Denver Broncos: Countdown to Sunday
By Gabe Harris
The rosters have been constructed with the greatest of care, with hopes that the Lombardi trophy soon would be there. For many NFL fans, the excitement of opening day is like Christmas.
All the anticipation of the off-season, the draft, free agency, training camps and the preseason has built up and now we get to see how our team performs. In honor of opening of the NFL season tonight, and Christmas, I’ve done a countdown from 12 to 1, Denver Broncos style, a la the 12 days of Christmas.
Aug 28, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) talks with head coach John Fox prior to the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
12 – Seasons coached by John Fox without a Super Bowl victory. He has been to the playoffs 6 times and the Super Bowl twice, only to come up short. Could lucky number #13 be the season he reaches the pinnacle of his coaching career?
11 – New players who will be starting against the colts in the first game of the season who did not start in the Super Bowl loss to the Seattle Seahawks. RB Montee Ball, WR Emmanuel Sanders, LT Ryan Clady, DE DeMarcus Ware, DE Derek Wolfe, LB Brandon Marshall, LB Von Miller, CB Aqib Talib, CB Chris Harris Jr. Safeties TJ Ward and Rahim Moore. The Broncos knew they needed an infusion of talent if they are to avoid a repeat of last year. They will turn over half the starting positions to new players, some old, some new, but definitely improved… on paper at least.
10– Interceptions Manning threw last year. Remarkably the 5th time in his career he’s thrown 10 or fewer Interceptions in a season. He looks poised to make it the 6th in 2014.