The Super Bowl is much more than just a championship event; it’s a week-long extravaganza.
There’s media day (or, as it’s now being called, Super Bowl Opening Night), the countless parties, in-depth interviews, hot takes, radio row and, of course, the Super Bowl. Take your eyes off Twitter for one moment, and you’ll miss a firestorm of storylines. Forget to tune into SportsCenter, and a heartbreaking story of perseverance and triumph may slip past your radar.
As fans, especially as Broncos fans, this whole week is a culmination of years’ worth of support and dedication. It’s a celebration, really. And the actual Super Bowl is the gigantic, franchise-defining cherry on top of our Broncos cake.
So enjoy every bit of this week, because moments like these don’t come around often.
And with that said, here are three Broncos you need to be keeping an especially close eye on all week.
Peyton Manning
Well, duh.
Peyton Manning may not be the most important person on this Denver Broncos team, but this is Peyton Manning’s Super Bowl. Like it or not, this is a legacy-defining moment for one of the game’s greatest quarterbacks. Even if he throws for 100 yards and an interception, he will be dubbed a hero in a Broncos win.
Plus, more likely than not, this will be the last game No. 18 every plays in the NFL; that’s some heavy stuff.
The media will be flocking around The Sheriff all week, and I’m sure he’ll have plenty to say, even if it is a little shielded. As we’ve seen over the last few months, but especially over the last few weeks, Manning is more emotional than ever. The fact that he’s walking around Sports Authority field with his family, taking pictures and enjoying the moment tells us something: He’s very cognizant of the moment he’s in.
If this is Manning’s last ride, he’s not going to let it go to waste. Neither will the media.
Wade Phillips
If you’re not following Wade Phillips’ every move, then you’re just not doing it right. Not only is he one of the greatest defensive coordinators in football history, but he’s one of the most entertaining people to ever grace the ranks of the NFL.
There are very few 68-year-old men who can relate to the 20 year olds he’s coaching, but Phillips is undoubtedly one of them.
And, much like the guys he coaches, Phillips is not afraid to speak his mind.
Just look at this tweet he posted after the Broncos took down the Browns earlier this year:
Had some brownies yesterday. They were tough but satisfying in the end.
— Wade Phillips (@sonofbum) October 20, 2015
And then this one from after the Packers victory:
Chicken Parm tastes so good-I like it especially with Cheese
— Wade Phillips (@sonofbum) November 2, 2015
And when “experts” tried to dissect Phillips’ game plan from the AFC Championship, he called them out for not knowing what they were talking about:
Funny how 'experts' don't know a blitz(6rush-5cover eligible receivers)from a dog(5rush-6cover)–there are also pseudo blitz & dog schemes
— Wade Phillips (@sonofbum) January 26, 2016
He’s also a guy who helped get Shiloh Keo get signed off Twitter and burned Martavis Bryant and the Steelers so bad that the Pittsburgh fire department had to be called in for an emergency rescue.
When the media huddles around Phillips this week, I have no doubt that he will deliver some pure gold. With as witty and quick as he is, “Son Of Bum” may be the star of Super Bowl week.
This piece brought to you in part by …
Von Miller
Really, is there anybody on either team more fun to listen to than Von Miller? I mean, we all know he’s going to do something crazy, right?
He’s this year’s Michael Bennett, only he’s not a complete buffoon. He’s just genuinely hilarious.
But between the crazy outfits, the sack dances and the social media burns, what is Von Miller lacking? We already know that he’s going to be on Conan at some point in the week, and I doubt that’s the only appearance he’ll be making.
And as we pointed out on Monday, Miller has already begun teaching his 60-year-old defensive coaches how to dance; maybe they’ve got a choreographed routine in store?
The only thing we know we won’t be getting from Von is any social media fire. Miller already began his social media blackout on Monday.
If there was one player I could follow around all week, it would be Von Miller. Luckily, almost every move of his will be documented by the countless numbers of media members in San Francisco.