In the NFL, football never stops. You may win the Super Bowl on Sunday, have your parade on Tuesday and kick back and relax for a few hours on Friday, but by Monday, it’s back to the grind; whether that means the weight room or the tape room, there’s little time for celebration.
It takes 365 days to build a champion.
But if my math serves me right, that means we have just about three more days to live full-time in the 2015 campaign. So before we jump into the draft, free agency and the 2016 season, we owe it to ourselves to soak it all in, at least a little bit, don’t we? Maybe John Elway is already packing his bag for the combine, but us fans have some time to spare.
So with that said, here are the five most memorable moments from the Denver Broncos’ historic and unforgettable Super Bowl run:
Week 16: The Denver Broncos’ playoff-clinching OT victory
It may be easy to overlook now, but back in Week 16, the Denver Broncos looked nothing like a Super Bowl champion.
Coming off two disappointing losses to the Raiders and Steelers, Denver entered halftime against the Bengals down 14 points, putting their playoff hopes, let alone their Super Bowl hopes, in serious jeopardy. In fact, it was looking so dire in Broncos Country that Jon Gruden and Mike Tirico spent a good deal of the third quarter detailing just how badly the Broncos had botched their playoff chances.
That’s not exactly normal for a soon-to-be champion.
But then things clicked. The offense locked into gear, and the defense cracked down, sparking a 17-3 run in the second half and overtime that secured the Broncos a playoff spot and initiated the five-game winning streak which culminated in a Super Bowl championship.
Without that comeback, the Denver Broncos undoubtedly lose the No. 1 seed, and in all likelihood, they lose the AFC West crown, too. In any scenario, their road to the Super Bowl is made much, much tougher, and who knows what happens from there?
Week 2: Bradley Roby‘s fumble return for a touchdown
We knew the Broncos defense was going to be good last offseason, and we knew they might be great after the Ravens game in Week 1, but I don’t think any of us understood just how important they would be to Denver’s success until Week 2, when they forced five turnovers, including the game-winning fumble return for a touchdown.
It was in that moment that Broncos Country realized that not only was this defense great, but they could win a game single-handedly.
When Bradley Roby picked up that ball and returned it 21 yards to the house, I wasn’t even surprised. Denver needed a turnover, and the defense gave them one, just as they did on the Ravens’ final drive in Week 1 and just as they continued to do all season.
While Manning threw for 256 yards and three touchdowns (probably his best stat-line of the year), it was all thanks to the defense’s ability to keep giving him back the ball.
Week 11: C.J. Anderson‘s overtime touchdown to dethrone the Patriots
Brock Osweiler versus Tom Brady.
That was the matchup NBC was left with on Sunday Night football after Peyton Manning was ruled out with plantar fasciitis, but it sure did work out. In fact, it may have been the most exciting game of the regular season.
Trailing by 14 points in the fourth quarter, Denver’s critics were having a field day; with or without Manning, they’d never be able to match the firepower of the New England Patriots offense. Or so they thought.
With just under a quarter to go, something clicked. Osweiler found himself, the C.J. Anderson of a year ago returned, and the Denver Broncos scored on four of their last five drives, outpacing the Patriots 23-3 in the final 15 minutes.
But it wasn’t just the fact that the Broncos won. It was how they won, whom they beat and what it all meant.
When Anderson broke through that gaping hole on the left side of the line, breaking free, arms outstretched, for the 48-yard, game-winning touchdown, Denver was validated. No matter what adversity they would come to face, Broncos Country knew we could beat the Patriots, and so did the Patriots.
Week 17: Peyton Manning returns
Heading into Week 17, I think we’d all come to the conclusion, whether we liked it or not, that this was Brock Osweiler’s team. He’d taken down the Patriots, he’d come back against the Bengals and he’d been, well, pretty darn good — at least as good as Peyton Manning.
And personally, even after the five turnovers to start the game, I still believed he was the man for the job.
But Gary Kubiak felt differently, apparently, and he made the decision that would alter Broncos history forever. Following a C.J. Anderson fumble to start the second half, it was Manning, not Osweiler, who strode back out onto the field, and after leading Denver to victory and the No. 1 seed, there was no turning back.
Now, Manning didn’t actually do much — he completed five of his nine passes for 69 yards and no touchdowns — but the energy he brought to Sports Authority Field was like nothing Denver had ever seen; the the Hollywood story that had been in production all season long had finally reached it’s climax.
It was historic.
From that moment on, was there really ever a doubt that the Broncos would bring home a Lombardi Trophy? The whole thing was just too perfect. Whether or not he played great, that long walk out onto the field, with the crowed pulsating in excitement, was the beginning of the greatest ending in NFL history — sorry, John Elway.
Super Bowl: “This one’s for Pat!”
The Denver Broncos are Super Bowl champs. Let that sink in for a moment …
After nearly two decades, the Broncos are back on top, and honestly, I don’t know how to take it in; my emotions are numb.
I, as I’m sure so many of you have too, have waited for this moment for years, but even now, after almost a week to soak it all in, I don’t know how it happened. I mean, I do. But, man, what a story, right?
Just going back through this season to find these five moments has sparked so many other memories that I’m not really sure how to put it all together. Ten years from now, how will we remember the 2015 season? Will we remember it for the drama? Peyton Manning’s last stand? Brock Osweiler’s relief appearance? The defense’s dominance?
There are so many storylines that have played a role in these last 19 games, but in the end, the thing I believe I’ll remember most is John Elway standing up on that podium and bellowing, “This one’s for Pat!”
I think I speak for all of Broncos Country when I say that those four words were a long time coming and much needed; they encapsulate the importance of this season and the bond that will tie all 53 of these men, the coaching staff and the organization together for the rest of their lives.
Go Broncos.