Broncos Defense Has Quietly Impressed

Dec 14, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; Denver Broncos free safety Rahim Moore (26) intercepts a pass intended for San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates (85) during the fourth quarter at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

You know the saying that defense wins championships. The Denver Broncos have quietly developed a unit that could help the team win.

The Broncos were able to clinch their fourth straight AFC West division with a 22-10 victory over the San Diego Chargers. It was a rather bizarre game. With Peyton Manning throwing blocks and the first touchdown of the game not scored until the final seconds of the third quarter. When it came down to how this game was won, the defense was the unit that stepped up in a huge way.

The Broncos defense held the Chargers to ten points. And other than two drives that led to the points, the Broncos defense shut down Phillip Rivers and the Chargers. They held them to 288 yards of total offense and committed two late turnovers to swing the game into their favor. Even the running defense excelled, only allowing 56 yards on the ground. The Broncos defense has shown that it can help the team win a championship. They have held their last three opponents on an average of 14.3 points per game.

While the offense has not had to rely on Peyton Manning in order to win games, the defense has done its part to shut down the opposing offense. This unit will be key on their quest to the ultimate prize. As long as they can keep the pressure on, they will have no problem. With players like Chris Harris, (who will be sticking with the Broncos for a while) Aqib Talib, Rahim Moore among the members of this improved defense the Broncos could win a few games on the defensive side of the ball.

This unit has shown that they can do what it takes to win a game and help out the offense. The Seattle Seahawks showed the Broncos that it was the defense that could help them win games when it mattered the most. John Elway has done an excellent job in improving the defense. Now that the team has punched their ticket to the postseason, it is only a matter of weeks until we see what this unit is truly capable of. If they can play in the postseason the way they have these last three weeks, this defense could be the trump card for the team during the postseason run.