The Denver Broncos: Playing at a Mile High Level

Peyton Manning’s arrival in the Mile High City supersaturated Broncomania ’12 with expectations bordering on perfection. After a disappointing 2-3 start, Denver's momentous comeback (35 unanswered in the 2nd half) in Week 6 against the Chargers solidified the Broncos' as the best team in the AFC West. Moreover, Manning's air-raid on the Chargers secondary marks the ignition of a 4-game winning streak, spearheaded by potential MVP candidate and Field General, Peyton "Papa John's" Manning.   

After Sunday’s 36-14 victory over Carolina, the Denver Broncos will enter Week 11 with an AFC West leading record of 6-3. The Carolina Panthers may never recover from the blitzkrieg Broncos' Defensive Coordinator, Jack Del Rio unleashed. Cam Newton was sacked seven times by the Broncos' Attacking 3-4 Defense – by six different Broncos. The Denver Defense supplied the ex-Carolina coach, John Fox with the homecoming every teenage girl dreams of, but never gets... In order to maintain my biased presentation of the Denver Broncos' season, I will avoid mentioning that Peyton Manning threw for his 420th career touchdown on Sunday – mere days after marijuana was legalized in the state of Colorado – tying Dan Marino for 2nd-most passing touchdowns in a career. 

Prediction: The Denver Broncos will finish the regular season with an elite 12-4 record. If the Broncos continue to play at this level, anything short of the Lombardi Trophy will be unacceptable, especially in the eyes of the Mile High Faithful. 

To conclude, the Broncos have established themselves as a post-season contender in the AFC, and it is in large part a credit to Peyton Manning's successful implementation of his system. However, "Defense Wins Championships." Without defensive playmakers like Von Miller and Champ Bailey, the Denver Broncos organization could not contend with the AFC elite. To achieve the ultimate victory, an NFL team needs both dimensions. Darth Vader may have been the villain, but the Broncos' "Dark Side" deserves equal credit for the terror they instill in all NFL Quarterbacks both in the trenches and in the secondary.

Denver, more than just a city - The 5280 Ethos.

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