EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — No matter how many records quarterback Peyton Manning breaks or how many points the Broncos score, the NFL does not believe Denver is tough enough to win the Super Bowl.
The book on how to beat the Broncos: Challenge their manhood. Spit at their fancy-pants, hurry-hurry offense. Dare them to fight.
Is it an insult to Denver? Yes.
But, to win a championship, the Broncos will have to answer snarky questions about their toughness from now until the confetti falls at the Super Bowl.
“The way the Jets played us, my guess was they didn’t think much of our running game. … When you take your two linebackers and walk them both out on (our) two receivers, they’re basically kind of laughing at your running game. Based on what we’ve been doing, it was probably a valid philosophy,” quarterback Peyton Manning said Sunday, after .
Where the Broncos are considered weak and vulnerable is in the offensive line, stocked by big, proud, 300-pound men who have stood accused of being the team’s glaring weakness. Knowing the Jets could not beat Denver in a game of skill, New York coach Rex Ryan instead tried to sucker the Broncos into a bar brawl.
Laughing at a man elevates his testosterone, raises fight-or-flight neck hairs and fills his eyes with surliness. Doubt it? Wish you could have witnessed the reactions of Denver’s offensive linemen when I tried to ask them about rising to Ryan’s challenge, then setting running backs Ronnie Hillman and Juwan Thompson free for a season-best 138 yards on the ground.
“I’m unavailable,” Broncos guard Orlando Franklin insisted as he pulled on his suit coat. “I need to see the trainer.”
Franklin then ambled across the locker room, picked up a bag of ice and headed silently to the team bus.
Hey, $7.25 million guard Louis Vasquez, a penny for your thoughts. You got a minute to discuss how the O-line responded to the gauntlet thrown down by Ryan?
Nope, Vasquez responded, deferring questions to Ryan Clady, citing the offensive tackle’s seniority with the team. So it was left to Clady to ponder whether his linemates took it as a personal affront that New York dared the Broncos to run.
“We’re going to try to run the ball on anybody,” said Clady, working hard to be as evasive as possible. “We don’t take it personally.”
Well, that was awkward. Not for me, of course.
To my eyes, it was a silly scene, as the giants of Denver’s offensive line tried to become invisible and inaudible. But these guys are undoubtedly aware the running game has been under attack as the team’s Achilles’ heel. In this game, the Broncos showed they’re sick and tired of taking the abuse.
“I felt like (the Jets) said: ‘You’re not going to beat us with the pass today.’ And they paid for it,” said Hillman, who started in place of injured Montee Ball and responded with 100 rushing yards on 24 carries. “You’re going to have your days where teams are going to pick their poison. And they picked the wrong one.”
PHOTOS:
When Denver builds a 17-point lead, as the visitors to MetLife Stadium did in the middle of the third period, then allows a bad Jets team to rally to cover apountry in nervous perspiration down the stretch, social media buzzes with accusations coach John Fox is as conservative as your grandma’s wallpaper.
Yes, this team is defined by the golden arm of Manning. But the fans that scream for Denver to abandon the run and pass, pass, pass fail to grasp the real point.
Scoreboard, baby? As the Broncos work on their weaknesses, compiling a 4-1 record is very impressive. But it’s not all about how many points Denver scores.
The real challenge of this season is how well the Broncos can take a punch and, if push comes to shove during a brutal playoff game, if this team has the guts to fight back.
Yes, Manning will set the NFL record for touchdown passes while wearing orange. Yes, the Broncos might well average 30 points per game. Yes, Denver should win 12, maybe even 13 games during the regular season.
But what’s the real way to keep score?
Count how many noses the Broncos bloody along the road to the Super Bowl.
Mark Kiszla: mkiszla@denverpost.com or twitter.com/markkiszla
