The Denver Broncos are a long way from the glory days of John Elway and back to back Super Bowl wins, but they have achieved some level of success with Peyton Manning under center. They have made it to, and lost, one Super Bowl with Manning leading the way, and this year may be their last chance to do so with him at the helm. Manning has been in decline over the past couple of seasons, but having missed half the season through injury, you have to believe that he is now healthy and fresh, unlike many other players at this stage of the season. He will have a chance to put that to the test when the Broncos welcome in the Pittsburgh Steelers to Sports Authority Field at Mile High on Sunday, January 17. The game goes at 4:40 PM EST on CBS, with the Broncos favored to win, and +450 on betting odds to win Super Bowl 50 outright.
Bet On The Broncos’ Defense
While a lot of the talk in Denver this season has been regarding the messy situation at QB, what people really should be talking about is the Broncos defense. They have allowed just 18.5 PPG this season, good for 4th overall in the NFL. They don’t force a lot of turnovers via the INT, but they do get to the QB in a big way, with Von Miller leading the team with 11 sacks. Big Ben is going to be playing very hurt this weekend, so look for the blitz to come early and often.
Run The Football
The Broncos running game this season has not been what anyone would call spectacular, but it has picked up as the season went on. The final 3 weeks of the season saw the running game really come to life. C.J. Johnson averaged 7.2 yards per carry over the 2 games in Weeks 15 and 16, and then Ronnie Hillman carried the load in the final game of the season, running for 117 yards and a TD versus the Chargers. You need to be able to run the ball effectively to win in the playoffs, and the Broncos are starting to prove that they can do so.
Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler watch a game.
Avoid The Big Mistakes
This really applies to the two QB’s on the Broncos right now, as both have been a little turnover happy at times this season. The way that the Broncos have played this season has meant that field position is more important than ever. If the defense plays as it can, and Manning and Osweiler can steer clear of the picks, there is no reason why the Broncos cannot go on and win Super Bowl 50.
