Three Biggest Games: Denver Broncos
Denver’s Super Bowl aspirations crumbled before our very eyes in 2014. As the season wore on, it became clear that an increasingly hobbled and hurt Peyton Manning could do little to mask the flaws of a franchise that had lost it’s edge. That said, to lose in the divisional round of the playoffs and still call your season a failure is a pretty good state to be in. Now with Gary Kubiak calling the shots in place of John Fox, how will the Broncos fare in 2015, as their championship window continues to close?
Week 1 vs. Baltimore Ravens
The last time these two teams squared off in Denver, the defending Super Bowl champion Ravens were royally screwed out of a chance to open their reigning campaign at home, as per NFL tradition. Instead, they travelled out west, and never got out of the blocks against Manning and his seven touchdowns. Two years later, both franchises are on a far more even keel. Both teams have tremendous upsides heading into 2015, but both shoulder doubters regarding just how far they can go in a stacked AFC. The question of whether this season will be one of regression for Manning as he continues to defy father time will be answered in week 1.
Week 3 at Detroit Lions
In one of the most intriguing primetime matches of the year, the Lions host the Broncos, in Detroit, on a Sunday night: a trifecta that has rarely, if ever, been replicated in the history of the league. Detroit’s standout defense from last season will get an early test against Denver’s volatile arsenal of offensive skill players, including Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, and the freshly signed, underrated Owen Daniels. Meanwhile, the Broncos’ D will have to contend with a gunslinger of their own. A Lions’ win could be just the early kick-start they need to post another playoff appearance in 2015.
Week 15 at Pittsburgh Steelers
Few sights scream ‘big boy football’ quite like an encounter with the Pittsburgh Steelers amidst the December snow of Heinz Field. The NFL playoffs are nothing if not a haven for teams that get hot at precisely the right time, and with only three games remaining in the regular season, that time will be nigh for both of these high-hoping franchises. But while potent defense and power running has typically defined the late-season Steelers, the 2015 edition will feature a talented but very raw D coupled with arguably the most explosive O in the league. If Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware fail to keep Big Ben in check, his Killer Bs will envelop the point scoring potential of Manning’s offense en route to a huge win.
