Kubiak: Play hard, rely on your team, be aggressive

Good morning, Broncos Country ...

ARE YOU READY?!?!

If you're not ready, go get that Orange Kool-Aid and start chugging because our team is ready...and they need us.

Coach Gary Kubiak said his message to the team last night was going to be the same one he's been telling them all year:

"Rely on each other, you're on a good team, do your job, stay focused on your job, stay in the moment. That's what we always try to do. Don't get too far ahead of ourselves and just play as hard as we can possibly play."

That message has clearly worked. There have been plenty of bumps along the way, but on so many occasions, it has taken one player to really step up while others struggled to help pull out a win in whatever way possible.

Whether it's David Bruton and Darian Stewart combining in Week 1 for a huge defensive play in the end zone to save a Broncos' 19-13 lead, or Peyton Manning marching the offense down the field in Kansas City in Week 2 for a game-tying field goal while Bradley Roby capitalized on a fumble to get a last second winning touchdown, or Brock Osweiler leading a comeback drive against the Patriots in a snowy prime-time game to ultimately set up a huge OT touchdown by C.J. Anderson, or Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware recovering back-to-back fumbles to save the three-point overtime lead against the Bengals, or even Manning coming in midway through the last regular season game to shred a few defensive blitzes and put the Broncos offense in position to score and win - all were impressive total team efforts.

No matter how you look at the season, you have to marvel at the Broncos' ability to get a victory in some very dire circumstances. You just do. Because in every one of those instances above - plus several others - if one player had given up, the Broncos' 12-4 season with a No.1 seed finish could have easily been 8-8 or 4-12 or worse.

But it wasn't. And that's a testament to the coaches and the players for not giving up.

"We've had a lot of guys contribute to the idea or the fact that we're here this Sunday," Kubiak said. "I think, in all honesty, we sit here every week and say we don't know who the guy is going to be that's got to make the play to win the game, but we're all preparing. We know it will take us all."

Thankfully the Broncos will have most all of their starters and backups healthy and ready to contribute whenever called upon. Manning, who will be starting for the first time since the Nov. 15 game against Kansas City, is so often the spotlight in any matchup. But the future Hall-of-Famer has been learning he no longer has to carry the team - and in fact, it has carried him on several occasions this season. But Kubiak believes his 39-year-old quarterback is learning the benefit of not having to do everything.

"I think he knows that," Kubiak said of Manning, adding that the quarterback has had two really good weeks of practice." He knows he's on a good football team, go do his job, get us in the right plays and those type of things and lead the group. That's what he's been working to do."

And in case you're concerned the defense might be too pumped up to the point the coach would dial them back, don't be. Kubiak likes their emotion and won't change his message from all season - be aggressive and also be smart.

"I talk about being aggressive. I want their aggression as a football team and a player. I want their confidence," Kubiak said. "We're going to make mistakes in the game. You're going to make them, but come back and make the next play. I want them flying around and having fun, because like I said, they deserve to right to play in this game. Let's go get after it."

I couldn't have said it better - LET'S GET AFTER IT!

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