The defense couldn’t do it all last season and the Denver Broncos need more from an offense that was inept for a good portion of the year. The D will the key for the Broncos and new head coach Vance Joseph to get the team back into the playoffs after they were observers for the first time in six seasons in 2016. Denver is hoping that Trevor Siemian can do enough as the starter to rekindle what the team accomplished in 2015 when the Broncos’ won the Super Bowl behind the NFL’s best defense and middle of the pack offense.
AFC Opening Odds at BookMaker.eu
New England Patriots +190
Pittsburgh Steelers +675
Oakland Raiders +700
Kansas City Chiefs +1000
Houston Texans +1200
Denver Broncos +1300
Indianapolis Colts +1500
Baltimore Ravens +1700
Tennessee Titans +2000
Cincinnati Bengals +2300
Miami Dolphins +2500
Los Angeles Chargers +3500
Jacksonville Jaguars +3500
Buffalo Bills +4500
Cleveland Browns +15000
New York Jets +15000
Key Players for Winning the AFC
Trevor Siemian – He didn’t have a bad season in terms of statistics, but he’s not Peyton Manning and the offense couldn’t rally around him. Siemian threw for over 3,400 yards with 18 touchdowns, but he completed just 59.5 percent of his passes and threw 10 picks. The offense was designed to work on the ground without putting much pressure on Siemian, who had never started a regular season game before last season. The ground game didn’t work and Siemian was forced to be the leader. And though he had moments, there just weren’t enough of them and the Broncos ranked 27th in total offense, 21st in passing offense and 22nd in scoring. Siemian will likely remain the starter with Paxton Lynch waiting in the wings, and with a season under his belt, the group should produce better numbers to complement an outstanding defense.
Garrett Bolles – The line was a mess last season and the offense struggled as a result. The Broncos couldn’t run the football and the passing game was hindered by 40 sacks allowed, which was the ninth-highest total in the league. The Broncos used their first round pick on left tackle Garrett Bolles, a behemoth of a man who was a key element in the University of Utah’s explosive run game. Bolles will slip into a starting role immediately to protect Siemian’s blind side and will be an upgrade over the previous installments. The Broncos also added Ron Leary and Menelik Watson along the front which will allow them to return to the smash-mouth style of play that was prevalent in past winning seasons.
C.J. Anderson – One area that will help out the offense is an improved run game. The Broncos ranked 27th last season and are counting on Anderson to be the workhorse back, but he’s coming off a season cut short due to a knee injury. Since leading the team in rushing during the 2014 campaign, the numbers have dropped off for Anderson, who amassed 437 yards and four touchdowns before being shelved last season. Ironically, he enjoyed his finest game with 107 yards and a touchdown in a win over Houston in Week 7 when the injury occurred. The entire backfield is coming off injuries with Devontae Booker working his way back from a training camp wrist injury and Jamaal Charles looking to resurrect his career after an ACL injury. Anderson is the key, however. He’s an every down back and his ability to churn out the yards is pivotal in making the offense work.
Domata Peko – The “No Fly Zone” was definitely that last season and the Broncos will again be stingy in the passing game after having the NFL’s top ranked pass defense. Their weakness was against the run where they allowed 130.3 yards per game to rank 28th in the NFL. To shore up that part of the defense the Broncos signed Peko to a free agent deal. The hefty nose tackle was a big part of Cincinnati’s run defense and he’s proved to be durable by playing every game over the past seven seasons. The secondary and linebackers are studs and if the Broncos can improve their run defense it’ll be even more difficult for teams to prolong drives and score points.
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