Denver Broncos Shouldn’t Be In Super Bowl
By Editorial Staff
Jan 19, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos punter Britton Colquitt (near) does snow angels in the confetti with his pregnant wife Nikki Hairrell following the game against the New England Patriots during the 2013 AFC Championship football game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)
The Denver Broncos shouldn’t be in this position.
They shouldn’t be packing their bags for New York next week. Heck, the shouldn’t have even had as many tickets to the Pro Bowl as they did.
Heading into the season and even during the season, the Broncos were underdogs. Even if Las Vegas didn’t feel that way, the Broncos certainly had to.
Their star defensive star, Von Miller, was suspended for the first six games of the season. Starting left tackle and Peyton Manning’s blindside protector, Ryan Clady, was lost for the season in week two due to a Lisfranc injury. Champ Bailey couldn’t stay on the field for more than a few regular season games due to a nagging foot injury. Derek Wolfe suffered a seizure-like episode in late November that eventually got him put on the IR. Kevin Vickerson dislocated his hip and Rahim Moore had to have emergency surgery on his leg. Miller and Chris Harris tore their ACL’s. Finally, John Fox missed a quarter of the season due to having open heart surgery right in the middle of all of this.
The. Broncos. Shouldn’t. Be. Here.
However, the team went 13-3 for a second consecutive year, which was good enough to earn them home field advantage and a first round bye in the playoffs.
The offense made league history with its productivity. Manning set touchdown and passing yard records among others.
Thomas and Thomas have become household names while the Patriots desperately missed Wes Welker.
Matt Prater has become the most accurate kicker in the league, not to mention he booted through the longest field goal in NFL history.
Knowshon Moreno resurrected his career and gets to play in a Super Bowl a few miles from his hometown.
The offensive line gelled into one of the best in the league. The defensive line shuffled and still got it right.
Young players injected energy into the team. Veterans imparted wisdom.
This season is a testament to a group of resilient men, who overcame the odds.
The Broncos shouldn’t be here, but they are.
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