NFL Betting Online: With Peyton Manning under center, the Broncos remain one of the AFC’s best teams, but they are no longer at the top.
2014 Season Record: 12-4 SU, 8-8 ATS, 10-6 O/U
2015 Regular Season Wins Total: 10, -125 O, +105 U
Odds to Win Super Bowl: +1300
Odds to Win AFC: +575
Odds to Win Division: -185
A bitter end to the 2014 season meant curtains for head coach John Fox, who took offensive coordinator Adam Gase with him to Chicago. But the Broncos have quarterback Peyton Manning for at least another year and that makes them the pick to win the AFC West.
Coming off a 12-win season and their fourth consecutive division title, are the Broncos any closer to winning a Super Bowl than they were in their previous three seasons with Manning under center? They’re not as talented as years past with a handful of impact players having left via free agency. But general manager John Elway is hopeful that a new coaching staff can give the 39-year-old Manning one last chance at glory.
New head coach Gary Kubiak inherited a nice roster and even though Manning is in the twilight of his career, he’s far better than anything the coach had in Houston. Unfortunately the Broncos’ roster got worse on paper this offseason.
The Broncos did an admirable job finding replacements for them all, but most of them are downgrades at the individual positions.
Tight end Owen Daniels was a nice pick up, but he is no Julius Thomas. The same goes for Shelley Smith, who was brought in to replace Orlando Franklin at guard. The offensive line suffered another blow when All-Pro left tackle Ryan Clady tore his ACL in May. Clady’s loss will put even more pressure on second-round pick Ty Sambrailo and veteran free agent pick-up Ryan Harris.
New defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, who by his own admission was “a lousy head coach’’ in his previous life, has a lot of pieces to work with, including a handful of Pro-Bowlers. “This is probably the best situation defensively that I’ve come into,” he said. The starting corners, Aqib Talib and Chris Harris, form one of the top tandems in the business, and Bradley Roby, the 2014 first-rounder, had an exceptional rookie season.
Assuming Manning stays healthy, there’s no reason to believe the Broncos won’t win the West and be a factor in the playoffs. To win the Super Bowl, though, they’ll need to be on a roll, not an emotional downswing as they were last season, when the playoffs arrive.
KEY ADDITIONS: TE Owen Daniels, FS Darian Stewart, TE/FB James Casey, OG Shelley Smith, DL Vance Walker, DE Antonio Smith.
KEY LOSSES: OG Orlando Franklin, TE Julius Thomas, WR Wes Welker, DT Terrance Knighton, LB Nate Irving, OG Manny Ramirez, C Will Montgomery, FS Rahim Moore.
This is Denver’s division to lose, and the ball is in Manning’s court. It’s obvious that he was seriously hurt last season, at least enough to impact his play significantly. He didn’t suddenly transform from an all-time great to a mediocre quarterback within weeks. The Broncos will win this division at 11-5.
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