Will the Denver Broncos Defense Be Able to Make Stops When it Matters?

There's no doubt who's had the best offense in the league this season, but when it comes to the Denver Broncos defense, there seems to be some holes.

Although the Broncos rank first in the league in passing yards per game, total yards per game, points per game and total offense; they rank 28th in the league in pass defense, nineth in the AFC in takeaways with -3, 24th in the league in opposing points per game and 23rd in total defense.

With the Broncos defense giving up almost four touchdowns a game at 26.6 points, while scoring an average of a little over five touchdowns a game at 38.2 points, it seems illogical that the Broncos D can continue to stop defenses consistently throughout the upcoming playoffs when they face tougher opposition than they've seen in the AFC West.

The Broncos remaining schedule includes the likes of two of the league's worst in the Houston Texans and Oakland Raiders, who have a combined record of 6-22 this season. It seems incredibly unlikely that the Broncos won't win out and garner the No. 1 seed in the AFC, along with a first round bye.

Now if the playoffs were to start today, Denver and the New England Patriots would have a first round bye and would face the winners of the Kansas City Chiefs-Indianapolis Colts game, and the Baltimore Ravens-Cincinatti Bengals game, respectively. And if I were to play matchmaker, I would think the Broncos would play the Bengals in the Divisonal Round which they would win handidly, and when the Colts overcome the Chiefs in a thriller, only to lose to the Patroits, it will set up a rematch of this season's overtime blunder in Foxboro. This will be the toughest test the Broncos will face in the AFC, and although they would have home field advantage, the Patriots seem to have a hunger for the Super Bowl like nobody else in the league. It will come down to who wants it more. If they can overcome the Pats in a close one, they will face their ultimate task in the Seattle Seahawks. I can't see anyone denying the best team in the league their second trip to the Super Bowl in franchise history. And I hate to say it, but if the Broncos defense don't get it together by then, they WILL fall to the Hawks.

However, the Broncos do have one small thing to their advantage, and he goes by the name of...

Peyton Manning

 

If the Broncos are to have any shot at a championship, it'll be led by the arm of the four-time MVP. And if Manning can continue to have the historic season he's on track to have, there's no limitations to what can happen. In most cases, defense wins championships, but the one outlier that stereotypes don't take into consideration is "The Sheriff," more commonly known as Peyton Manning.