Would you rather.....

[Mingo]

Would you rather ... the Broncos won in 1997 or 2013?

I thought this was interesting. I'd like to change it up a little. Would you rather the Broncos won the Super Bowl in 1997 or 2014?

I think the Broncos greatest team was the one that played and lost to the Jags in the playoffs in Denver - if the Broncos had won that Super Bowl in 1997 - like they should have - they would have been 3 peat winners and one of the legendary NFL teams of all time.

 

[nflbronco]

3 peat winner all the way.

 

[SpiritOf77]

1997, no question

As much as that 2013 loss stung - and the following SB to the Seahawks - those losses prompted the defensive overhaul that will undergo yet another boost this season ... I love the defensive minded Broncos that grew from the 2013-2014 losses ..

John Elway, Terrell Davis, Steve Atwater, Tyrone Braxton, Shannon Sharpe, Eddie Mac, Rod Smith, Tom Nalen, Mark Schlereth, Ray Crockett, Jason Elam, John Mobley, Keith Burns -- even though Stinky and Eddie Mac started their careers with other teams, all these guys ( and probably a bunch that I am forgetting ) are Denver Broncos thru and thru .. All time Bronco greats ..

Compare that line up to Manning, Julius Thomas, Ronnie Hillman, Demaryius Thomas, Wes Welker, Robert Ayres, Terrence Knighton, Danny Trevathan, Mike Adams ...

c'mon, that is not classic Bronco football .. that is a limp team compared to '97

With the exception Of Champ Bailey, not many of those 2013 guys had the balls and Orange and Blue blood like that 1997 team

 

[Duffman]

1997, no question

As much as that 2013 loss stung - and the following SB to the Seahawks - those losses prompted the defensive overhaul that will undergo yet another boost this season ... I love the defensive minded Broncos that grew from the 2013-2014 losses ..

John Elway, Terrell Davis, Steve Atwater, Tyrone Braxton, Shannon Sharpe, Eddie Mac, Rod Smith, Tom Nalen, Mark Schlereth, Ray Crockett, Jason Elam, John Mobley, Keith Burns -- even though Stinky and Eddie Mac started their careers with other teams, all these guys ( and probably a bunch that I am forgetting ) are Denver Broncos thru and thru .. All time Bronco greats ..

Compare that line up to Manning, Julius Thomas, Ronnie Hillman, Demaryius Thomas, Wes Welker, Robert Ayres, Terrence Knighton, Danny Trevathan, Mike Adams ...

c'mon, that is not classic Bronco football .. that is a limp team compared to '97

With the exception Of Champ Bailey, not many of those 2013 guys had the balls and Orange and Blue blood like that 1997 team

But if that 2013 team had won the SB we'd be talking about them as arguably the greatest Offense of all time.

 

[iknowftbll]

I think some people answer questions like this like changing an outcome would happen in a vacuum. As I mentioned in my comment on the linked article though, changing one or both of these changes the entire trajectory of the team from that point forward. Not to mention you can’t truly know the team would have won the ensuing AFCCG or Super Bowls for the respective seasons.

But those crushing losses made the wins that followed soon after so much more satisfying. Losses hurt, and the disappointment can really be so real it’s tangible, but that’s life as a sports fan. The Broncos thankfully have followed some of their disappointing losses with some extremely satisfying victories too. Not every team can say the same.

 

[Mingo]

I think some people answer questions like this like changing an outcome would happen in a vacuum. As I mentioned in my comment on the linked article though, changing one or both of these changes the entire trajectory of the team from that point forward. Not to mention you can’t truly know the team would have won the ensuing AFCCG or Super Bowls for the respective seasons.

But those crushing losses made the wins that followed soon after so much more satisfying. Losses hurt, and the disappointment can really be so real it’s tangible, but that’s life as a sports fan. The Broncos thankfully have followed some of their disappointing losses with some extremely satisfying victories too. Not every team can say the same.

These are extremely valid points. Instead of logic - I was going for sentiment here. What would be more satisfying as a fan:

1) The later career John Elway crafty QB with the super human need to win - paired with the rising star RB Terrell Davis running crazy over NFL defenses. The best field controlling offense in the NFL supported by a great defense. This was a dynasty type team. Had the Broncos won 3 straight Super Bowls to end the 90s - they would have been a legendary team in the history of the league.

2) In the other case - the late career - resurrection of Peyton Manning -and his impact on the execution of the offense and like John Elway also had a super human urge to compete and win. Not knowing - in the case of the 2013 team that Manning's physical ability to play the position was slipping away fast over the next couple of seasons.

 

[LGM]

who is to say that Elway doesn't hang them up after winning two anyway? I bet he doesn't play that third SB season.

I'd say the 2013 year. That puts Peyton in the three ring group, that offense in the best ever, and the following defense in the best ever.

But who's to say he plays 2014 if he wins in 2013. Too many questions to say.

 

[iknowftbll]

These are extremely valid points. Instead of logic - I was going for sentiment here. What would be more satisfying as a fan:

1) The later career John Elway crafty QB with the super human need to win - paired with the rising star RB Terrell Davis running crazy over NFL defenses. The best field controlling offense in the NFL supported by a great defense. This was a dynasty type team. Had the Broncos won 3 straight Super Bowls to end the 90s - they would have been a legendary team in the history of the league.

2) In the other case - the late career - resurrection of Peyton Manning -and his impact on the execution of the offense and like John Elway also had a super human urge to compete and win. Not knowing - in the case of the 2013 team that Manning's physical ability to play the position was slipping away fast over the next couple of seasons.

I definitely can understand the sentiment aspect of it. And like I said, if you could assume the change would happen in a vacuum and everything after happened the same way it makes this drill a little more fun. Guys like me being all analytical sort of take the fun out of it.

 

[SpiritOf77]

But if that 2013 team had won the SB we'd be talking about them as arguably the greatest Offense of all time.

I've gotta be honest here, but as a Bronco fan going back to 1975, that 2013 era offense and the players in that offense are nothing special to me as a Bronco fan ..

With the exception of Knowshon Moreno - who I loved - I really don;t care for any of those offense players ..

I never warmed to Manning as a Bronco - when he was in Indy, I thought he was a coddled, spoiled soft QB who choked in the big game and despite amazing numbers, would need a big time D to win the big games - and nothing he did in Denver changed that for me ...

That 2013 loss to the Ravens was not on Rahim Moore, it was on Manning, who not surprisingly went into a frightened shell in the waning minutes and overtime of that game ..

I feel nothing for Demaryius Thomas or Julius Thomas, both whiny soft players who fit right in to that choke mentality ..

Wes Welker ?? Ronnie Hillman ?? .. CJ Anderson ?? Andre Caldwell ?? .... nope

Eric Decker, Montee Ball ?? you gotta be kidding me ..

The truth is that that 2013 offense does not deserve to be mentioned with the all time great offenses

And when that offense got a 2nd chance, what happen in the SB vs the Hawks ??

That first play -- the safety -- that pretty much summed up the nuts that offense had

.

.