Post Super Bowl Thoughts

[iknowftbll]

I had every intention of doing this yesterday or earlier today while at my office, but work related stuff kept popping up. How obnoxious. I even told my boss I couldn't get to it right away because I was reading post game commentary. Lucky for me, my boss has a good sense of humor.

So hear is a series of a thoughts I have on our Denver Broncos after winning their third Super Bowl.

First and foremost: I am ecstatic about this win. I am excited for the team, the individual players, the fans and the State of Colorado and any outlying regions that consider themselves Broncos country. There is nothing quite as awesome as claiming a third Super Bowl title. I am happy for the coaches: Old Broncos men returning home and getting in done in their first year as a staff. I am happy for John Elway, who stepped into the helm of a 4-12 team in disarray and in his five seasons has delivered five AFC West titles, 5 trips to the Divisional Round of the playoffs, two Conference Titles, and one Super Bowl win. If you had to write John Elway's story and the script unfold this way, nobody would buy it because it would be considered so unbelievable.

I am also very excited for Peyton Manning. He brought us three of the most prolific seasons in the history of the league and then followed it up by looking downright awful at times this year. But given a shot at redemption he accepted a reduced role in the offense and he did his part to lead this team to a Super Bowl win. In doing so he becomes the first QB to lead two separate teams to a Super Bowl win, and he did it in part in a Broncos uniform. I am also happy that we got 4 seasons out of him. With 4 seasons, 2 Super Bowls, and 1 Super Bowl win, Mannings tenure in Denver is not one of a "hired gun." That's an appreciable length of time and matched his production in 14 seasons in Indianapolis. Peyton Manning is a Denver Bronco.

Other Random Thoughts, No Particular Order:

Prestige: The Broncos are officially the premier franchise of the AFC West. Last year they passed the Oakland Raiders for most regular season wins for an AFC West team, and that combined with the Broncos now equaling the Raiders in Super Bowl wins at 3, not to mention the fact the Raiders long spell of irrelevancy, propels the Broncos past the Raiders. Here's another factor: Super Bowl appearances. Sure, some will say the wins are all that matters, but the truth is repeatedly reaching the game over a long period of time is a testament to how prestigious an NFL franchise is. In this capacity the Broncos obliterate the Raiders with 8 Super Bowls compared to their 5. Let's not even mentioned the Chiefs (1-1) and Chargers (0-1) in the Super Bowl. With three wins in eight appearances spread out since the 1977 Orange Crush Broncos, the Denver Broncos are officially the premier franchise of the storied AFC West.

43-8: Talk about a number that literally does not matter anymore. I've had this number thrown in my face several times since that awful night. Ironically enough, it's Chiefs fans who are quick to do it, as if the Chiefs had anything to do with it. (I'll come back to them.) But now nobody can throw it in our faces. The Broncos won the golden Super Bowl. Manning in a Broncos uniform did something that has never been done before. The defense gave a timeless performance. The team as a whole decisively beat a heavily favored opponent. Chiefs fans will not be so fast to bring up the Broncos most recent Super Bowl. Hell, not even Seahawks fans can throw that in our faces anymore! The Seahawks are 1-2 in the Super Bowl. Do the math: The Broncos have as many wins as the Seahawks have appearances. Sure, it would have been nice to get that one, but it's in the books. The good news is that chapter is closed and a new and better one has replaced it.

Ruining the Chiefs best season in years: Maybe this is just a little schadenfreude on my part. Since Reid took over the Chiefs, they have been our most fearsome rival. Forget the fact that the Broncos bitch slapped them 7 of 8 times since Manning's arrival. In the past off season the Chiefs fans took their dislike for the Broncos to new levels, even actively rooting for their players to end Manning's career. That win in Kansas City was as satisfying a win as we've had over the Chiefs since a 14-10 game in Kansas City years ago. That loss in Denver was awful. Watching them rip off a 10 game win streak to reach 11-5 was frustrating, especially since many of them left their own team for dead when they were 1-5. To hear so many of them claiming "they never doubted" was hilarious. And to see them so jubilant that the Chiefs finally broke that 22 year old, 8 playoff game losing streak, only for the Broncos to completely upstage them by winning the Super Bowl is as awesome as it gets. They would have been able to look at this season as memorable. Instead, since their most hated rival just won the Super Bowl they will look at it as miserable.

3-5 > 2-6: The Broncos already have more Super Bowl losses than any other franchise. Now part of that is a product of being relevant enough often enough to reach the Super Bowl 8 times, but to lose it 5 times is a dubious honor. To have 2 more losses than the three teams that already have 4 losses...? That would have hurt. Instead, to further solidify Denver's status as an elite franchise they joined a short list of 9 NFL teams with 3+ Super Bowl wins. For the record, the number of teams with 2+ wins is 12.

A chance to repeat: I'm not calling it. In fact, even later this year as the 2016 season approaches I won't call it because I never pick playoff results. All I'm saying here is that the Broncos are in a position to repeat due to the insanely good defense as well as what we can expect to be an improved offense in the second year of Kubiak's system. But more importantly than any "state of the Broncos" analysis we can give is the prerequisite to repeat: You have to win that first one. And the Broncos are 1 out of 32 NFL teams going into the 2016 season who has satisfied this prerequisite.

Improbable Season: Shy of the actual Super Bowl win, taking in the 2015 season as a whole is a spectacle to behold. We had our ups and downs and our frustrations. We questioned Kubiak along the way and praised Wade Philips. We wondered if Manning should hand 'em up and pondered our chances with Osweiler. We marveled at how amazing this defense was and lamented that the offense was squandering a historic defensive season. We breathed sighs of relief after close wins and we weathered disappointing losses. We saw a team play inspired and tough: tougher than any Broncos team we've seen in years. And after a cameo by Manning at the end of the regular season and taking the season as a whole, to include the toughness of this team, some of us began to think this Broncos team had a chance. Looking back on it, I wouldn't change a thing. Not one win, loss, interception, 4th down attempt stuffed for a loss, or anything else. All's well that ends well, and the 2015 Broncos could not have ended it any better.

I could go on, but I you get the idea. What kind of random thoughts and nuggets have you had on your mind surrounding this amazing run?

 

[WalkerBoh]

As far as Super Bowls go, here's one more important fact:

While many teams have Lombardi trophies, only the Broncos have a 18kt gold "50" sitting in their trophy case.

 

[iknowftbll]

For the record, here is the all-time AFC West standings. Format is regular season W-L-T/playoffs W-L/Super Bowl W-L:

Denver Broncos: 456-386-10/23-19/3-5

Oakland Raiders: 444-397-11/25-18/3-2

Kansas City Chiefs: 435-405-12/9-16/1-1

San Diego Chargers: 421-420-11/11-17/0-1

Some thoughts:

As you can see the Broncos have taken the lead in the regular season wins and even with the Raiders likely to improve next year that span is going to widen in 2016. The Raiders still have the most playoff appearances and wins, but the Broncos have more Super Bowl appearances and an equal number of wins. This suggests the Broncos have done more with their playoff appearances than the Raiders have. Also remember the Broncos didn't make their first playoff appearance until 1977, spotting the Raiders a generous head start.

I was surprised to see just how inept the Chiefs have been in their history in the playoffs. 9-16? Hell, even the Chargers have more wins. Sure, one of the Chiefs wins is a Super Bowl, but the Chargers do have an AFL title to their credit, which somewhat balances the teams. I mean, I really had no idea how pathetic the Chiefs really were. I knew about the 22 year drought, but I had no clue just how irrelevant they were even before that drought. I can see why their fans hate us so much!

I was also somewhat surprised to see the Chargers have more wins than losses. That'll change after 2016!

 

[TDs3nOut]

How good is Konay Ealy?

 

[DownSetHutch]

On point, ikf. You covered the highlights of the season and the Super Bowl with your usual panache.

The only thing I could have added was brought up by WalkerBoh in post #2: winning the Golden 50. That is special. I didn't ever think another Super Bowl Championship could ever be as special as XXXII, but this one just might. It's damn close.

 

[Mingo]

I've said this many times before - and it is so true for these Broncos -the key to being ready for the playoffs is to spread the regular season bumps, bruises and experience out - over the entire 53 person roster - this way your least experienced guys get experience playing and your most experienced guys stay relatively rested. These Broncos have talent, but they were always going to win because they had more physicality and emotional reserve in the tank than any other team.

This is the 3rd Denver Bronco world champion, but this is the toughest Bronco team of all time. They went after the QB like a jail break every play. They hit so hard - other teams had trouble recovering after playing the Broncos.

The weakest link on the team is the Oline and it is the Oline that has arguably the most young talent - that is a pretty good harbinger of things to come.

 

[cdumler7]

I was thinking about just how masterful Elway has been in creating this team. I mean we went from Historical offense just 2 years ago to now historical defense this season. I'm sure that has never happened in the history of the game. Then you look at what Elway did in he was very aggressive in his approach to put this team together.

He hit FA to get some knock you in the mouth type guys in Talib and Ward then that veteran leader to help get especially Von Miller on track.

You look at the draft and getting guys like Roby and Ray who both had a couple of character issues but the talent was undeniable and both have been nothing but spectacular since coming to town. Really every one of Elway's 1st picks in the drafts contributed to our win this year...Von, Wolfe, Sly, Roby, and Ray are a great core of young players for the next 4-5 years that we can look at and know we should have a great defense. Then you throw in later round guys like Malik and Trevathan being huge. Then the others brought in like Harris through UDFA and Marshall off of waivers, and Stewart who was cut by 2 teams. I mean honestly I would have trouble ranking the starters for this defense in best to worst. They all brought something unique to this defense.

 

[Southieinnc]

As far as Super Bowls go, here's one more important fact:

While many teams have Lombardi trophies, only the Broncos have a 18kt gold "50" sitting in their trophy case.

I have been working 7 days a week and have taken awhile to get here but -
Congratulations on the Superbowl Championship.
Tough end of season for Patriots and Broncos but the Broncos got it done.
See you next year......

 

[WalkerBoh]

I have been working 7 days a week and have taken awhile to get here but -
Congratulations on the Superbowl Championship.
Tough end of season for Patriots and Broncos but the Broncos got it done.
See you next year......

I'm not sure I'd say it was a tough end of season for the Broncos...... ;-)

Thanks for the congrats! I have a feeling Patriots and Broncos will be meeting again in the playoffs next year. Heck, Patriots at Denver might just open the entire regular season.

 

[megalodon30]

I'm not sure I'd say it was a tough end of season for the Broncos...... ;-)

Read Malik Jackson got fined for unnecessary roughness in the SB. That's a tough break.

 

[WalkerBoh]

Read Malik Jackson got fined for unnecessary roughness in the SB. That's a tough break.

I'd bet Jackson found enough under his couch cushions to pay that one.

 

[Mingo]

I don't think it is too close to the Super Bowl - for me to be influenced by the emotion of being a fan of the winning team - but this maybe my favorite season.

Favorite Bronco seasons:

1) This season
2) 1977 - who can forget the elation brought on by the "Orange Crush?"
3) Elways' first Super Bowl - Finally - a Super Bowl Trophy
4) Elway's 2nd Super Bowl Elway goes out in style.
5) Tim Tebow starter season - the most miraculous series of wins I've ever witnessed.

 

[megalodon30]

How about 05-06? Sure we didn't quite make the Super Bowl, but I take a lot of pride that we were the team to knock of Belichick and Brady for the first time in the playoffs. I think they were 10-0 up to that point if memory serves me correctly.

 

[cdumler7]

Just one final point (well we all know that isn't true from me). I honestly think it is a travesty that Elway did not win executive of the year. Just think back to this past off season and Elway pretty much firing the entire coaching staff that for the past 4 years in a row had won the division and even made it to a Super Bowl just 2 seasons earlier. Now while us Bronco fans saw the writing on the wall I remember the national media were ripping Elway apart for making such a decision and then to especially bring in his buddy Kubiak who hadn't proven much as a Head Coach up to that point. Then to go and get Wade Phillips who nobody really wanted the year before and we didn't have any competition for this year.

Elway then let Franklin, Knighton, Julius, and Rahim "The Dream" walk in FA leaving everybody to say the Broncos Super Bowl window had closed. He then went out and made very smart cheap signings in FA with Owen Daniels (came up big in the playoffs), Darian Stewart (best safety play we have seen in Denver in quite some time), Mathis (finished much higher than Franklin this year), and then trusted his 1st round pick from 2013 to step up and become a great player. Elway was able to get better production at a cheaper rate from every player that came in for those we lost and gave the Broncos the best Off Season signing of any team in a huge upgrade to the coaching staff. Yet the Jets GM wins it without his team even making the playoffs. Beyond just Elway losing it this year is the fact that in his 5 years in the league he hasn't won it once yet took the 2nd worst team in the league and has won the division 5 straight times, 2 AFC Championships, and 1 Super Bowl Lombardi in that time. Built up the best offense the NFL has ever seen and then decided to switch gears and built up possibly the best defense of the past 15 years. Honestly it has been just the craziest 5 years I can remember for the Broncos.

 

[iknowftbll]

That's a good point, CD. Elway really should have won that. But honestly I don't get too up or down over awards like that. I've even reached a point where I don't get disappointed at Broncos players being shunned HoF (an institution whose credibility I consider dismal given how one of the single greatest franchises in the league is so stupidly under represented there) because I've just come to expect the Broncos to be overlooked. It honestly surprises me to hear some among the national media to be discussing the possibility that this Broncos defense is the greatest defense of all time. That's a tough claim to definitively prove and I honestly do not think it can be done (similar to the greatest QB of all time discussions). But the fact that it is a conversation some are having while it involves the Broncos is a bit of a shock to me. As the clock wound down on the Super Bowl and the Broncos had to just ride out the closing couple minutes up 24-10 I somewhat expected the national media to pivot away from the NFL season as quickly as they could. Forget the fact that the Broncos are currently the most popular team in the United States, or that Manning's alleged last game was the Super Bowl, and many of the other compelling story lines surrounding this Broncos team. The national media simply does not like the Broncos. It must kill them to have to cover them as champions, and it really does surprise me some are giving them credit where it is due.

 

[cdumler7]

That's a good point, CD. Elway really should have won that. But honestly I don't get too up or down over awards like that. I've even reached a point where I don't get disappointed at Broncos players being shunned HoF (an institution whose credibility I consider dismal given how one of the single greatest franchises in the league is so stupidly under represented there) because I've just come to expect the Broncos to be overlooked. It honestly surprises me to hear some among the national media to be discussing the possibility that this Broncos defense is the greatest defense of all time. That's a tough claim to definitively prove and I honestly do not think it can be done (similar to the greatest QB of all time discussions). But the fact that it is a conversation some are having while it involves the Broncos is a bit of a shock to me. As the clock wound down on the Super Bowl and the Broncos had to just ride out the closing couple minutes up 24-10 I somewhat expected the national media to pivot away from the NFL season as quickly as they could. Forget the fact that the Broncos are currently the most popular team in the United States, or that Manning's alleged last game was the Super Bowl, and many of the other compelling story lines surrounding this Broncos team. The national media simply does not like the Broncos. It must kill them to have to cover them as champions, and it really does surprise me some are giving them credit where it is due.

I've reached a point of just laughing about it. They can keep shunning the Broncos as long as we just keep going out there and winning.

I was reading an article earlier this week right after the Super Bowl was over and they were already making predictions for next season and the top prediction they made was that the Broncos would miss the playoffs. Now maybe it is true but to me making such a claim right after they win the Super Bowl and have not seen the draft/FA/Cuts and everything else that happens with an off season just seems crazy. At times it almost seems like they are openly cheering against the Broncos. Heck saw it in my own family as my brother-in-law was cheering for Cam Newton in the Super Bowl and called my father-in-law afterwards to make sure he knew that if the Broncos had played the Panthers 10 times we would have lost it 8 or 9 of those times. To me I just laughed and said "I don't care if they would have...all we needed to do was win it that one time in the actual game that matters instead of dream world." I've seen the national guys say similar things. Like I said the Broncos will just keep on winning like they have been with being one of the most historic teams in the NFL.

 

[iknowftbll]

^ On another forum I frequent there was a discussion about bold predictions for the 2016 season. I limited my predictions to the predictions others would make. Essentially my predictions were about the public's general expectations going into the new season. I also limited them to AFC West related predictions.

I predict that the vast majority of sports media will pick the Chiefs to win the AFC West. Of those who do, at least 1/3 will pick the Broncos to not even make the playoffs. Of those who do not, it'll be a 2/3 and 1/3 split between picking the Broncos and Raiders to win the AFC West. In other words, a stark minority will expect the Broncos to win the AFC West and a significant fraction of people will expect them to miss the playoffs.

Now as you've noted, all of that may indeed be true. The Broncos could suffer a slew of injuries, have a disastrous off season, or straight up get outplayed by teams getting up to play the defending champs. There are a lot of variables and unknowns. However regarding these types of predictions, whether they pan out or not, I wonder are they reasonable predictions? In other words, is it reasonable to believe the Broncos will miss the playoffs given the insane level of their defense couple with Osweiler's effective navigation of the offense and the presumption that the unit will improve in its second year in the new system? I say that's not a reasonable expectation.

The schedule isn't even out yet but we know who the Broncos opponents are. I will make my regular game by game predictions after the draft like I always do, but I'm calling this here and now: The Broncos will go at least 10-6 and make the playoffs in 2016. I don't know if 10-6 will be enough to win the AFC West, but I believe it'll get them into the playoffs and I believe they'll reach the divisional round once again.

10-6 is a reasonable prediction. Missing the playoffs outright? That's not a prediction, that's hope on the part of those who dislike the Broncos.

 

[SpringStein]

Was the Broncos win bad for your portfolio??

Denver Broncos Super Bowl victory could signal stock market's loss

 

[Mingo]

Was the Broncos win bad for your portfolio??

Denver Broncos Super Bowl victory could signal stock market's loss

When I see my 401K drop $70K plus in a matter of weeks- I start thinking about getting superstitious.

 

[SpringStein]

When I see my 401K drop $70K plus in a matter of weeks- I start thinking about getting superstitious.

I simply don't open my statements.

Ignorance is bliss.