The Broncos beat the Packers last night, securing the title of Best Team in the NFL Today. I wish I could say that I never doubted them. But that wouldn't be quite true-I doubted them when Charles Woodson picked off Manning in the end zone, and when the Chiefs almost beat us in Week 2, and several other times throughout the season.
Before the game, I told everybody who I talk football with on Sundays that all Denver needed was a clean, effective win against the Packers-not necessarily a blowout, but a clean, effective win-and then there would be no doubt as to who would win the Super Bowl.
My friends did remind me of one rather discomforting fact: they had not done it yet. They might lose-indeed, they might be blown out-and most football fans predicted them to do so. Even I was pretty surprised when the Broncos got just what they needed: a clean, effective win. (Just a funny anecdote: In church yesterday, there were three Packers fans in the choir, wearing their jerseys. My pastor said, "Since today was our baby dedication, we decided to have some clowns up here.")
Anyway, I don't just think they proved themselves the best team in the NFL. I think they became the best team in history.
Whoa. That was unexpected (unless, of course, you read the title.) Why do I think this? Well, for starters, it's obvious that their defense is the best, or one of the best, in history. Looking back, there have been so many great defenses, such as the 2014 Lions, the 2013 Seahawks, the Steel Curtain and even Denver's own Orange Crush from the '70s. Denver's defense today-the Orange Crush 2.0-trumps them all.
We have our mentor (Demarcus Ware) and our superstar (Von Miller). We have our awesome rookie (Shane Ray) and our breakout player (Shaquil Barrett). We have our star linebacker duo (Brandon Marshall and Danny Trevathan) and our star safety duo (T.J. Ward and Darian Stewart.) And don't forget our new Three Amigos-cornerbacks Chris Harris Jr., Aqib Talib, and Bradley Roby.
If you're not a Denver fan, a lot of those names could be unfamiliar to you. That's OK. But, remember that our offense is back on track. Peyton Manning, although unimpressive for his first six games, appears to be back to his usual self. He threw some of the best balls I've ever seen last night. With Peyton back on track, star receivers like Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas can thrive.
C.J. Anderson and Ronnie Hillman are both pretty good, much better than they were leading up to the Broncos-Packers game. Now that Anderson's his usual self and Hillman is better than ever, our ground game can get us somewhere. Although it will never be our specialty, our rushing attack will be the last straw for every team we play.
Last but not least, there is our offensive line. Guards Louis Vasquez and Evan Mathis are both multiple-year Pro Bowlers who can train rookie Max Garcia. Ty Sambrailo, Michael Schofield, and Ryan Harris are all capable tackles. And of course, there's Matt Paradis, the second-year guard who climbed from college to a seventh-round pick to our practice squad to our starting center.
Our team is definitely the best in the league, and quite possibly the greatest in history.
Before the game, I told everybody who I talk football with on Sundays that all Denver needed was a clean, effective win against the Packers-not necessarily a blowout, but a clean, effective win-and then there would be no doubt as to who would win the Super Bowl.
My friends did remind me of one rather discomforting fact: they had not done it yet. They might lose-indeed, they might be blown out-and most football fans predicted them to do so. Even I was pretty surprised when the Broncos got just what they needed: a clean, effective win. (Just a funny anecdote: In church yesterday, there were three Packers fans in the choir, wearing their jerseys. My pastor said, "Since today was our baby dedication, we decided to have some clowns up here.")
Anyway, I don't just think they proved themselves the best team in the NFL. I think they became the best team in history.
Whoa. That was unexpected (unless, of course, you read the title.) Why do I think this? Well, for starters, it's obvious that their defense is the best, or one of the best, in history. Looking back, there have been so many great defenses, such as the 2014 Lions, the 2013 Seahawks, the Steel Curtain and even Denver's own Orange Crush from the '70s. Denver's defense today-the Orange Crush 2.0-trumps them all.
We have our mentor (Demarcus Ware) and our superstar (Von Miller). We have our awesome rookie (Shane Ray) and our breakout player (Shaquil Barrett). We have our star linebacker duo (Brandon Marshall and Danny Trevathan) and our star safety duo (T.J. Ward and Darian Stewart.) And don't forget our new Three Amigos-cornerbacks Chris Harris Jr., Aqib Talib, and Bradley Roby.
If you're not a Denver fan, a lot of those names could be unfamiliar to you. That's OK. But, remember that our offense is back on track. Peyton Manning, although unimpressive for his first six games, appears to be back to his usual self. He threw some of the best balls I've ever seen last night. With Peyton back on track, star receivers like Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas can thrive.
C.J. Anderson and Ronnie Hillman are both pretty good, much better than they were leading up to the Broncos-Packers game. Now that Anderson's his usual self and Hillman is better than ever, our ground game can get us somewhere. Although it will never be our specialty, our rushing attack will be the last straw for every team we play.
Last but not least, there is our offensive line. Guards Louis Vasquez and Evan Mathis are both multiple-year Pro Bowlers who can train rookie Max Garcia. Ty Sambrailo, Michael Schofield, and Ryan Harris are all capable tackles. And of course, there's Matt Paradis, the second-year guard who climbed from college to a seventh-round pick to our practice squad to our starting center.
Our team is definitely the best in the league, and quite possibly the greatest in history.
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