1. C.J. Anderson

1. Von Miller Peyton Manning may be the most famous person on the Denver Broncos, but Von Miller is definitely the most popular, and it's well deserved. Coming off what may have been the best performance of his career, Miller has been thrust into the national spotlight, and he loves it. He's funny, he's smart and he's all about the Denver Broncos.  Part of what goes into deciding the Super Bowl MVP is simply how well everybody knows your name. And with the Denver Broncos defense being a main topic of discussion, everybody knows Von Miller's name.  The only reason he's not higher on this list is because Miller's impact can go unnoticed at times. Offenses key on Von more than just about any other pass rusher in the league, and that means he's not always going to put up the stats he put up in the AFC Championship game. Instead, he paves the way for guys like Malik Jackson and Derek Wolfe to clean up on the inside.  Plus, if Wade Phillips really wants to stop Cam Newton from scrambling, he's going to have to get Miller and Ware to maintain containment, as opposed to crashing around the edge.  Nonetheless, even if the stats don't reflect, Von Miller is probably the most important person to a Broncos victory. 

Let’s take a look back at the Denver Broncos’ biggest games of the year:

  • 29-10 victory over Packers: C.J. Anderson rushes for 101 yards, 28 of which come on a touchdown run.
  • 30-24 victory over Patriots: C.J. Anderson rushes for 113 yards and two touchdowns, including 48-yard game winner in overtime.
  • 20-17 victory over the Bengals: C.J. Anderson gives the Broncos a fourth-quarter lead with a 39-yard touchdown run, helping cap off Denver’s comeback
  • 27-20 victory over the Chargers: C.J. Anderson rushes for 95 yards and a touchdown to help the Broncos clinch the No. 1 seed.
  • 23-16 victory over the Steelers: C.J. Anderson scores a fourth-quarter touchdown to give the Broncos a lead and push them towards the AFC Championship.
  • 20-18 victory over the Patriots: C.J. Anderson breaks off a 30-yard rush that put the Broncos in position to kick what would become the game-winning field goal.

Notice any similarities?

Every single time the Broncos offense has had a big moment this season, it has come on the heels of a C.J. Anderson run.

If Denver can find a way to keep up with the Panthers offense, I have no doubt that Anderson will be the driving factor. The Denver Broncos need Anderson to be their Super Bowl MVP.