Just a few weeks ago it seemed like no matter what the Denver Broncos did, they couldn’t seem to shake the underdog tag that nearly everyone had slapped on them.
After quarterback Trevor Siemian and the Broncos offense had their coming-out party on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, the NFL’s best-kept secret is no more.
The Broncos have hidden behind the veil of the underdog for the majority of last season and through the first few weeks of the 2016 season as well. With the offense beginning to show what they can do and the defense remaining tough, the Broncos look like a team that no one wants to run into this season.
While the sample size of the 2016 Broncos is small, there is no reason to think the defending Super Bowl champions can’t make a run at another one.
The talk of the town last year was how scary the Broncos would be if they had an offense that could put up some points. One year later, the Broncos have an offense with the potential to spot the dominant Denver defense a couple of points. It was hard enough to put up points on the Broncos’ defense before, imagine trying to mount a comeback against them. The rest of the league should be shaking in their boots.
Siemian and the rest of the offense still have a ways to go, but if last week’s victory over the Bengals was a preview of what’s to come for the Broncos, the future looks bright.
The defense has bailed out the Broncos so many times over the last two seasons, playing with a lead has to feel foreign to them. But when teams fall behind against Denver, that means they have to pass. Passing isn’t something you want to do against Von Miller and the Broncos’ pass rush or the “No Fly Zone”.
Denver’s latest victory has everyone, from casual fans to analysts, turning their heads. The “what if” from last season has become a reality. The last five quarterbacks the Broncos have faced — Ben Roethlisberger, Tom Brady, Cam Newton (twice), Andrew Luck, Andy Dalton — share a combined 23 Pro Bowl appearances between them and have all fallen at the hands of the Broncos. Who can stop them?
The season is still long. There are going to be bumps, but the Broncos look ready for whatever the NFL throws at them
So buckle in, Denver because the Broncos look ready for another wild season.