In the first two weeks of the 2013 NFL season, the Denver Broncos have shellacked the 2011 and 2012 Super Bowl champions. What’s even more terrifying for the rest of the NFL is the fact the Broncos get defensive superstar Von Miller back from suspension in Week 7, and starters Champ Bailey and Derek Wolfe will return from injury at some point this season. Denver is a juggernaut that hasn’t even put its best on the field, and the experts tend to agree that Peyton Manning and company are the favorites to win the AFC.
The Broncos and Seattle Seahawks are the two teams atop most current power rankings. But, Denver’s road to the Super Bowl is significantly easier, primarily due to the extreme lack of depth and competition in the AFC as compared to Seattle’s NFC.
Seriously, the AFC’s Pro Bowl roster might as well be comprised of Denver’s roster plus J.J. Watt. For that outlook to change, the Broncos need a worthy opponent to challenge them for a Super Bowl bid. Here are the three teams with the best chance to do just that.
New England Patriots — The usual foil to Manning’s championship aspirations, New England is not anywhere near the power it used to be. Tom Brady and a top five offensive line remain intact, but the receiving corps is in complete disarray. Danny Amendola and Rob Gronkowski are stud pass-catchers, but their durability is a constant question mark. Both were inactive against the Jets last week, and Julian Edelman was completely overwhelmed as the top receiving option. The defense remains average talent-wise, and has given up over 130 yards per game on the ground, a bottom-five mark in the league.
However, a healthy Gronkowski and Amendola could be the difference against Denver. Add running backs Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley to the mix, and the Patriots have the personnel to dictate the tempo of the game at any point. This could be the most effective way to stop the Broncos — kick the offense into high gear to take advantage of defensive substitutions, and preserve any sort of lead with a smash-mouth running game that will grind out the clock. Against Denver last year, New England took advantage of Miller’s absence on one snap by going no huddle for the rest of the drive. Without Miller being able to get back on the field, the Patriots scored an easy touchdown.
Look for Brady to take advantage of those moments against the Broncos defense in their November matchup. We’ll know who they are by then. Patriots fans hope they aren’t the team that struggled to put up convincing victories against New York and Buffalo.
Cincinnati Bengals — The Bengals have a top five roster in terms of talent, but if the team is going to do any sort of damage in the playoffs, third-year quarterback Andy Dalton will have to be able to handle the bright lights of playoff football. Going up against a Pittsburgh Steelers team decimated by injuries and a plodding offense, Dalton failed to impress, overthrowing several receivers and relying on rookie Giovani Bernard to handle the scoring load.
For Cincinnati to get past Denver in the playoffs, it needs the defensive line to set the tone. Arguably the deepest unit in football, the Bengals D-Line features pass-rushing nightmare Geno Atkins. Along with Michael Johnson, Carlos Dunlap, Devon Still and Domata Peko, this is the one area where Cincinnati has a significant advantage over Denver.
Ryan Clady, Manning’s blindside protector, proveed to be serious as he’s out for the season. Now, the Broncos could be holding their breath every time their quarterback drops back to pass. Denver’s pedestrian running game wouldn’t be able to alleviate the pressure, either.
But I can’t see a scenario where Manning doesn’t take advantage of a weak Cincinnati secondary. Quick, efficient completions to Demaryius Thomas and Wes Welker would lower the chance of Atkins and Johnson wrecking the game plan. And if Denver grabs the lead, that forces Dalton to respond with a score of his own. I don’t see that happening consistently. The Bengals are a safer pick than the Patriots, but they have far less upside.
Miami Dolphins – Surprised? Don’t be. Ryan Tannehill may be the forgotten quarterback of the 2012 draft class, but he topped Russell Wilson’s Seahawks last season and got the win against Andrew Luck’s Colts last week. Tannehill isn’t 1984 Dan Marino reincarnated, but he is certainly shining despite a pedestrian offensive line and a running game that hasn’t done the team any favors.
The addition of deep threat Mike Wallace in the offseason wasn’t exactly lauded by analysts, but after grabbing nine receptions for 115 yards and a touchdown at Indianapolis, Wallace is going to be a major factor in determining whether the Dolphins will make the leap to the playoffs or not.
Remember how Baltimore bested Denver last year? Wide receivers Jacoby Jones and Torrey Smith blew by the Broncos secondary throughout the game, and neither are a true No. 1 receiving option like Wallace is. Speed kills, and the Dolphins now have one of the speediest players in the game.
What makes the Dolphins a truly interesting sleeper is their revamped defense. Versatility is their strong suite, and with Brent Grimes looking like he did in Atlanta, Miami should be able to shut down Manning’s top option. Cameron Wake also doesn’t get enough credit as one of the league’s best pass rushers, but he’ll get into the Broncos backfield often.
The Dolphins have the right blueprint to pose a threat to Denver, but trusting a second-year quarterback to best Manning is a tall order, especially when a playoff matchup would likely be at Mile High Stadium. For Miami, title contention is most likely a couple of years from now.
There are certainly other teams that have a chance against Denver. The Houston Texans have the J.J. Watt factor, Kansas City has breakout star Dontari Poe to go along with an improved offense, and who knows where the Ravens will be in January. However, none of these teams have Manning, an elite group of receivers and one of the best pass rushers in the game. It’s the Broncos world. The rest of the AFC is just living in it.