Broncos Year End Review

The moment the Broncos signed Peyton Manning in March the stakes were raised for this year's team. The expectation level increased, and if the Broncos missed the playoffs, then it would be a colossal failure. It has been a great season, and every week has be fun to watch. There are so many things and aspects to talk about with this Broncos season, so I figured a good question and answer session would be fitting to wrap up the 2012 regular season.

After all the talk and the hype surrounding Peyton Manning, did he exceed your expectations?
I felt all along that if Manning was healthy, then he would play well and the Broncos would be a playoff team. Manning was better than I thought he would be. His numbers were sensational. He finished with 400 completions on 583 attempts for a completion % of 68.6. He threw for 37 touchdowns with 11 interceptions and a QB rating of 105.8. The amazing thing about him was that he was able to figure out his limitations with his arm strength, adjusted with new receivers and a new offense, and reinvented himself. His ability to get the offense into the right play in so many occasions was a pleasure to watch week after week. It also seemed like he would start slow every game, and then just tear up the defense once he adjusted in the second half. He is such a joy to watch, and he cemented himself as one of the greatest Quarterbacks to ever play the game. It was a franchise altering move when they got him, and he has been better than advertised. What he did this year really can't be overstated.

What was your favorite Manning moment of the season?
I thought it was really cool how he came out and played that first game of the season against Pittsburgh. He started slow in the first half, but then he was unstoppable in the second half. He ended up throwing two touchdowns, and he was classic Manning as the game went on. The other great moment for me was when he brought the Broncos back from the 24-0 hole at San Diego. He was in the zone in the second half, and once he got hot, you could see that the Chargers had no answer. His touchdown pass to Brandon Stokely to give the Broncos a 28-24 lead in the fourth quarter was one of the best passes of the entire season in the NFL. Those two moments stand out for me.

How good is this Broncos offense with Manning?
He changed the Broncos from a run-oriented team to a no-huddle passing threat. They had two receivers finish with over 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns. Their offense alone averaged just over 27 points per game, but the key to this offense was the fact that whenever they needed a big drive or points, Manning and the offense responded. It is probably not the best offense Manning directed, but it is certainly a solid one. Here are some of the offensive numbers the Broncos put up:
Points Scored: 481
Total Offense: 4th

WR Stats-
Demaryius Thomas: 94 receptions for 1434 yards and 10 touchdowns
Eric Decker: 85 receptions for 1064 yards and 12 touchdowns
Jacob Tamme: 52 receptions for 555 yards and 2 touchdowns
Brandon Stokley: 45 receptions for 544 yards and 5 touchdowns
Joel Dressen: 41 receptions for 356 yards and 5 touchdowns.

RB Stats-
Willis McGahee: 167 rushes for 731 yards and 4 touchdowns
Knowshon Moreno: 138 rushes for 525 yards and 4 touchdowns
Ronnie Hillman: 85 rushes for 330 yards and 1 touchdown

Who is the unsung hero of this Broncos offense?
You could make the case for the two Tight Ends, Dressen and Tamme, and you could make the case for Brandon Stokley as the slot receiver, but my vote is for Knowshon Moreno. Moreno actually scored the first Broncos touchdown of the season against Pittsburgh. He fumbled against Atlanta in the second quarter and he was inactive all the way until Week 12 against Kansas City. He ran for over 80 yards against KC that day, and he was solid every game since that point. The Broncos wanted to be balanced in the run game, and when Willis McGahee went down with a knee injury in Week 10, Moreno stepped up and has played really well. He averaged over 60 yards a game, and he is very valuable in the passing game. He has to play a role in the playoffs, and he has shown that he can carry the load when called upon.

Is this Broncos team really that good or is their record deceiving?
Any time you win 13 games then you have a very good season, but take a look at some of the numbers the Broncos put up this year:
-11 game winning streak
-#4 overall offense
-#2 overall defense
-Scored 30 or more points 11 times
-Converted 45.1% of third downs (3rd in the NFL)
-Gave up fewest sacks (21) in the NFL
-Recorded 52 sacks to tie for first in the NFL
-Tied for third in the league with 18 forced fumbles
-Led the NFL in third-down defense with a 30.6% success rate
-Swept the AFC West with a 6-0 record
-7-1 record at home
-6-2 record on the road

Where do you compare this Broncos teams to other teams in the past?
Obviously, the script still needs to be written for this team, but all year I compared this team to the 1997 Broncos. You had John Elway running the show for the '97 team, and that team was very dynamic on offense. The '97 team scored 30 or more points nine times, and they let their defense tee off with a big lead-especially at home. The '97 team had Terrell Davis, Shannon Sharpe, Ed McCaffrey, and Rod Smith at their skill positions. The '97 team also scored a lot in the return game and on defense just like the 2012 team. This team doesn't have the skill players around Manning that the '97 team had around Elway, but it is also a different era of football in the NFL. This team has to win a Super Bowl to finish off their status amongst the great Broncos teams of all time.

How good is this defense?
The most underrated aspect of this team has been the defense. Everyone talks about Manning, but if you watch the Broncos week after week, their defense has really improved, and they really stabilized this team. There were many times where the offense was not in sync, and the defense bailed them out on most of those occasions. Von Miller is the second best player on the team next to Manning, and he had a great season. He single handedly destroyed offensive gameplans, and at times was unblockable in the passing game and the running game. He finished with 18.5 sacks on the season. Here are some of the other defensive stats that are worth noting:

Sacks
Miller: 18.5
Elvis Dumervil: 11
Wesley Woodyard: 5.5
Derek Wolfe: 6

Interceptions
Wesley Woodyard: 3
Chris Harris: 3
Champ Bailey: 2
Tony Carter: 2
Jim Leonhard: 2

Plus, this defense was able to convert and score big touchdowns for them. From the first game of the season when Tracy Porter put the game away with an interception return on Ben Roethlisberger, the Broncos defense made the big play at the right time. Chris Harris added two interception returns, and Tony Carter added a huge fumble return against San Diego and an interception return against the Panthers. This defense really has a knack for shutting down the opposing offense in the red zone. When they need a stop, they usually get it. They also go through some stretches where their defense will just force a bunch of three and outs and give Manning and the offense and chance to score some points. Jack Del Rio has done a great job with this defense as the year went on, and they will be very tough if they get a lead at home.

What was the great moment for this defense this year?
I thought the interception return to seal the game against the Steelers by Tracy Porter really set the tone for the season. My other favorite moment was the two interception returns by Chris Harris. The first one sealed the comeback win over San Diego to make it 35-24, and the other one put the Raven game away and made it 17-0 at the half.

When the Broncos started 2-3, were you nervous about this team and this season?
No, I was really patient when the season started. I knew Denver had a very tough schedule early, and the second half of their schedule was weak, so I just wanted them to basically tread water through the first six weeks. Plus, I knew it was going to take some time for Peyton Manning to get going with his new team. The three Bronco losses were to Atlanta, Houston and New England. I wasn't really worried at all at that point, and you could see signs of Manning coming together with this offense. The only point I got really upset with this team was when they were down 24-0 at San Diego in Week 6. They played so bad in the first half, and they looked like a team that was in disarray, but once Manning got hot in the second half, everything clicked and it was all uphill from that point. After they got to 3-3, they really took off and dominated the teams that were inferior all year long.

What was your favorite game of the entire season?
There were so many great games from to choose one. The season opening win over Pittsburgh was great. The demolishing of the Saints to get to 4-3 was satisfying. The tough road win over Cincy to get to 5-3 was a really fun game. The division clinching win over Tampa Bay was a good one too. If I had to pick one that really defined this season, then it would have to be the comeback win over the Chargers in San Diego. At 2-3, Denver couldn't afford a loss at that point to the Chargers. They were down 24 points, on the road, and their season was at a crossroads. The way that Peyton Manning took the game over was just amazing. He made about four or five throws that were just amazing in that game. Their defense also took over in the second half, ravaged Philip Rivers, got two defensive touchdowns and put the game away. That game will be the most unforgettable game of the year for me.

Were you surprised where the NFL scheduled the Broncos to begin their playoff run?
I was a little surprised by what transpired. The Broncos open up the playoffs in the Divisional Round with a home game on Saturday January 12th at 4:30pm EST. CBS and the NFL had a bit of a dilemma with this scheduling situation. A couple of things to note here. First, if Houston had won and Denver was the #2 seed, then I think there was no doubt that both CBS and the NFL would have put Denver on Sunday 1/13 in the 4:30 pm slot because they would have gotten a great shot at getting New England at Denver in that position. They would have put Houston on Saturday at 4:30 pm, and left the Broncos to play on Sunday. When the Texans lost, it changed a lot of factors. CBS rotates the timeslots every year with FOX, so CBS didn't have the primetime window during the Divisional Round. This year, they have the 4:30pm slot on Saturday and the 4:30pm slot on Sunday. With Houston losing, it gave Denver and the Patriots the bye week and both of them were in play for the Divisional Round. The NFL and CBS both figured that New England would have a better matchup against someone like Houston than the matchup that Denver would have in their game, so they decided to go with the Pats on Sunday and the Broncos on Saturday. Throw in the bigger market factor with New England, and that is why the Broncos are playing on Saturday afternoon. The only way the NFL and CBS get burned is if the Colts beat Baltimore and Houston beats Cincy, then Indy will travel to Denver on Saturday and the Pats and Houston will battle on Sunday. The Indy-Denver game would be a better game storyline wise, and CBS would have loved to have that in the late window on Sunday. You have to figure that it will be tough for that situation to happen, so the league went with the most likely scenario. I don't mind Denver playing at that time on Saturday, but if they lose that game, then it will ruin the rest of my weekend.

Where does this regular season rank in your terms as a Broncos fan?
It is hard to rank this season because the playoffs haven't started yet, and so much will depend on how far the Broncos go to determine how great this season was overall. If they lose in the divisional round, then it is comparable to the 1996 team. If they lose in the AFC Championship then it is comparable to the 1991 season and the 2005 season. If they lose in the Super Bowl, then it is related to the 1986,87, and 89 teams. If it wins the Super Bowl. then it is in the same class as the 1997 and 1998 Broncos teams. Overall, this season has been very special so far. It has been amazing to watch Peyton Manning every week, and on paper this team has been as good as their record shows. As I stated earlier, it has been such a pleasure to watch week after week.  Right now it probably ranks third behind the 1997 and 1998 Broncos as far as seasons go. It has been better than the '86,'87,'89,'91 and '96 seasons because this team is flat out better than those teams. It is better than 2005 because in that season we all waited for Jake Plummer to implode, and he didn't until we got all the way to the AFC Championship game against Pittsburgh. As great as last year was with Tim Tebow and Tebowmania, the Broncos were still only 8-8 and only got in the playoff because Oakland lost to San Diego in Week 17. As it stands now, this season ranks third behind the 1997 and 1998 seasons, but that ranking could change depending on what happens in the postseason.