AP panel puts Broncos 10th

[MOtorboat]

http://bigstory.ap.org/NFL-Pro32

[Thnikkaman]

oooh, I guess I shouldn't watch this year.

[NightTerror218]

I can live with that. We will see what happens. I think it is better to be the underdog going into games. Less expectations out of you.

[CrazyHorse]

Makes us a playoff team so I won't complain too much. Hopefully at the end of the year we're number one.

[Canmore]

I can live with that. We will see what happens. I think it is better to be the underdog going into games. Less expectations out of you.

Tenth is not really an underdog, and people are hedging their bets on how healthy Peyton Manning is. If the voters are shown Manning is indeed healthy, well... I think there are a lot of expectations on this team.

[FanInAZ]

I can’t remember a time when the “experts” preseason expectations for the Broncos have been all over the board. For every “expert” that would put us in the top 10 because of Manning potential if he comes back 100%, another “expert” doubts that the Broncos are a play-offs caliber team because they of Manning being off for an entire year.

[Ravage!!!]

Manning is healthy.

But 10th is pretty good considering how bad we were the last couple of years. Thats some high hopes. Great to see the Broncos actually be considered "contenders" again.

[Cugel]

Here's the list:

1 Green Bay Packers (5) 15-1
2 New England Patriots (2) 13-3
3 New York Giants (5) 9-7
4 San Francisco 49ers 13-3
5 Baltimore Ravens 12-4
6 Houston Texans 10-6
7 Pittsburgh Steelers 12-4
8 Philadelphia Eagles 8-8
9 New Orleans Saints 13-3
10 Denver Broncos 8-8
11 Chicago Bears 8-8
11 Detroit Lions 10-6
13 Atlanta Falcons 10-6

Notice that the Broncos are ranked ahead of the Falcons, Lions and Bears, all of whom finished 2 games ahead of them last year.

Of the top nine, it's hard to argue the Broncos should be ahead of any of them except the Eagles. The Packers, Ravens, Steelers, Patriots are elite teams year in and year out. The Giants won the SB so who can count them out at this point?

The one team in the top 10 that people might question would be the Saints due to the bounty scandal and losing their coach for the year. But, how much that will impact them is questionable. They still have Drew Brees after all and he's an elite QB.

The Eagles were favorites last year before their total debacle. I have no idea why experts keep putting them in the top 10 but for some reason eastern writers are infatuated with the Eagles. Well, I'd put the Cowboys and Giants ahead of them in the NFC East. I don't see them winning their division let alone making any noise in the playoffs.

Partly this list seems to be based on how many points teams scored last season, which is totally irrelevant to the Broncos. We got rid of Tebow who can't throw accurate passes, and Manning scored 400 points 10 out of the last 13 seasons.

If he could do that again this year the Broncos would be a cinch to win the division.

[Canmore]

Here's the list:

1 Green Bay Packers (5) 15-1
2 New England Patriots (2) 13-3
3 New York Giants (5) 9-7
4 San Francisco 49ers 13-3
5 Baltimore Ravens 12-4
6 Houston Texans 10-6
7 Pittsburgh Steelers 12-4
8 Philadelphia Eagles 8-8
9 New Orleans Saints 13-3
10 Denver Broncos 8-8
11 Chicago Bears 8-8
11 Detroit Lions 10-6
13 Atlanta Falcons 10-6

Notice that the Broncos are ranked ahead of the Falcons, Lions and Bears, all of whom finished 2 games ahead of them last year.

Of the top nine, it's hard to argue the Broncos should be ahead of any of them except the Eagles. The Packers, Ravens, Steelers, Patriots are elite teams year in and year out. The Giants won the SB so who can count them out at this point?

The one team in the top 10 that people might question would be the Saints due to the bounty scandal and losing their coach for the year. But, how much that will impact them is questionable. They still have Drew Brees after all and he's an elite QB.

The Eagles were favorites last year before their total debacle. I have no idea why experts keep putting them in the top 10 but for some reason eastern writers are infatuated with the Eagles. Well, I'd put the Cowboys and Giants ahead of them in the NFC East. I don't see them winning their division let alone making any noise in the playoffs.

Partly this list seems to be based on how many points teams scored last season, which is totally irrelevant to the Broncos. We got rid of Tebow who can't throw accurate passes, and Manning scored 400 points 10 out of the last 13 seasons.

If he could do that again this year the Broncos would be a cinch to win the division.

I do not have a problem with the top 10. The Eagles may be a question mark, but so be it. They are still the dream team or this year are they the redeem team?

We are rated tenth. That is OK company to be in to start the season. It's nice that we are in the discussion. Hopefully, we are rated in the top 10 come the end of week 17. That is when it is important and that should mean we made the playoffs. From there it is anybodies game.

[Superchop 7]

I see us ahead of Pittsburgh and the Saints.....turnover of personnel in Pittsburgh and too much drama in New Orleans.

On paper that is, thats why they play the game.