The NFL is back, and Sportsnet is breaking down everything you need to know about each of the 32 teams—including why you should or shouldn’t be rooting for them this season—in the month leading up to kickoff on Thursday, Sept. 8. Today, the Denver Broncos.
Last year’s record: 12-4
Head coach: Gary Kubiak
Core players: Von Miller (LB), DeMarcus Ware (LB), Brandon Marshall (LB), Aqib Talib (CB), Chris Harris (CB), T.J. Ward (S), Demaryius Thomas (WR), Emmanuel Sanders (WR), Ronnie Hillman (RB), C.J. Anderson (RB)
2016 is about… Making the most of their Super Bowl window. Aside from the loss of Peyton Manning, Brock Osweiler and nearly its entire offensive line (they weren’t that great anyway), Denver will still be fielding a championship-calibre team this season. With Miller and Ware coming off the edge and a talented foursome in the secondary, the Broncos defence will remain one of the league’s best while the offence still boasts a handful of explosive playmakers despite uncertainty at quarterback.
If they can limit the drama under centre, Denver has the talent to repeat.
But they lost… Peyton Manning, who despite seeing a drastic drop-off in talent last season, was a crucial player in Denver’s run to a title. Manning’s football acumen is irreplaceable. The Broncos also missed out on bringing back Brock Osweiler, who started seven games (5-2) while Manning was out injured. Denver wasn’t willing to meet Osweiler’s demands, which could turn out to be a smart decision depending on how things play out in Houston.
The Broncos also lost a couple of key pieces from last season’s vaunted defence. Malik Jackson signed in Jacksonville after his best season as a pro in 2015, and while Denver is deep along the defensive line Jackson will be missed, especially after the loss of Vance Walker to a season-ending knee injury.
Another notable absence will be that of inside linebacker Danny Trevathan, who re-joined former head coach John Fox in Chicago. The tandem of Trevathan and Brandon Marshall in the middle of Denver’s defence was important to last season’s success, and Denver has yet to find a true replacement ready to take Trevathan’s place.
Yeah, but they got… Mark Sanchez … ? The Broncos won’t need too much out of their quarterback this season, but even that might be a lot to ask of the Sanchize. All joking aside, recent history shows Sanchez won’t be able to 1) maintain consistency through an entire season and 2) remain healthy for 16 games. Banking on Sanchez wouldn’t be a safe bet for John Elway and company.
After watching four offensive lineman and a combined 43 starts leave in free agency, the Broncos brought in former Seahawks left tackle Russell Okung, on one of the stranger deals the NFL has ever seen, and ex-Chiefs tackle Donald Stephenson to help shore up a group that gave up 39 sacks last season and struggled to protect Manning and Osweiler, who both took some monster hits in 2015.
Growing from within… If (when) the Mark Sanchez experiment fails, the Broncos will hope one of two young signal callers will be ready to take the reins. Denver traded up to select Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch in the first round of the spring’s draft with the hope he can do just that. The six-foot-seven Lynch has all the skills to be Denver’s future at the position but needs some refinement.
In the meantime, 2015 seventh-round pick Trevor Siemian looks to have a real chance to beat out Sanchez to win the starting job after an impressive camp thus far.
The Broncos are also high on 2016 fourth-round draft pick Devonte Booker, selected 136th overall in April. The former Utah Utes running back has an intriguing combination of speed and power, and is already getting time ahead of Ronnie Hillman with the first-team offence.
And we can’t forget about 2015 first-round pick Shane Ray, who with DeMarcus Ware aging and dealing with injury could see increased time opposite Von Miller after racking up four sacks in his rookie campaign.
Why this team? Because if the Broncos are able to find a consistent starter at quarterback, they have the pieces in place to make another run at the Super Bowl. We all know the defence will be a force once again, and any semblance of a passing game would be an improvement on last season.
Why not this team? Super Bowl hangover. Like the term or not, it’s a real thing. Winning back-to-back titles is rare for a reason. It doesn’t matter how motivated or reinvigorated a team might be, trying to follow up a run of that magnitude takes its toll.
Also, Mark Sanchez.
How much hope? 9/10. Despite the always-threatening Chiefs and a likely push from the up-and-coming Raiders, the Broncos should be able to win their division and with no clear-cut second favourite in the AFC it could be another run of consecutive titles for Elway.