Weekend reveals mostly clear sailing ahead for the Denver Broncos
“As far as the rest of the conference is concerned … well, the Bills almost beat the Pats, the Texans barely slipped past the Chargers, the Colts hardy beat the Raiders, the Bengals looked pretty good but could not get past the Bears, the Ravens showed us what they were made of and the Steelers got destroyed.”
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The NFL is back – and damn, does it feel good. Despite some sloppy play around the league this weekend, pro football was well prepared to deliver the thrills we were expecting. America’s game? You better believe it.
It’s not wise to read too much into the first week of games in the NFL. But, when it comes to Denver’s prospects in the AFC it’s pretty easy to feel good. The Broncos blasted the Ravens, after all, and blurred memories of their playoff loss in 2012 with a seven-TD performance by Peyton Manning. The defense looked proficient, too, shutting down Flacco and Company effectively in the second half on Thursday night despite Von Miller’s absense. Broncos / Ravens was the traditional NFL warm up game that gave way to an entire slate of tilts on Sunday and Monday. None of them revealed a legitimate threat to the Broncos in the AFC.
Within Denver’s division in particular, only Kansas City displayed any dominance – and that was against a Jacksonville Jaguars team that seemed very much as though it had already given up on its 2013 campaign. The Chiefs will undoubtedly be much improved, but that’s not saying much for a team that won two games last season. Andy Reid may hit pay dirt in KC someday but it will not be anytime soon.
The Chargers were the Chargers on Monday night. They blew a 21 point lead and managed to lose in oh-so-familiar style to the Texans, who also lack the firepower to hang with Denver.
If there was one thing that happened this week in the AFC West that could spell trouble at all for the Broncos it was the emergence of Terrell Pryor in Oakland. The fleet-of-foot rookie QB showed real promise in keeping the Raiders within shouting distance of toppling the Colts, a team that made the playoffs in 2012. The Raiders showed that they are going to put up a fight week in and week out. Pryor, along with Darren McFadden and the pass catching back, Marcell Reece, could be the one team in the division to give Denver a scare.
As far as the rest of the conference is concerned … well, the Bills almost beat the Pats, the Texans barely slipped past the Chargers, the Colts hardy beat the Raiders, the Bengals looked pretty good but could not get past the Bears, the Ravens showed us what they were made of and the Steelers got destroyed. It looks like clear sailing toward the playoffs for the Broncos … assuming they stay healthy.
It’s the NFC that fans should fear. The Packers, ‘Niners, Eagles, Giants, Cowboys and Saints all appear to be contenders not only make it to the Super Bowl, but to win it. Fortunately for the Broncos, they have to get there before any of those squads are a real concern.
