Training camp has finally arrived. In order to help Broncos fans survive those dog days of July, those days without football, Mile High Sports polled them on all sorts of questions relating to the upcoming Broncos season.
We offered 30 questions over 30 days. Readers responded in droves and now we offer you the results and our takeaway based on those results.
1. Which of these offensive linemen concerns you most?
Gino Gradkowski: 32%
Chris Clark: 28%
Ty Sambrailo: 26%
Ben Garland: 13%
Louis Vasquez: 2%
Despite his being a Super Bowl champion (XLVII), readers still consider Gradkowski the biggest unknown on the Broncos o-line. Maybe it’s just repressed memories from when his Ravens knocked Denver out of the playoffs, or it’s the fact that he played in just eight games last year when Jeremy Zuttah took his job. Either way, Broncos fans are noticeably cautious about their new center. They’re nearly as concerned about Clark and Sambrailo, however; a sign things are far from stable on the o-line.
2. When will Demaryius rejoin the team?
Training Camp: 69%
Preseason: 15%
Week 1: 15%
Week 10: 2%
Fortunately, we all had the answer to this one before the month was done. Thomas and the Broncos came to a long-term deal that will keep the three-time Pro Bowl wideout in Denver for five more years and pay him a whopping $70 million.
3. Who will have the most catches this season?
Demaryius Thomas: 64%
Emmanuel Sanders: 36%
Owen Daniels: 0%
Cody Latimer: 0%
With new contract in hand, Thomas will now be expected to have plenty of catches in hand, as well. Last year Thomas was just two receptions away from tying Rod Smith for the franchise record for single season receptions. Can he reach 114 this year and pass Smith? Fans seem to think he’ll get the chance.
4. How many rushing yards will C.J. Anderson have this year?
1,000-1,499: 69%
More than 1,500: 24%
Less than 850: 5%
850-999: 2%
Anderson was just 151 yards short of a 1,000-yard season last year despite only getting 17 touches in the first nine games. With the return to a rush-first offense and a zone-blocking scheme, there are big expectations for Anderson to put up big numbers this year. However, readers aren’t expecting a monster year. An overwhelming majority expects him to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark, but fall short of a magical 1,500 yard-plus season.
5. Who will have more sacks this year?
Von Miller: 90%
DeMarcus Ware: 8%
Shane Ray: 3%
Miller has faced back-to-back seasons in which adversity defined his year. First with a suspension in 2013, then coming off an injury in 2014. He rebounded well last year, but fell short of the expectations he set for himself when he posted just 14 sacks. Entering a contract year, and seeing the kind of money Justin Houston just landed in Kansas City, Miller has big financial motivation to have a record-setting year. If he has one, he’ll be looking at a possible record-setting contract.
6. How many passing TDs will Peyton Manning throw?
30-39: 43%
20-29: 33%
More than 40: 25%
Less than 20: 0%
Since joining the Broncos, Manning has never thrown less than 37 touchdowns, including tossing an NFL record 55 in 2013. But with a new head coach who likes to run the ball, fans are less than confident that the NFL’s all-time TD king will surpass 40 this year. In fact, one-third of our readers think he won’t even break 30 this year. Yikes.
7. How many completions will Brock Osweiler have?
15-34: 43%
35-49: 26%
Less than 15: 23%
More than 50: 9%
The Broncos faithful have plenty of faith in Manning, it seems. Less than 10 percent think “Plan B” will have more than 50 completions in a year that some experts have suggested should see a split load between the sure-fire Hall of Famer and his heir apparent. Fans, it seems, don’t have much confidence that Brock could replicate the success they saw from Bubby (Brister).
8. When will Chris Harris Jr. finally surrender a touchdown?
After Week 1, but before Week 8: 40%
He won’t: 37%
Week 8 or later: 14%
Playoffs: 9%
Week 1: 0%
This vote was nearly as tight as the coverage Chris Harris Jr. provides against opposing wide receivers. Harris was perfect in 2014, not allowing a single touchdown in his coverage assignments. A full 37 percent of you think he’ll go another NFL season without giving up a score. That number was only slightly bettered by the 40 percent who think it will fall at some point in the first half of the season, other than Week 1.
9. Who will lead the team in tackles?
Brandon Marshall: 46%
Danny Trevathan: 32%
Von Miller: 10%
T.J. Ward: 10%
Bradley Roby: 2%
Not since D.J. Williams in 2010 and ’11 has a Bronco led the team in tackles in back-to-back years. Now, fans are expecting Marshall to break that trend. Marshall, last year’s leading tackler, will face stiff competition from Trevathan, who held the honor in 2013. Most fans, assuredly, won’t care who’s making those tackles, so long as they’re near the line of scrimmage.
10. Which of these special teamers will make the 53-man roster?
Karl Schmitz: 77%
Britton Colquitt: 10%
Brandon McManus: 10%
None of the above: 2%
Schmitz isn’t just winning likes and subscribers on YouTube, he’s winning fans over in our poll as well. Now, the question is whether or not he can win over the coaches and steal a roster spot from Colquitt or McManus. Kubiak will not keep two kickers and a punter. Connor Barth played well enough to earn himself a roster spot last season. Will the Broncos keep Colquitt’s big salary on the books? It seems you’re not convinced.
11. What will the Broncos record be?
13-3: 28%
12-4: 28%
Worse than 12-4: 20%
14-2: 16%
16-0: 6%
15-1: 2%
Based on these results, we’re going to guess that MHS readers play the columns on the roulette table. You placed equal weight to the Broncos finishing either 13-3 or 12-4, the only records they’ve had in the Peyton Manning era. But with a tough schedule, there’s a full 2o percent of you that think they’ll be below 12-4. Hmmm.
12. Which of these veterans will be cut before the season starts?
Andre Caldwell: 59%
Ronnie Hillman: 22%
Tony Carter: 13%
None of the above: 6%
Michael Schofield: 0%
It seems that Caldwell and his $1.35 million dollar contract will be the inevitable victim of the annual “surprise veteran cut,” according to our readers. But it may not be that big of a surprise. Caldwell had just five receptions for 47 yards last year. With Cody Latimer apparently ready to take the next step and Jordan Norwood healthy, fans believe Caldwell will be house shopping soon.
13. Who will have the most rushing TDs?
C.J. Anderson: 79%
Montee Ball: 10%
Juwan Thompson: 1%
Ronnie Hillman:0%
After a breakout year in 2014, in which he scored a team-high eight rushing touchdowns, fans are fully behind Anderson to a lopsided degree. Montee Ball has been vocal about wanting scoring opportunities, so expect there to be some tough running from the former Badger. The lead back job, meanwhile, will be fully Anderson’s to lose.
14. Where will the Broncos finish in the AFC?
No. 1 Seed: 54%
No. 3 or 4 Seed: 24%
No. 2 Seed: 17%
Wild Card Berth: 4%
Out of the Playoffs: 0%
There was nothing deflating, it seems, about the Patriots stealing a second consecutive Super Bowl victory from the Seahawks and cementing themselves as the team to beat in not only the AFC, but the NFL. Because Broncos fans still think – more than 50 percent of them – that the Broncos will be the No. 1 seed in the AFC this year. No one., not a single voter, thinks Denver will miss the playoffs.
15. Which of these Colorado State alums has the best chance of making the 53-man roster?
Kapri Bibbs (CSU)-43%
Shelley Smith (CSU)-25%
Shaquil Barrett (CSU)-21%
Chase Vaughn (CSU-Pueblo)-11%
With Ty Sambrailo a virtual lock to make the 53-man roster, his former teammate Bibbs is the leading candidate to join him, according to our readers. Bibbs and teammate Montee Ball, along with the legendary Barry Sanders, are the only players in FBS history with 30 or more touchdowns in a season. That has yet to translate to success for Ball. Can Bibbs make a move off the practice squad and start his own legacy? You seem to think so.
16. Who do you want returning punts?
Omar Bolden: 37%
Jordan Norwood: 33%
Isaiah Burse: 9%
Solomon Patton: 9%
Emmanuel Sanders: 7%
Kyle Williams: 5%
This is a case of proven versus potential. Bolden, who has successfully returned kick offs for two of his three seasons, seems like the safe choice and garnered 37 percent of the vote. But Norwood, who hasn’t seen game action since 2012, came in a close second at 33 percent. Fans quite clearly don’t want Burse (last year’s failed experiment), Patton (another unknown), Sanders (too valuable to risk) and Williams (an all-time goat) to have the job.
17. Who will have more interceptions?
Broncos defense: 95%
Peyton Manning: 5%
Manning was merely average last year at keeping the ball out of the hands of opposing defenses, allowing 15 picks. Denver’s “D,” meanwhile, was seventh in the league with 18. Nonetheless, Broncos fans think it’s a virtual lock that the defense will have more interceptions than Manning in 2015. Manning has five years in his career with more than 15 interceptions, as well as four seasons with either 14 or 15. The defense will need another solid year to prove the voters were right to have such a lopsided vote.
18. Who should start opposite T.J. Ward?
Darian Stewart: 48%
Bradley Roby: 31%
Omar Bolden: 12%
David Bruton Jr.: 10%
Previous polls didn’t fare well for newcomers to Denver, but Broncos fans seem very excited about the prospect of Stewart patrolling the secondary along with Ward. Another near-third of you think a position change for Roby would be the best answer. Bolden and Bruton, the veterans on this list, got very little love. At least they’re not Bubba Caldwell.
19. Who should be the starting nose tackle?
Sylvester Williams: 76%
Marvin Austin, Jr.: 13%
Darius Kligo: 9%
Chuka Ndulue: 2%
With “Pot Roast” now filling his plate in Washington, MHS readers are ready to move on to “Sly.” The 6-foot-2, 313 pound Williams saw significant playing time alongside Knighton last year and is ready to assert himself as a capable big man in the middle in what defensive coordinator Wade Phillips has assured us will be an attacking defense. Fans appear ready to let Williams show his stuff.
20. How many times will Peyton Manning be sacked?
Less than 15: 52%
15-20: 29%
21-25: 17%
More than 25: 2%
Manning and the Broncos offensive line allowed a league-best 17 sacks last year. The orange and blue faithful, by a wide margin, think they’ll do better this year. In a zone-blocking offense, they may be proven correct.
21. How many home wins will the Broncos have?
8: 43%
7: 41%
6: 14%
5 or less: 2%
In the Peyton Manning era, the Broncos have lost just two home games, including a perfect regular season home record in 2014. Fans are optimistic that they’ll match that mark this year, but a nearly equal number think they’ll falter once at Mile High. They face a tough home slate that includes Super Bowl champ New England and several other playoff teams in order to do so.
22. How many road wins will the Broncos have?
6: 60%
5 or less: 30%
7: 9%
8: 1%
Until the playoffs, Broncos fans were only concerned about going on the road last year. Denver suffered all four of its losses away from Mile High. But this year an overwhelming majority thinks the Broncos can win six of their eight games outside of Denver.
23. Which rookie will have the biggest impact?
Ty Sambrailo: 50%
Shane Ray: 23%
Karl Schmitz: 21%
Max Garcia: 6%
Ray may have been the Broncos first pick in the draft, but fans think Sambrailo is the most important rookie by a more than 2-to-1 margin. With the injury to Ryan Clady, there’s no denying Sambrailo’s importance. The fact that Ray is splitting time with Ware and Miller doesn’t help his case, either.
24. Who will have the most receiving touchdowns?
Demaryius Thomas-59%
Emmanuel Sanders-28%
Cody Latimer-9%
Owen Daniels-4%
Jordan Norwood-0%
Now that Julius Thomas has taken his talents to a town significantly north of South Beach, there will be more touchdowns up for grabs. Readers overwhelmingly think that the other Thomas (who is now being very handsomely paid) will be the beneficiary. It stands to reason, as Thomas is a massive target, was second on the team with 11 TDs last year and is tied for the team record for TDs in a season with 14. Could he best that mark this year? Fans seem to think he might.
25. Who will surprise us with a big year?
Derek Wolfe-42%
Kenny Anunike-22%
Lamin Barrow-22%
Kayvon Webster-13%
Marcel Jensen-0%
What a difference a week can make! Wolfe was running away with this vote until it was announced that he would be forced to sit out the first four weeks of the season due to a PED suspension. One of his possible replacements, Anunike quickly rose in the polls, along with Barrow, in the final week of voting. Still, even with just 12 games to prove himself, Wolfe has plenty of fans supporting him.
26. How many sacks will the defense have this season?
More than 51: 48%
46-50: 35%
41-45: 15%
Less than 40: 2%
With the three-headed monster of Ware, Miller and Ray about to be unleashed by Wade Phillips, MHS readers expect a big year when it comes to sacking opposing quarterbacks. After posting 41 last year under the vanilla defense employed by Jack Del Rio, the Denver “D” wants to make a run a Buffalo who led the league with 54 sacks last year.
27. Which of these trap games is Denver more likely to lose?
Week 6 at Cleveland: 65%
Week 14 vs. Oakland: 35%
With a bye week to follow and the Packers after that, you think the Broncos will be sleeping heading into Cleveland in Week 6. After last year’s debacle at St. Louis, it’s logical that readers picked a road game as the most-likely trap game the Broncos could lose this year.
28. Who is the toughest non-divisional home opponent?
Green Bay Packers: 67%
New England Patriots: 17%
Baltimore Ravens: 8%
Cincinnati Bengals: 4%
Minnesota Vikings: 4%
The Broncos themselves might have been afraid to go to Foxborough, but their fans have no qualms about the Patriots coming here. Only Packers, it seems, strike any fear into the hearts of the Mile High faithful.
29. Who is the toughest non-divisional road opponent?
Indianapolis Colts: 78%
Pittsburgh Steelers: 20%
Detroit Lions: 2%
Chicago Bears: 0%
Cleveland Browns: 0%
By a similar margin, Broncos fans think the road game at Indy is the biggest test of the year for Manning and Company. Understandable, considering the last trip to The House that Peyton Built didn’t end so well.
30. Who would you most like to see the Broncos face in the Super Bowl?
Seattle Seahawks (Revenge Tour Part II): 77%
Chicago Bears (Stick it to John Fox): 12%
New York Giants (Manning Bowl): 12%
Revenge is a dish served best in a bowl, a Super Bowl. And while fans would love to see Peyton and Eli face off in what would be the most-widely marketed game in the history of sports, as well as see them show John Fox how easy it is to properly prepare for a big game, they unmistakably want another shot at Seattle and the 12th man. With training camp finally underway, they’re just six months away from possibly getting their wish.
Sabrina Naccarato, a Mile High Sports intern and MSU-Denver student, contributed to this report