The Broncos are no lock to win anything
“An odd set of circumstances does, however, threaten to make the Broncos’ impressive early-season run a distant memory when it’s all said and done.”
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There is no reason to be anything but high on the prospects of the 2013 Denver Broncos. Their pursuit of perfection is producing excellence. Peyton Manning and his shoot-first offense are on a collision course with history. Manning, Welker, Decker and a pair of productive Thomases are producing head-shaking, statistics in every passing category and threatening to leave the record book asunder. Even the maligned Denver defense is better than most folks think. Powered by breakneck speed, the Broncos linebacking corps has been responding to the absence of Von Miller favorably, containing fleet-footed QBs and limiting star rushers to pedestrian statistics despite the clear flaws in Denver’s pass rush.
An odd set of circumstances does, however, threaten to make the Broncos’ impressive early-season run a distant memory when it’s all said and done.
The Broncos are undefeated through five games. Unfortunately, the Kansas City Chiefs are, too. Even though Denver has played amazing football, the team has not outpaced its AFC West rival. Kansas City remains in lock-step with Denver and is playing a last-place schedule. In the coming weeks the Chiefs face Oakland, Houston and Cleveland at home (Denver gets the Texans on the road and will not face the Weeden-piloted Browns at all). Call that three more wins for Andy Reid and company. Then, after their bye, Kansas City faces such powerhouses as Buffalo, Washington and San Diego.
The Broncos play the Chiefs twice in three weeks, on November 17th and again on December 1st. These could be the only games the Chiefs lose in the regular season. And, if they somehow manage a split with Denver, it’s not inconceivable that they could win the AFC West with a record no worse than 13-3. It’s almost unimaginable that Denver could allow it’s self to finish second in its own division after such a searing start to the season, but there’s no debating the fact that the Broncos have a tougher schedule than KC. One loss to the Chiefs could be enough to prompt the impossible into happening.
The above scenario is extremely unlikely. The odds are very much in favor of Denver not only winning the AFC West, but having a playoff bye week. If that were to be the case, the Broncos would host an AFC Divisional playoff game on either January 11th or 12th, 2014. Assuming they advanced beyond that game, they would host the AFC Championship game on January 19th. It’s possible that both of those Sundays would be toasty warm, but the odds say otherwise. The Farmer’s Almanac is projecting a cold, wet winter for Denver, Colorado. Already the precipitation in the area has shattered records, so it’s not at all unlikely that Peyton Manning would be forced to operate in conditions that have proven in the past to be like kryptonite to him. Can he win two playoff games in the cold and snow?
If the Broncos do manage the weather labyrinth in their own city for two games to win the AFC they will be rewarded by a trip to New Jersey for the Super Bowl. There’s virtually no doubt that MetLife stadium will offer a chilly mix of wind and cold, and possibly snow. Unless the Broncos develop an electric suit for Peyton Manning to play in, he’s going to suffer from the temperatures. His nerve damage seems to be on the mend, but there’s no telling how the 37 year-old will respond under these unfavorable circumstances.
The Broncos feel to all the world like a lock to win the AFC West, progress to topple the AFC and probably win the Super Bowl. If there’s one truth about the NFL, though, it’s that you can expect the unexpected. For the Broncos to reach to pinnacle they are going to need to continue to control their fate. A sweep of the Chiefs is almost a necessity. Manning must also make preparations to better cope with cold weather, also. Otherwise this magical season could be on course for a familiar ending.
