in the game.

The Patriots next possession starts at the 50 with 1:52 to go.
On 1st and 10, Brady throws incomplete to White down the sideline and Marshall breaks it up. On 2nd and 10, Brady throws incomplete as Ware grabs him and pulls him down just as Brady let it go. On 3rd and 10, Brady avoids the sack as Ware had him again and the ball falls incomplete. How was that not intentional grounding? On 4th and 10, Brady hits Gronk on a seam route down to the Denver 10 for a huge first down. What a play by Brady and Gronk! On 1st and Goal from the Denver 10 with just over a minute to go, Brady is forced to throw early and the ball falls incomplete to White. On 2nd and Goal with 54 seconds left, Brady a quick screen to Edelman gets it down to the 4. On 3rd and Goal, Brady is pressured and throws incomplete. Ware, Miller and Wolfe were all there on the play. On 4th and Goal with 17 seconds left, the Pats take their last timeout. On 4th down, Brady somehow finds Gronk open in the endzone as he fights off a double team for the touchdown to make it 20-18 with 12 seconds left. The Pats have to go for the two-point conversion. On the play, Brady is rushed and the ball is intercepted after being tipped by Talib into the hands of Bradley Roby to secure the game. The Broncos defense comes up big once again in the biggest spot of the game.

Shiloh Keo recovers the onside kick to secure the game and the AFC Championship!

Denver's next possession starts at the NE 42.
On 1st and 10, Manning takes a knee and the clock runs out as the final seconds tick off, and the Broncos upset the Pats to win the AFC Championship and head to Super Bowl 50. This was one of the most intense and tremendously played games I have witnessed as a Broncos fan. The Broncos defense and Wade Phillips faced their biggest test of the year against Tom Brady and the Pats and they responded time after time. It was a tremendous heavyweight battle, and what a perfect way for Peyton Manning to go out and beat Tom Brady in the last ever game between these two legends. The Broncos advance to their second Super Bowl in three years and their 8th Super Bowl in franchise history.

Broncos Rewind: 2015 AFC Divisional Playoff: Pittsburgh at Denver

This summer, I decided to look back and re-watch the three playoff games from Denver's victorious Super Bowl run and go back and look at it from a diary type perspective-after the fact. The first installment: The Divisional Playoff between Pittsburgh and Denver from Sports Authority Field at Mile High on January 17, 2016.

The game starts with a montage to Peyton Manning, who returned as the Broncos starter after Gary Kubiak benched Brock Osweiler in the Week 17 game against San Diego. Jim Nantz and Phil Simms talk about Ben Roethlisberger's shoulder injury and the absence of Antonio Brown, who missed the game with a concussion. Nantz is beyond excited about Manning returning. It was picturesque day in Denver with the temps at about 46 degrees and sunny. It was a perfect day for playoff football.

The Steelers receiver the opening kickoff, and there is nothing better than a Broncos playoff crowd waving orange towels.

Pitt's first drive begins at their own 20.
Big Ben throws deep and incomplete on the first play of the game to show that his shoulder injury is not as bad as it was talked about all week leading into the game. A 2nd down run gets two yards and a 3rd and 8 quick screen gets absolutely snuffed out by T.J. Ward for a loss of two and a quick three and out for the Steelers.

Omar Bolden get a big return and takes it down to the Steelers 30. What a perfect way to start the game.

Denver's first drive starts with a first down throw from Manning to Demaryius Thomas for a gain of 11. The next throw was a drop by Thomas that would have been a first down. This is the first drop of the game-with many more to come. Ronnie Hillman runs like 50 yards to get only 5 yards and on 3rd and 5 a quick pass in the flat to C.J. Anderson gets only 2 yards. Denver settles for a 28 yard field goal by Brandon McManus, who was basically our offensive MVP in 2015, and an early 3-0 lead.

Pittsburgh's second drive starts on their own 20 again. A dumpoff to Fitzgerald Touissant gets nothing as he gets wrapped up by Demarcus Ware and Derek Wolfe. A run for three yards sets up a 3rd and 8 for the Steelers. A underneath throw to Sammie Coates goes for a big play as he outruns Chris Harris, who was playing with basically one arm due to a freak shoulder injury, and the Steelers are on the move at the Denver 40. Harris' shoulder really limited him in this game. Thank God it got better as the playoffs went on. A Martavis Bryant drop on 2nd and 8 was big because he completely beat Aqib Talib off the line. A crossing pass to Markus Wheaton set up a 4th and 1 from the Denver 32 and the Steelers decide to go for it. Mike Tomlin passes up the 49 yard field goal and goes for it early in the game. Big Ben's play action throw in the end zone for Wheaton gets broken up perfectly by Talib and the drive stalls. That sequence will play a big role later on, but it showed that Big Ben's shoulder is fine and the Steelers can move the ball in the air on the Broncos defense.

Denver's drive begin at their own 32 with 7:56 left in the 1st quarter.
A play action screen to Owen Daniels gets four yards and a Hillman run gets five yards but he falls down and he could have had a first down. A trick play on 3rd and 2 goes nowhere as the direct snap to Hillman gets snuffed out by James Harrison, who no one even attempted to block. A Britton Colquitt punt lands perfectly inside the 10 and Kayvon Webster does an amazing job of knocking it down and out of bounds at the 3 yard line. Webster and Colquitt were the unsung heroes for the Broncos in the playoffs. This was just the first of many great plays that they made.

Pittsburgh's drive starts at their own 3 yard line with 5:59 to go in the 1st quarter.
A run for five, an incomplete to Bryant, A false start on the Steelers and an incomplete pass to Coates cause the Steelers to punt. A shanked punt gives the Broncos the ball at the Pitt 31 with 5:06 to go in the quarter.

Hillman barrels for 8 on first down. Another Hillman run loses a yard, and then a weak incomplete to Jordan Norwood makes Denver settle for another field goal by our MVP Brandon McManus and he nails the 41 yard field goal to give Denver a 6-0 lead, but this game should be 10-0 or even 14-0. That was the story of the 2015 Denver Broncos offense right there.

The Steelers next drive starts at their own 20 once again.
An inside run on 1st down gets nothing, and on 2nd down Big Ben hits a wide open Bryant, who beats Talib again, for a gain of 22. An end around to Bryant goes all the way to the Broncos 16 yard line. Another big play by the Steelers offense, and now the Steelers are on the move. Touissant breaks the next play up the middle for a gain of 15 and it gives the Steelers a first and goal from the 1 yard line. Toussiant walks into the end zone and now the Steelers have a 7-6 lead. The Broncos defense got carved up by the Steelers on that drive, and as a Broncos fan I was very worried that we were in trouble at this point. The Broncos looked like they were playing very tentative and nervous at this point.

Denver's next drive starts at their own 20 and a first down pass to Andre Caldwell gets broken up over the middle. Manning hits Virgil Green over the middle for a gain of 11 and a first down. Demaryius Thomas makes a nice catch on a curl route and gets another first down for the Broncos. Manning hits Cody Latimer on the next play over the middle and another first down as the 1st quarter ends.

End of 1st Quarter: Steelers-7 Broncos-6

Start of 2nd Quarter with 1st and 10 at the Pitt 42. A play action throw to Thomas on a deep post falls incomplete as Manning overthrows it. Manning overthrew basically every deep throw he attempted the entire 2015 season, so this was pretty much par for the course. Manning from 2012-2014 would have hit that throw almost every singe time for a touchdown. A 3rd and 11 pass to Emmanuel Sanders is dropped and the drive stalls. Drop #2 for the Broncos wideouts. A punt to Pitt sets up the Steelers at their own 15 with 14:12 to go in the quarter.

Toussiant breaks a tackle to get four yards on 1st down. A 2nd and 6 play gets only 1 yard, and Big Ben hits Darrius Heyward-Bey on a blown coverage and Heyward-Bey makes a huge catch and run for a 58 yard gain down to the Denver 22. Big Ben is killing the Broncos and the receivers are getting wide open on the secondary once again. Plus, they are doing this without Antonio Brown! A 2nd down sack by Antonio Smith is a huge play and 3rd and 13 drop by Heath Miller bails out the Broncos defense. Big Ben hung in there against a blitz and Miller should have caught it for a first down. Chris Boswell nails a 43 yarder and it is now a 10-6 lead for the Steelers with 10:19 to go in the 2nd quarter. As a Broncos fan, the anxiety levels are really rising at this point in the game.

Denver's next drive starts at their own 20. Ronnie Hillman runs for five on 1st down. A 2nd down run by Hillman goes no where and a 3rd down floater to C.J. Anderson over the middle gets dropped and Anderson would have had about 20 yard of running room had he caught it. Drop #3 by the Broncos.

Pittsburgh's next drive starts at their own 37 with 8:44 to go in the half.
A dumpoff gets a yard as Von Miller finally makes a play and makes the tackle. A short run on 2nd down sets up a 3rd and 8 and Derek Wolfe breaks free up the middle and sacks Big Ben for a huge sack and forces a punt. Wolfe just signed a contract extension and he backed it up in the playoffs.

Another shanked punt gives the Broncos the ball at their own 41 with 6:48 to play in the half.

Manning hit Sanders over the middle for a first down on a throw that could have been picked off by William Gay, but Sanders gets it and the Broncos have a first down in Pitt territory. A play action pass is incomplete as Bennie Fowler drops a crossing route while he was wide open over the middle. Drop #4 for Denver. On 2nd and 10, Manning scrambles and Fowler drops another one on the sideline. Phil Simms is talking about how the Manning and the Broncos offense is not crisp at this point, and that might be the most obvious statement of the game so far. Nantz and Simms also bring up the wind, but let's face it: Manning doesn't look great at all. On a 3rd and 10, Manning dumps it off to Anderson for a gain of 7. Kubiak decides to go for it. A field goal would have been a 54 yard attempt and I think it was the right call to try and go for it here on 4th and 3. Sanders drops a pass that would have been a first down because he got rocked by Mike Mitchell right after he caught it, but he should have made the catch. Drop #6 for Denver and another drive is wasted. The Broncos offense just seems to be in a bad state at this point in the game. It looks like another playoff disappointment for the Broncos and their fans.

Pittsburgh's drive starts at their own 37 with 5:03 to go in the half.
An end around to Bryant on a 3rd and 3 gets nothing as Ward and Ware were not fooled and push him out of bounds for no gain.

Denver's drive starts at their own 4 yard line with 3:14 left in the half.
C.J. Anderson gets nothing on 1st down, but on 2nd down he breaks it off left tackle all the way to the 40 for a gain of 34. After the 2:00 warning, a short pass underneath to Owen Daniels gets 6 and sets up a 3rd and 3. Manning hits Thomas on a slant for a first down to the Pitt 43. A short throw to Fowler in the flat gets 4 and Denver calls a timeout with 47 seconds left in the half. A run to Anderson gets another first down to the Pitt 31 and Manning throws it away with 16 seconds left in the half on 1st and 10. On 2nd and 10, Manning gets blindsided by Will Allen on a blitz and the ball goes forward for an incomplete pass but Manning took a real shot there. On 3rd and 10, Manning fumbles the snap and Manning has to fall on it and Denver takes a timeout with 5 seconds left. McManus hits the 51 yard field goal as it curves in right at the last second and it makes it 10-9. That was a very key moment there because every point counts in this game for the Broncos and their offense.

Halftime: Steelers-10 Broncos-9

At this point, the Broncos and Manning look pretty sluggish on offense. Manning looks uncomfortable, the run game is basically ineffective, the receivers can't catch the ball, and Brock Osweiler is already thinking about which team he is going to sign with when free agency starts that March. The Broncos defense is having trouble containing an offense that features Big Ben with a bum shoulder, no Leveon Bell and no Antonio Brown. I am having the same feeling I had when Denver got upset by the Colts in the Divisional Round the year before. Not good times at this point.

Start of the 3rd quarter. Pittsburgh leads 10-9. Denver starts with the ball at their own 20.
Two Anderson runs get two yards. A 3rd and 7 pass to Thomas is incomplete but the Steelers get flagged for a pass interference and it was a questionable call to say the least. A 1st down run to Anderson gets a few yards and a quick out to Virgil Green sets up a 3rd and 5 and a WR screen to Caldwell fools no one and William Gay blows up for a loss of one. Another great tackle by Kayvon Webster on the ensuing punt gives the Steelers no yards on the return.

Pittsburgh's next drive starts at their own 21 with 11:51 to go in the 3rd quarter. A quick screen to Bryant is dropped, but on 2nd down another blown coverage gives the Steelers a huge play to Bryant who catches and runs all the way down to the Broncos 28 for a gain of 52. Holy shit! I still can't believe how many big plays the Broncos gave up in this game. They gave up more in this game than they did all season long. A long out to Bryant on 2nd and 10 gives the Steelers another first down as Talib was playing too far off of Bryant again. Another quick screen to Bryant gets broken up by Chris Harris. On 2nd and 10, Heath Miller catches one underneath for a gain of five as he gets wrapped up by Danny Trevathan and Brandon Marshall, who haven't done much at this point in the game either. On 3rd and 5, Big Ben goes to Bryant on a back shoulder fade, but Talib makes a great play and gets his hand in there to break it up and save a touchdown. Chris Boswell hits a 28 yard FG to make it 13-9 with 9:32 to go in the 3rd quarter.

Denver's drive starts at their own 20 and Manning hits Sanders on a out route off of play action for a first down with his best throw of the game. Why didn't the Broncos do more of this in the game? Manning's next pass is incomplete to a covered Daniels. On 2nd and 10, Hillman gets stuffed by James Harrison for a loss of 1, and Manning throws high and wide to Thomas and it sails out of bounds. Thomas was well-covered anyway. Denver is 1-10 on third down so far in the game.

Another punt and another big hit by Webster as he forces a fumble on the return but the ball rolls out of bounds and stays with Pitt.

Pitt's next drive starts at their own 6 with 7:55 to play in the 3rd quarter. On 1st down, Trevathan makes a great play to drop Toussaint for a loss of one. Another run on 2nd and 11 and Vance Walker buries for no gain. On 3rd and 11, a draw to gets only three yards as Darian Stewart blows it up and forces the Pittsburgh punt. VERY conservative play calling by the Steelers there, but they trust the way their defense is playing, so you really can't kill them in hindsight.

Denver's drive starts at their own 47 with 5:53 to go in the quarter. Manning hits a sliding Sanders for a first down near the sideline. Manning completes a pass to Norwood over the middle for another first down. A run to Anderson gets 11 on a nice cutback run and now Denver is on the move. Manning gets sacked by James Harrison as he runs over Anderson and it put Denver in a 2nd and 17. Manning completes a wobbler to Latimer for a six yard gain. On 3rd and 11, Manning first has to call a timeout, then Manning overthrows a well-covered Norwood on a go route. McManus comes back in and nails a 41 yard FG to cut the score to 13-12 in favor of Pittsburgh. The crowd barely cheered at that point because they knew that the Broncos offense was just not clicking and all these field goals were not what they expected.

Pittsburgh's next drive starts at their own 20 with 2:45 to go in the 3rd quarter.
On 1st and 10, Big Ben hits a wide open Sammie Coates over the middle for another big gain over Chris Harris. A 1st and 10 throw to Wheaton gives the Steelers the ball at the 50. A flag on 2nd and 4 on Bradley Rob for pass interference gives the Steelers a first down and it was the first penalty of the game on Denver. It was a call that could have went either way. On 1st and 10 from the Denver 38, Ben hits Wheaton over the middle for a gain of five, and on 2nd down Toussaint breaks a run for a 1st down to the Denver 23. On 1st and 10, Shaq Barrett speed rushes through and sacks Big Ben and the Steelers also get flagged for a face mask on OT Marcus Gilbert. That was a very underrated sequence in the game that gets overlooked. The third quarter ends on that play.

End of 3rd quarter: Steelers-13 Broncos-12.

Start of 4th quarter. Pitt has a 1st and 25 at the Broncos 39. A quick pitch to Todman gets snuffed out by Ware and it results in a loss of five. On 2nd and 30, Big Ben throws incomplete over the middle. On 3rd and 30, Big Ben checks it down to Bryant, who gets about 10 yards to the Denver 34. Instead of trying a 52 yard FG, Mike Tomlin elects to punt. I was surprised by this decision at the time and watching the game again, I am puzzled by this. Boswell was money all game long, and I think he had a very good shot at making this kick. Interesting call there once again by Tomlin.

Denver's drive starts at their own 20 after a touchback with 13:15 to go in the game.
On 1st and 10, Manning play fakes, then slips and falls to avoid the sack, looks like he gave himself up and gets back up and throws a strike to Sanders, who grabs it and runs to midfield. This play was very controversial and it is amazing how it transpired, but as a Broncos fan, you'll take it. Just a weird play all around. The Steelers tried to challenge it but they couldn't so Denver has a 1st and 10 at the Pitt 46. Hillman drops a pass on a checkdown on the next play, so that gives 7 drops for the Broncos in this game. On 2nd and 10, Denver burns their 2nd timeout. and a draw to Hillman loses for yards. Hillman had a rough game and a rough postseason. On 3rd down, Manning hits Thomas on an underneath route that gains only a couple to force a punt. On the punt, Markus Wheaton fumbles the punt but Pitt recovers it basically at the goal line but the refs call it a touchback. A big break for the Steelers because the play was ruled a muff and not an actual fumble.

Pitt's drive starts at their own 20, and Big Ben hits TE Jesse James for a gain of 22. On 1st and 10, Big Ben hits Markus Wheaton underneath and he breaks 2 tackles to get another first down and into Denver territory. After a short throw to Heyward-Bey on 1st down, Touissant gets hit by Bradley Roby at the 30 yard line, the ball gets knocked out and Demarcus Ware recovers the fumble. This was the game-changing play, and the Broncos needed it desperately because they were on the ropes. This was the turning point of the game and it proved to be the turning point of the Broncos playoff run as well. Incredible turn of events and now the crowd is back in it.

Denver's drive starts at their own 35 with 9:45 to play in the game. Two plays later, Anderson breaks off a huge run down to the Pitt 35 but it gets called back due a holding call on our good friend Michael Schofield. That was a killer at that moment. On 2nd and 12, Manning throws the ball right into the hands of William Gay for an interception but Emmanuel Sanders knocks it away and saves Manning from getting picked right there. On 3rd and 12, Manning hits Fowler over the middle on a perfect seam pass for the biggest first down of the game to keep the drive alive. Fowler gets it down to the 35 for a gain of 31. Hillman gets three yards on 1st and 10, and Manning draws Pitt offside with the hard count to set up a 2nd and 2. Hillman gets four and a first down to the Pitt 25. Anderson gets dragged down for a gain of three to set up a 2nd and 6 and Manning throws a quick pass to Sanders for a gain of eight and a first down. Hillman wiggles his way for a gain of five and on 2nd and 5 from the Pitt 9, Hillman spins his way for a first down to the Pittsburgh 3 yard line with 4:20 to go. On 1st and Goal, Hillman gets rocked by Ryan Shazier for no gain. On 2nd and Goal, Anderson gets two yards down to the 1 yard line. The Broncos hurry up and Anderson bursts through for the touchdown. It was their first TD in 23 postseason possessions. The Broncos go for two and Manning hits Thomas on a quick throw and DT walks into the end zone for the 20-13 lead with 3:00 to go in the game. By the way, the Broncos would never trail again in the postseason after getting the lead at this point in this game.

Pittsburgh's next drive starts at their own 20. On 1st and 10, Big Ben hits Bryant for a gain of 16. On 1st and 10, Chris Harris wraps up Bryant for a gain of only three. The Steelers take a timeout and on 2nd and 7, T.J. Ward crushes Touissaint for a gain of 2 and the 2:00 warning hits. On 3rd and 5,  pressure by Ware forced an early throw by Big Ben and the pass falls incomplete over the middle. On 4th and 5 with 1:56 to go, Von Miller forces Ben to step up and he gets sacked by Ware and Wolfe and the Broncos take over on downs with 1:49 to go in the game.

Denver's drive starts at the Pitt 30. Two straight runs to Anderson lose a yard but it forces Pitt to take their last two timeouts. On 3rd and 11, Anderson runs again for a gain of only four, and McManus comes back out and nails a 45 yard FG to give the Broncos a 23-13 lead with 53 seconds left and that effectively puts the game out of reach for the Broncos.

Pittsburgh's next drive starts at their own 20.
On 1st and 10, Ben's pass to Wheaton is incomplete but the Broncos get called for pass interference. On 1st and 10 at the 42, Ben hits Bryant on an out route for a gain of 8. On 2nd and 2, Ben completes a pass to Bryant over the middle to the Denver 29. A spike with 24 seconds left sets the Steelers up for a 47 yard FG by Chris Boswell and he makes it to cut the score to 23-16 with 19 seconds left in the game.

The only chance for the Steelers is to convert an onside kick. The Steelers touched the ball before it goes 10 yards and C.J. Anderson recovered it easily and all the Broncos have to do is knell down and the game will be over.

Denver's drive starts at their own 37 with 14 seconds left. Manning takes the snap and takes a knee and the clock runs out. Wisely, Manning gives the game ball to Demaryius Thomas, whose mom was attending her first game since she was released from jail.

The celebration begins and the Broncos are onto the AFC Championship Game next week in Denver against the New England Patriots and the final installment of the Brady-Manning rivalry. It wasn't pretty, but like the Broncos did all season long, the Broncos grinded it out and got the victory.