Broncos president and CEO Joe Ellis addressed the team after practice Saturday as a reminder of the message and ways of longtime owner Pat Bowlen, who will miss Super Bowl 50 next Sunday as he deals with Alzheimer’s.
“We talk about Mr. B a lot,” coach Gary Kubiak said. “There are obviously a lot of older players in this organization that know him. There are people in this organization that know him extremely well, and there are young kids who have probably never met him — maybe have not even seen him this year. We do that. I had Joe talk to the football team today before we called it a week about Mr. B, how he’s doing and how he’d be very proud of this football team. It was a very good moment.”
Volume raised. Peyton Manning knows crowd noise can be a factor, which it was when the Broncos played the Seattle Seahawks at the Meadowlands in the Super Bowl two years ago.
“We’re practicing with noise,” Kubiak said. “… Peyton mentioned that to me, so we took the approach this week to practice with noise.”
Sharpe’s take. Count Hall of Famer and former Denver tight end Shannon Sharpe among Broncos believers eagerly awaiting Super Bowl 50.
After watching them defeat the Steelers and the Patriots to win the AFC championship, Sharpe believes the Broncos can defy the odds one more time.
“Nobody gave them a chance vs. the Patriots,” Sharpe said. “No one. If they go out there and play their game, I like their chances. Carolina’s a very, very good football team. They have the best player in the NFL playing on their team and playing at a very, very, very high level. They also have an excellent defense. But this is special because no one saw this coming. No one. And yet, here they are.”
Super send-off. For fans looking to catch a glimpse of the Broncos before the Super Bowl, they will depart team headquarters (off Potomac Street) at 12:45 p.m. Sunday. The team’s buses will take their usual route to Denver International Airport, via E-470.
Harris update. Cornerback Chris Harris’ left shoulder may not fully heal before the Super Bowl, but he isn’t too concerned. “It hasn’t kept me out the last three games, so I’m able to fight through it,” he said.
