Broncos vs. Seahawks: The case for a Super Bowl sequel
By Andrew Garda
Why the Denver Broncos Win the AFC
Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it.
Some wiseguy said that a long time ago, probably while winning at RISK for the fifth straight time, and it holds true here as well. The Broncos were out-muscled by the Seahawks, pure and simple. So they went out and addressed what they felt was a lack of toughness by adding safety T.J. Ward and cornerback Aqib Talib to the secondary.
The moves give them a tough combination in the secondary, with a corner who will play a physical man coverage and a safety who will assault anyone foolish enough to run a crossing route.
Add in former Dallas Cowboy Demarcus Ware, a healthy Von Miller and you’ve got the potential for a tremendous defense to go along with your offense.
Speaking of which, while the offense lost Eric Decker, it added Emmanuel Sanders and rookie Cody Latimer, both of whom bring a lot to the table. The offensive line is intact again, which means Peyton Manning will have more time to hit his receivers on those timingroutes he loves so much.
Both the AFC in general and the AFC West specifically hold very few threats to a repeat appearance.
In a macro view, the New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals are probably the biggest threats to a repeat.
The Colts have serious defensive issues, continuing problems on the offensive line and a shaky backfield. Of the four, I actually find them the least problematic for the Broncos. Either team can beat the other on any given day of course, but there’s only so much Andrew Luck and the receivers can do. Honestly, it wouldn’t shock me if they had problems winning their division. The Tennessee Titans in particular look like they could be trouble.
The Cincinnati Bengals are more of a regular season issue than a playoff issue because we’ve yet to see that they know how to win a playoff game. Andy Dalton is great in the regular season, but prone to big mistakes in the postseason. Some of that is Dalton, but a lot of it is also on his supporting cast, which seems to find a way to play small every Wild Card or Divisional round. Add in new coaches and we’re not sure what the Bengals will look like this year. They’re definitely a dark horse here, but one the Broncos should be able to beat in a shootout. If I’m matching the Broncos defense and Manning with the Bengals defense and Dalton, I take the former every time.
The New England Patriots, as usual, are the biggest roadblock. The defense added some talent this offseason, and in particular the addition of Darrelle Revis seems aimed at shutting down a guy like Manning. If anyone on this list can beat the Broncos, it’s the Patriots but you can say the reverse is true as well.
This assumes the Broncos get out of their division, which in reality shouldn’t be an issue.
The Kansas City Chiefs don’t look like they improved this offseason. In fact, they look like they took a step or three back. The offensive line has issues and the receivers continue to be mediocre, save for Dwayne Bowe, who has been banged up. If he really still has issues with his finger (per Adam Teicher of ESPN.com), he’s not going to be reliable and that’s an issue for quarterback Alex Smith.
Defensively, the Chiefs should be tough, but they’ve looked shaky this preseason and weren’t an issue for the Broncos last year anyway.
The Oakland Raiders appear to have improved, but their quarterback issues could haunt them and they have a lot of holes on offense and defense, as well as too many aging players. They might start out hot on defense, but don’t be shocked if they wear down by midseason, especially if the offense sputters.
The San Diego Chargers could be the biggest hurdle, as head coach Mike McCoy has done a great job turning the team around. The offensive line and the secondary are the biggest issues, but the Chargers showed they know how to stymie the Denver offense. Quarterback Philip Rivers can put points on the board for sure, and if the defense can again contain Manning, the Chargers should make it interesting.
That said, the Broncos found a way to win two out of three games last year, so in the end they should be able to beat the Chargers and win this division.
While there are always unforeseen events which can trip any team up, I’m confident that the Broncos are the team to beat in the AFC and will represent the conference in the Super Bowl again this year.