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I ruffled some feathers yesterday with pointing out that, although it's fun to date the prom queen, if you look closely enough, you'll see that she's wearing concealer and makeup for a reason. Yes, even the hottest of teams have a few zits on them. That my friends, is why I wrote about the reasons why Denver won't win the Super Bowl, even though we will.
Well, today is a new day. Out with the old and in with the ass kicking dominance that will soon be known as the 2015 Denver Freaking Broncos! (trademark pending) (not really). Do you want to know why we're going to win? It's because we're going to eat lightning and crap thunder! Now onto my list.
Number 5:
Our rookies will step up. Yes, I'm looking at you Shane Ray. You too Ty Sambrailo. You guys will be needed, especially Ty. While all teams would want to start their franchise with a top tier quarterback, most will quickly point out that they also need a top tier left tackle to protect the blindside. Having Aaron Rodgers won't do you any good if he's laying flat on his back and unable to get back up because he's getting killed with every drop back. That's why Ty MUST be the answer to left tackle. There's no other option. The encouraging news is that DeMarcus Ware is saying that Ty is looking legit. Don't look now, but our offensive line, while unproven and scary, might be coming together.
Number 4:
Our linebacking crew is straight stupid good. Remember how I said that Elway has done little to boost our linebacking corps? Well, like Arnold in Commando, "I lied!" While I still question Danny Trevathan's ability to overcome his knee issues and be the stud he has been for us, one thing can't be questioned; Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware, and Shane Ray are the real freaking deal.
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We will have a three headed quarterback wrecking crew. Not only will they put constant pressure on the opposing quarterback, but they are fast and athletic enough to cover the tight end, especially if T.J. Ward slides down in a support role.
Do you know how scary (in a bad way) the offensive line is for all of us? Well, these studs are the exact opposite. They are scary, in the good way! All I ask is that the Broncos bring Shane along slowly and once he starts getting up to speed and getting healthy, that they use him to spell DeMarcus Ware a lot so he can stay fresh for the playoffs, and when there is an obvious 3rd and long passing situation, put all three of these cats in there at the same time and watch the quarterback curl up into the fetal position and pray for fourth down.
Number 3:
Wade Phillips will have the Broncos in constant attack mode. Not only is Wade super aggressive, but he believes in having his players play in a system that they are comfortable with. That's right, gone are the days of having amazing man cover corners only to see them play soft zone. Gone are the days of having fantastic pass rushers, only to seem them drop back into coverage. Gone are the days of playing a bend but don't break (newsflash: they always break) defense.
Instead, Wade is going to have the best players on the field. He'll make it happen. If he has 3 amazing cornerbacks, he'll find a way to get all three on the field. If he has 5 amazing linebackers, he'll find a way to keep all 5 on the field as much as possible. He also won't have Aquib Talib cover slot guys when you have an all-pro caliber cornerback who made a name for himself in the slot. But enough about JDR, he's the Raider's problem now.
Remember, Wade is also the guy who helped coach up JJ Watt. Oh, he was the coordinator and not the line coach you say? That's fine, because we have that cat too! Bill Kollar is an amazing line coach. He's about to do for the Broncos D-line what Alex Gibbs did for their O-Line. Watch out NFL, here comes the Broncos! If the Saints go marching in, the Broncos will be the ones who kick the damn door in and deal with the aftermath once the clock hits 00:00 and they are standing victorious. I see a lot of scores that are in the teens for our opposition.
Number 2:
The Broncos are installing a balanced attack on offense. I'm not talking about a "Peyton is hurt, we need to start running the ball more" type offense midway through the season. No, I'm talking about a balanced offense by design, and implemented in the offseason. That's the only way balanced offenses actually work. When you truly have a 50/50 split from day one, great things happen. Not only will #18 have less burden to bear, but any irregularities in his play will be covered up by the overall focus and effectiveness of the running game.
Not only will any deficiencies in Peyton's game get masked by our running attack, but our wide receivers will become a much more well rounded group. If there's one thing we know about Kubiak, it's that he'll stress his WRs to block down field for the running backs. You won't be seeing any more of Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders just standing around watching the jumbo tron and yucking it up with Colt players while C.J. Anderson and Orlando Franklin are busting their ass to get a 1st down. Well, part of that is because the Big O is gone (miss you brother), but it's because those wide receivers will be taught to actually block on running plays until you hear the whistle.
This isn't your daddy's John Fox coached team ladies and gentlemen, this is a Gary Kubiak coached team. They will be prepared and ready to play! One coach couldn't prepare himself out of a wet paper bag. The other demands perfection and for you to give him your all. One coach has a wedding ring only. The other coach has not only a wedding ring, but 3 world championship rings to go along with it. I think you see where I'm going with this. One coach didn't deserve this talented roster, and the other was made for it.
Number 1:
Because even if our defense struggles, or our running games struggles, we still have Peyton Freaking Manning! Allow me to channel my inner Laurie Lattimore-Volkmann and say, "In Manning We Trust."
Remember people, we have the greatest quarterback to ever play the game. Peyton Manning is the most cerebral quarterback of all time. Not only does he hold every record that holds any meaning for quarterbacks, but he's also a motivator and film room junkie. He pushes his teammates at every turn. He raises all boats and makes everyone around him better.
Gone is the 80% shotgun Peyton. We will now see a drop back Peyton as our offense goes into attack mode. But again, even if that gets shut down, we still have the Peyton Manning that can hurry the offense up and drop 28 points on you in half a quarter. When you have a quarterback with that versatility and talent, the sky truly is the limit.
But that isn't even the scary part. The scary part is that we might actually see defenses daring Peyton to hurt them with his arm. Defenses will have to honor the run or else CJ will gash them for a 50 yard TD run. So while they are busy trying to stop the run, BANG, there goes Emmanuel Sanders over the top for a 40 yard score.
Simply put, Peyton can't be stopped and won't be stopped. As he ages, he'll have the same luxury as his boss did in being able to lean on the running game, all the while knowing that at any moment, he can go off for 300 yards and 4 TDs. This will not only keep Peyton fresher and healthier throughout the season, but by the sounds of it, he's stimulated to finally be coached up. Don't look now, but I have the funny feeling that we haven't seen the last of Peyton Manning once he hoists that Lombardi Trophy up on February 7th (coincidentally the day before my birthday. I plan on celebrating throughout the night and into the next day where I hope to see you all cheering them on when their plane lands).
Bonus:
Because we don't have John Fox & Co anymore. Suck it Fox. You couldn't coach an all star team to a victory over a pee wee football squad. The Broncos got better then instant John Elway stepped up to the podium and said "I'd like to thank John Elway... I mean John Fox." You're a good coach to stabilize a rocking boat, but that's your limit. You aren't and never will be a "championship" caliber coach. I'd trust any one of our followers and any random person pulled out of the stands to better prepare a football team for victory. You deserve Jay Cutler.
There you have it Broncos Country. Not only are the Broncos going 15-1 in the regular season, but they're whipping up on the Patriots and Ravens before the remind the Packers about what happens when they play the Broncos in the Super Bowl.