In 2015 the Denver Broncos capped off an incredible playoff run, ending with a Lombardi Trophy and were crowned Super bowl 50 champions. Success isn't given, it is earned. The Broncos earned every bit of that success riding on the number one defense in the NFL. It wasn't all sunny and blue skies in the mile high city. Peyton Manning, one of the greatest quarterbacks to play, retires after the win. Plus, with three all pro defensive players leaving for larger contracts, it left the Broncos with multiple questions and problems. After watching the team go 9-7 in 2016, they came up short and missed the playoffs. In the NFL it's difficult to maintain a winning season. With that being said, the Broncos played very well with the injuries and lack of depth they possessed. The defensive still had bragging rights to being one the best defenses in the league. On the other hand, the offense looked like a high school team was out there.
During the 2016 season the Denver Broncos offensive line allowed 40 sacks, that was third worst in the NFL( All stats are provided from ESPN.com). There is nothing spectacular that stood out to me this year on the offense because their offensive line in my opinion was the worst in league. They had a total of 1,400 yards rushing this year The league average was 1,800. C.J. Anderson, who has been the Broncos starting running back since 2014, had a season ending injury. It starts with the run game and they could not establish it. This lead the team to relying on first year quarterback Trevor Siemian, who out performed Mark Sanchez in training camp. Trevor had a pretty decent year putting up a 18:10 touchdown to interceptions ratio. He was light on his feet, while firing rockets into his receivers. He still needs to work on his accuracy and decision making, but I believe he will become an excellent starter in this league. That man was the only positive thing on that offense, I give him the offensive M.V.P.
When we talk about the Denver Broncos defense, one thing comes to mind, "the no fly zone." This was the nickname given to the Broncos secondary who led the league in opposing quarterback rating of 73.8(All stats provided by ESPN.com). They also led the the league in fewest passing yards allowed per game with 185 yards. They were a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks. It was led by their two all pro cornerbacks, Aqib Talib and Chris Harris Jr.. One of the reasons quarterbacks had trouble against this group was the constant pressure put on through all pro linebackers Demarcus Ware and Von Miller. Von Miller who was Super Bowl 50 M.V.P., actually was runner up for defensive player of the year. With all these advantages to the passing game, it led to some holes in the run game. The Broncos allowed the fourth most rushing yards per game with 130.5 yards per game. The Broncos lost two all pro dynamic run stoppers on defense, nose tackle Malik Jackson and linebacker Danny Trevathan. It made it so much more challenging for the team to stop the run without those two . This defense won all their games for them, whether it was through blocked kicks or a pick sixes late in the fourth quarter. If it wasn't for this dominant defense the Broncos would have been staring at a losing record for the year. I give the Defensive M.V.P to Denver's secondary, "The No Fly Zone."
The Broncos put up a strong fight this year, but their division was sick of losing against them. In the NFL you play your division teams twice, this year the Broncos had tough losses to divisional opponents, which eventually led to them missing the playoffs. The home game against the Chiefs, which they lost 30-27 in overtime, was the turning point in which the team simply gave up. It was a devastating loss knowing that they would have led the AFC West with a win. After that game they lost four of the last five ending with no playoff hopes. It was a tough schedule. The Raiders went 12-4, while the chiefs went 13-3, both of whom are in the Broncos division. The Broncos faced these teams twice and couldn't find an answer to winning. Despite their tough schedule, the Broncos had their opportunities to making the playoffs, they just didn't know how to finish the games. The offense played way to poor for how strong and dominant their defense was.
The Broncos hope the new coaching staff will coach these players to becoming smart and physical. I was really disappointed with their season, I was hoping for at least a playoff appearance. The Broncos had a lot of missing parts to make a run in the playoffs, yet they earned a winning record and played their hearts out, for that I give them a B- rating. The Broncos hope to become contenders again next year, like in 2015, but that requires every player and coach to do their job to perfection. read more