We interrupt this hammerfest on the Broncos’ defense for an important announcement.
The Broncos are the team to beat in the AFC.
There, I said it. Not sure I believe it, but I said it.
Maybe, when talking about the Broncos, we should put it in the form of a question: Why not the Broncos as the team to beat in the AFC?
Yes, their defense is a mess. What, and New England’s offense isn’t? The Pats have scored 49 points in three games. At least the Broncos are healthy, relatively speaking. That’s more than the Chargers and Colts can say. Those teams have issues, in the trainer’s room, on the field and in the standings.
The AFC has three 3-0 teams: Tennessee, Buffalo and Denver — and Baltimore is at 2-0. The Bills sneaked past the Raiders on a last-second kick Sunday, the same Raiders who were on the wrong side of a 41-14 blowout on opening night. Against, you guessed it, the Broncos.
The Titans, meanwhile, could be looking at a quarterback controversy when Vince Young comes back. Says here they’re better off with backup Kerry Collins running the show, but no doubt there are several Titans players who would disagree. Either way, either guy, and the Titans are nothing special on the offensive side of the ball.
The bottom line? For all the Broncos’ issues, every other team in the conference has some, too. Every other team in the league, for that matter. It’s called the salary cap, which has rendered every team painfully thin and vulnerable to injuries to impact players. Thus the Patriots, the top of the food chain a year ago, being punked by the Dolphins in the aftermath of Tom Brady’s season-ending injury.
There may not be a great team in the NFL this season. As we speak, Dallas most closely fits the bill, but don’t kid yourself. Terrell Owens or Tony Romo or a couple of other players go down, and the ‘Boys wouldn’t be the same team.
The Broncos aren’t a complete team, but they’re exceptional on one side of the ball. In the NFL, circa 2008, that may be enough to take them places.
Follow Jim Armstrong’s sports updates on The Jimmy Page at 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday-Friday. And read his columns on Sundays at .
He can be reached at 303-954-1269 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com.
