The Broncos enter the NFL’s second season with a losing record against playoff teams. This is a problem. But it’s a very narrow problem, with an obvious solution.
The regular season unfolded like a chore for John Fox and Peyton Manning and the Broncos. Looked at in quarter sections, Denver went 3-1 four times this season. That’s clockwork. Almost like it was planned. It might have been. Fox often talks about approaching a season in fourths.
That’s not the problem for the Broncos (12-4). The problem is who is responsible for those four losses, and how.
Here are the Broncos’ matchups this season against playoff qualifiers, in chronological order:
1. W, vs. Colts, 31-24
2. L, at Seattle, 26-20, OT
3. W, vs. Cardinals, 41-20
4. L, at Patriots, 43-21
5. L, at Bengals, 37-28
First, the Broncos will be favored in their home playoff game next weekend, against either Pittsburgh, Cincinnati or Indianapolis. They’re monsters at Mile High, undefeated in Denver this season.
shouldn’t be too worrisome. The Bengals had to have that game, and Manning had a rare dumb game, or rather, an inexplicably bad fourth quarter. And Indianapolis, despite a third-ranked offense, has holes throughout its roster. This is a team that will go as far as quarterback Andrew Luck can take it.
There are, of course, playoff teams the Broncos haven’t played this season — such as Pittsburgh, whom the Broncos will face next week if the Steelers get past Baltimore on Saturday. Pittsburgh is rolling with a prolific offense.
But, at the end of the day, if the Broncos are going to go all the way, they’ll likely have to find a way to get past first New England in the AFC title game, and then Seattle in the Super Bowl.
Seattle’s defense is ridiculous — maybe better than it was last season. The Seahawks rank first in total defense and passing defense and third in rushing defense. They are the prohibitive favorite to come out of the NFC. The Seahawks should be Super Bowl favorites.
And the Patriots are about as fun to play in New England as Bill Belichick at a karaoke bar. Manning’s crew was romped there in Week 9. And New England is the prohibitive favorite to emerge from the AFC into the Super Bowl.
That’s the problem. But the solution is already in place.
Against Seattle in Week 3, the Broncos rushed 20 times for 36 yards.
Against New England in Week 9, the Broncos rushed 17 times for 43 yards.
Denver lost both games in part because they couldn’t run.
But since transforming their offense in Week 12, the Broncos have averaged 147.7 yards rushing per game. If Denver averaged that number for the full season, it would have ranked second best in the NFL. So all those C.J. Anderson runs, those monotonous off-tackle rushing calls, they did have a purpose.
It wasn’t meant to make the Broncos a more-rounded team with Manning. It was meant as a specific strategy to win in the playoffs against their two biggest obstacles to holding the Lombardi Trophy.
Chew on this
• The , the Blackhawks, 3-2, in Thursday’s annual outdoor NHL Winter Classic game, this time played at Nationals Park in D.C.
Denver is long overdue to host the game. We’ll at Coors Field. Even if it’s not the Winter Classic. And they’ll most likely play the Red Wings.
But this is all bogus. Gary Bettman, buddy, here’s your million-dollar lock. The Avs should host the proper Winter Classic on New Year’s Day — wearing throwback Quebec Nordiques jerseys — and they should play the Blackhawks.
argued this to me recently. And he’s right. The Avs-Blackhawks series has been some of the most entertaining hockey in the NHL. Those two teams fly. And they go right at each other. , despite the score, was a scorcher, as usual. Let them duke it out at Coors Field — down below The Rooftop.
• Oh, and Gary Bettman, the Winter Classic game is great. But man, your extra-game entertainment package needs work. Billy Idol performed, for some reason, on Thursday. And so did Gavin DeGraw and Lee Greenwood (don’t look them up, you have better things to do). Weak.
• Former Seattle Mariners great Edgar Martinez will celebrate his 51st birthday Friday. But he probably won’t be celebrating a Hall of Fame induction this year. He’ll be a victim of the bias against the designated hitter (his primary role over 18 seasons).
Nick Groke: ngroke@denverpost.com or twitter.com/nickgroke
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